Shirley Forrest looked at Vera Xavier worriedly. She wanted to say something in her defense, but since she didn't know the full story, she was powerless to help.
Vera Xavier said unhurriedly, "With detective skills like yours, it's a real waste you're not writing mystery novels. It's just a shame you legal illiterates probably don't know there's a crime in this world called 'slander'."
Just then, the bell for class rang, and all the students returned to their seats.
The way her classmates looked at Vera Xavier had changed. At eighteen or nineteen, they weren't malicious enough to intentionally assume the worst of someone, but they were incredibly curious about *that sort of thing*. As a result, further speculation was inevitable.
They took the hints from Cara Preston's statement and ran with them. Suddenly, Vera Xavier's yawning earlier that morning and the way she'd shaken her hand now seemed like supporting evidence that she had been gang-raped.
