Chapter 25: Lying is Bad

Chapter 25: Lying is Bad "Au—auntie... You didn’t have to push Chacha and Second if we’re in the way." "Auntie, we are so sorry. Please don’t step on us anymore." Confusion quickly bloomed on Melissa’s face as she eyed the children, who suddenly wobbled on the floor so dramatically. She hadn’t even touched them! "What?" she let out a nervous laugh. "Kids, what are you saying..." She trailed off when she suddenly heard a comment from the side. "What? Melissa pushed those kids just because they’re in the way?" "I heard she’s getting the role, and her presence is out of mere formality. But even so, how can she hurt innocent children?" "I thought she was gentle, but it seems having strong backers was enough to change one." Melissa opened and closed her mouth as she heard whispers and saw accusing looks from the people around. "I didn’t—" She hadn’t even defended herself when the children spoke again. "Auntie, we will move away," Second hiccupped, hugging Chacha protectively. "Please don’t hurt Chacha anymore. Just step on me if you’re still angry." Second then looked up at her, sliding his little hand in front of her feet as if offering it to be stepped on. His thick lashes fluttered ever so slowly, acting like he was making the biggest sacrifice at five! "!!!" Melissa’s breath hitched, torn between whether these kids were just dramatic or if they were purposely making her look bad. "Lisa, what are you still..." The blonde and the short-haired ladies suddenly appeared, only to catch Melissa idling outside the audition hall. Their steps slowed as they spotted two children in their Halloween costumes slumped in front of Melissa, with the boy’s hand placed inches from Melissa’s heel. The two ladies furrowed their brows, trying to make sense of the situation. However, they couldn’t quite tell what was happening. "Uh..." Melissa huffed and sported a gentle smile. "It’s nothing. The children were mistaken and fell on their own." And for once, she wasn’t lying. But then, the twins spoke. "That’s true, beautiful big sisters," Second hummed, his voice adorable, his eyes on the blonde and short-haired ladies. "The auntie didn’t mean to step on us at all!" Chacha nodded, obviously feigning lingering "fear" in her eyes. "Yes! The old auntie didn’t mean to push us out of the way and step on us. She just probably didn’t see us!" Melissa’s face blanked as she eyed the two. Even if the twins said all that, it only sounded like they were trying to hide their sufferings and not clarify the misunderstanding at all. Also, how come they called those two "big sisters," and she was an "old auntie"? The ladies—the two who had locked Lola to give Melissa justice—frowned a bit. To them, the twins were just trying to cover for Melissa. "That’s not—" Melissa panicked, waving her hands as she darted her eyes at everyone looking in their direction. When her eyes fell on the children, malice and bitterness shone in them. Now, for her, it was clear that these children were either framing her for no reason, or they simply didn’t know how damaging this was. Either way, she was not happy at all. "Kids," Melissa huffed and calmed down. "Lying is bad. I didn’t even touch the two of you." She then raised her finger to the CCTV camera in the corner. "You know, there are cameras all over this place. If they see that you’re lying, you can end up in prison." Second and Chacha frowned. Seeing their reaction, Melissa’s confidence rose again. She straightened her back and smiled. "I’ll pretend that this didn’t happen, alright?" She offered them a reassuring nod and reached out. "But next time, don’t say something that didn’t happen. It’s not a good joke." Hearing Melissa’s confidence, the onlookers looked at each other. Even the blonde and the short-haired lackeys exchanged looks and then shifted their eyes to the kids. "Was it a misunderstanding all along?" the short-haired lackey blurted out. Melissa’s smile stretched, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. These two were just kids. So, even if Melissa was not pleased by their little prank, she still needed to handle this situation with care. No one liked someone who harmed children, right? Slowly, the twins reached out to her hand. "Come up now," Melissa bent over, trying to help the twins. "I know it’s just a misunderstanding, and that you didn’t mean everything you said. Where are your parents? I’ll help you find them later—" As the twins took her hand, Melissa carefully pulled them up. Much to her dismay, right before she could finish her good Samaritan act, Chacha suddenly tugged her hand. "Ah!" Chacha yelped, letting go of Melissa’s hand and then falling on her bottom again. "Chacha!" Second shouted and released Melissa’s hand, rushing to his sister. "Se—Second..." Chacha’s round eyes wobbled as her little mouth quivered. She looked up at Melissa with utter horror. "Auntie, I’m sorry..." Second frowned, hugging Chacha as he looked up at Melissa. "Auntie, if you don’t want to help us, that’s alright. You didn’t have to push Chacha like that—do you know she’s very fragile?" Melissa was in utter disbelief, her eyes wide at the standing ovation act before her. Even if she knew they did it on purpose, to others, it still looked like she pushed down Chacha. "Lisa..." the blonde lackey frowned a little, looking at Melissa with disappointment. "Why would you do that?" "It must be a misunderstanding," the short-haired woman laughed nervously. "Right, Lisa?" "Misunderstanding?" one of the people idling in the hall snorted. "We all saw what happened. Melissa just pushed down the girl for everyone to see!" "Miss Young, we understand that you’ve been rising in the ranks to stardom, but do you think treating kids like this will help you?" Another one mused. The person, who hadn’t even seen what happened, snickered. "What? Was it because she knew that she’d be cast in The Angel’s Revenge that she thinks she can just do whatever she wants?" Currying favor with Melissa was a good thing. However, that didn’t mean they truly liked her. These people might smile in front of her and praise her to the high heavens, but at the same time, they wouldn’t hesitate to pour fuel or join in her persecution. That was how it had always been, and Melissa was well aware of that. Slowly, she balled her hands into tight fists. "What are you all talking about?" she spoke up, raising her hand to point at the twins. But her action only earned a squeal from Chacha. "Ah!" Chacha screamed in horror, covering her little head as if she had expected Melissa to hit her. "Auntie, please, no more!" "What—" "Melissa Young!" Before anyone could process or create scenarios in their heads, they heard a loud shout. Turning their heads, their eyes caught a modern witch. Everyone’s brows knitted while Melissa’s lips curved down. Her lackeys’ brows shot up in surprise, knowing full well what they did to her. How did Lola get out of the restroom?