"And when Bella tried to tell the professor," Karl continued, "the professor was too busy. Too stressed. Too overwhelmed with annual day preparations to listen. She told them to come back later. She told them their problem could wait."
The professor sitting in the front row went pale. Her hands gripped the armrests of her seat so hard her knuckles turned white. She looked like she wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor, to become invisible. A few people turned to look at her, their eyes cold and judgmental.
Krystal stood frozen on the stage. Her confidence, which had carried her through so many lies, was gone. It had finally been exposed for what it was: a mask.
She looked small and scared. She looked like a cornered animal with nowhere left to run.
She opened her mouth, but no words came.
