Sherry failed to understand how people she considered her close friends were able to just turn their backs against her like that. Why didn't they believe her, why did they instead choose to trust in the words of strangers and a man that wasn't as close to them?
Sherry admitted that she might not have been as close to Luna and Kate as she once believed. They've only known each other for one and a half years at the time and didn't really talk about their personal lives around each other. Sherry had only found out that Luna liked XXX coincidently. From them on, she supported their relationship. She actively tried to push them together, putting them in situations that would serve to foster emotions and hoped for the best. Who would have thought that things would've turned out like this?
Meanwhile, Luna and Kate were talking amongst themselves. Luna was sniffling with tears and Kate was trying to comfort her.
"Forget about that b*tch. We're better off without her." Kate cursed. She's known Luna since she was a kid and was more willing to cut ties with Sherry than to upset Luna.
"I, I was so happy when Sherry told me that she supported my relationship with XXX. I mean, she's known him forever right? She must know what he likes. So I did everything she said, I stopped wearing so much makeup and tried to appeal to him through personality."
"She must've been laughing behind your back. While you were dancing around like a fool, she was seducing XXX and pretending to be a friend. She even lied that XXX lied to everyone about her, but he was right. She's a slut!" Kate spoke with anger and aggression.
"I can't believe that she confessed to him even though she knew that I liked him. Even if she did like him, she should have told me. I wouldn't have acted so stupid if I did."
"What kind of friend does that? She's just a dirty whore that played with your feelings. It's no wonder that XXX rejected her. He must have discovered her true colours."
In their anger, the two cursed Sherry, spreading lies born from their misunderstanding and coloured lens on the issue.
Soon, the whole school heard of Sherry's scandal. She wasn't a popular student before, but now everyone in the school heard of her name and stained reputation. She was the slut, the whore that spread her legs for anyone. People avoided her like the plague, they detested to even sit next to her.
As time went by, the situation grew worse. People began to actively abusing her, transcending beyond calling her names. They threw paper balls at her, wrote abusive messages and verbally bullied Sherry.
Sherry felt like she was stuck in a swamp, it was a sticky situation and the more she struggled, the worst it got. No one would talk to her anymore, the only words they said were that of the rumours, hate and disdain. No one would believe her, all they knew was that Sherry tried to make a move on XXX but he refused and instead exposed her scandalous past so that everyone was aware of what they were getting into.
'No, I'm okay. I'm fine. I don't need friends. I can survive this. Two years, just two years and I'm out of here. It's okay, I can do this.' Sherry thought to herself through her tears. She found herself hiding out in the bathroom during breaks and avoiding people in general. The person she previously was replaced by a depressing and dark individual.
'It hurts so much. I'm so lonely. I want it all to stop. I hate this.' As time passed, Sherry found herself slowly breaking down. The stubborn mentality she wore at the start crumbled and she started to avoid school. She feigned illness, intentionally hurting herself just to skip out of school.
"(What's wrong, honey? You've been out of it lately.)" An asked, concerned. Sherry was getting duller and duller by the day. She used to joke around and smile all the time but now, her smile was only present when they looked at her.
Sherry smiled, shaking her head. "(It's nothing. I'm just stressed because exams are soon, that's all)"
"(Is that so? Make sure you take a break every now and then. Go on a walk or something and take your mind off it. And remember, your health is more important that everything else.)" An advised, believing in Sherry's lie.
"(Mm, will do.)" Sherry replied, her face was still full of smiles but as soon as An turned her back to her, her smile faded and all that was left was a mask of indifference and silent sorrow.
One day, when Sherry was crying herself to sleep, Ping knocked on her door to speak to her. He was seeing her getting less and less lively by the day and knew that it was definitely not exams that was causing this. The Chen couple opened the door without even waiting for Sherry to let them in and saw her crying, her face a sobbing mess.
"(What's wrong?)" Ping asked, frowning.
"(Did something happen?)" An echoed.
Sherry shook her head in a fluster. "(N-no, it's nothing. I was just watching a sad movie.)"
"(Shi Ming, I want you to know that you can talk to me. I want to help you in any way I can. Whatever's going on, I can help you.)" An sat down beside Sherry and held her hand into her own.
"(Why are you crying?)" Ping was more straightforward about it.
Sherry hesitated. She felt that it was shameful and didn't want her parents to know.
"(It's okay. We just want to know what's been going on, sweetie. You've been strange lately, we're worried.)" An gently led her on.
Sherry felt her eyes warm up from the genuine affection and concern. She burst into tears, breaking down and falling into her mother's embrace. "I, I don't want to go to school anymore. I hate it. Everyone hates me and thinks I'm a slut. And, and they keep spreading lies, I can't handle it anymore!"
An gently pat her back, waiting for her to calm down and continue. Through her strained and teary voice, Sherry kept speaking. "XXX told everyone that I wanted to have sex with him. He told them that I did it with all his friends just to get to him and that I had STI's. He said I was a slut and now the whole school believes in him."
"(XXX? Isn't he your friend?)" Ping asked.
"He said that he liked me but when I said that I just wanted to be friends, he started to be mean to me and Lu-Luna and Kate won't play with me anymore and the whole school hates me. Even the teachers are treating me differently. When, when people throw things at me, she makes me pick it up and put it in the bin and then keeps me in because I was misbehaving…I don't want to go to school anymore, Ma. It's too scary. I hate it."
An continued to pat Sherry's back. She spoke in a slow soothing tone. "(If you don't want to go, then you don't have to. Mum and Dad will take care of everything so you don't have to worry. When you're ready, you can go.)"
With red eyes and nose, Sherry nodded, just relieved that she didn't have to keep lying to her parents anymore.