Laura arched an eyebrow, suddenly remembering she was now posing as de’s ‘daughter, a secret she absolutely had to keep under wraps. After all, anyone who had watched TV would know that she was Xander’s

    sister.

    With pride, she dered, “Who said I came to suck up? I’m here to deliver a phone.” She pressed the phone into Xander’s hand, her face stern. “You lost your phone, big bro.”

    Xander took the phone and eyed her with amusement. He didn’t know what she was trying to y at.

    Taking matters into her own hands, Janelle began to analyze Xander’s expression, mocking, “Sponge pudding, I bet you’re the one who stole Xander’s phone, aren’t you?”

    Xander’s face darkened as he red at her.

    But Janelle was quite pleased with herself. She thought, ‘See, Xander? I’m just this brave, confident, and kind. Impressed yet?‘

    Laura was baffled, “Why would I steal a phone? You’re really weird, you know!”

    It was a normal enough question, but it triggeredughter around them, with kids around four or five joining in with their giggles.

    Laura couldn’t understand why they wereughing.

    Janelle was even more scornful, “You say you have a phone as if that means anything. I could say I have a phone too, but what good does that do? People like you just steal other people’s stuff!”

    Other boys nodded in agreement, “Exactly, sponge pudding. That outfit is just too backcountry, don’t you think? Are you sure you can even wear that out of the house?”

    The kidsughed even harder.

    “If I had to go out wearing such nerdy sses, I’d rather die!”

    “Clearly has no taste. If they did, why would they do something like this?”

    “Talk taste to this person? Are you kidding me?”

    “It’s people like these who are embarrassments, giving us something tough at.”

    Xander’s growing irritation was on the brink of boiling over, his eyes moving to Laura with a silent question— would she speak up or not? His gaze clearly conveyed: If you don’t exin yourself, I will.

    Sitting beside him, Janelle was oblivious to the chilling aura emanating from him, continuing to mock with a smile, “Let’s not be too harsh, or this sponge pudding might run crying to mommy. And you all should know her mom isn’t innocent either. She tried to steal my dad once and spectacrly failed.”

    Laura countered with a chuckling pride, “That’s not true at all. It was your mom who stole my dad. Your mom

    12:45 bFri/bb, /bbSep /bb12 /bB

    is the homewrecker, and not just once–she’s a three–time offender, a triple threat.”

    Janelle’s smile faded instantly.

    Her friends were furious, “What did you say?! How dare you bully our Janelle!”

    “And who are you to even speak to our Janelle like that?”

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    Laura looked at the group of sisters calmly, her demeanor steady, “Why can’t I speak? Shouldn’t we bring up the mistakes her mother made as a lesson? So that we all learn not to be a homewrecker like Janelle’s mom, right?” She turned earnestly to Janelle, “Your mom is a cautionary tale. You should be grateful, actually.”

    Janelle’s eyes bulged with fury, and she screeched as she swung at Laura, “Don’t you dare talk about my mom!”

    Xander’s expression darkened at the sight, about to intervene, but then he saw Laura quickly duck, causing Janelle to swipe at the air.

    Everyone gazed down in disbelief.

    There was Laura, squatting confidently on the ground with a smirk, “Bet you didn’t expect this—L can transform into a cold–hearted mushroom.”

    Xander, caught off guard, snorted augh, and turned away trying to hide his amusement as his shoulders. quivered slightly.

    Seizing the moment, Janelle angrily pushed Laura. Like a monkey, Laura hugged her legs and propelled her forward. Janelle, losing her bnce, toppled over andnded with a heavy thud, sitting on the ground, stunned. Around her, everyone was equally dumbfounded.

    Xander, struggling to keep a straight face, turned around only to see the spectacle and he raised an eyebrow, more amused than before. Yet Janelle, reading Xander’s expression, burst into tears, “I’m being bullied!”

    Xander’s smile vanished as Laura continued to observe Janelle’s performance impassively.

    There sat Janelle on the ground, tears streaming but without much noise, her sobs piercing, “You sponge pudding, I know you don’t like me, your mom doesn’t like me, but you can’t bully me like this, after all, I’m your sister, isn’t I?”

    Laura was stunned. She wondered, ‘Sister? Where’d I get a sister?‘

    Gasping between sobs, Janelle cried, “I was just trying to protect my own mom. What did I do wrong?”

    The other girls rushed to soothe her, “Don’t cry, Janelle. It’s not worth it.”

    “Yeah, Janelle, don’t ibe /iupset over someone like that.”

    “Get up, Janelle,e on!”

    Janelle thrashed her feet, wailing, “No, I won’t get up, I am just too heartbroken right now, so heartbroken!”

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    Her friends couldn’t stand to watch any longer, and they turned their reproach towards Laura, “What’s with you, you little savage, ming Janelle when it’s your mom who’s the other woman? Does bullying your own sister make you happy?”

    “That’s right. It must feel great to y the victim, right? Let me tell you, we can see right through you. We’ll never take your side!”

    “Indeed. Dream on if you think we’ll support you.”

    Laura, utterly confused, raised an eyebrow and retorted, “When did I ever ask you to support me? Who are you?”

    They all paused in surprise.

    Laura tilted her head towards Janelle. “Do I know you? This is our first meeting today. My mom hasn’te back home for like ten years.”

    Janelle’s eyes shimmered as she nced at Xander, whose expression was slowly turning sour. She kept sobbing, “Pretend! Just keep pretending! How could you possibly not recognize me? Your mom and my mom are sisters. You’ve always been mean to me, and now you have the nerve to talk to me like this here. Are you just trying to bully me?”

    With tears clouding her vision, she looked pitifully at Laura. “Little sis, I know you don’t like me. You think I have everything. But I’m a kind–hearted big sister. I’d give you anything you want, so why do you have topete with me here?”

    Laura was dumbfounded. She thought, ‘Is she alright? Does she have, like, an actual illness in her head?‘ Pointing at her own head, Laura asked, “Are you sure you’re in a sound state of mind? Janelle?”

    Janelle cried without answering, her mind spinning with ns. She thought, ‘Even though I don’t recognize this sponge pudding, if Xander thinks she’s no good and pities me, that’s a win for me.‘

    She looked at Xander with feigned vulnerability. “Xander, do you think I should forgive my sister? I shouldn’t me her for knocking me down, right?”

    All eyes immediately turned to Xander.

    The boys and girls were all eager to prove themselves, nodding and saying, “Xander, our Janelle is so kind- hearted. Maybe we could just let it go. Right?”

    “Yeah, yeah, let’s spare this clueless brat!”

    That’s what they said, but they all had their own calctions. They thought, ‘Xander was sensible, after all. He might stand up for us because we are picked on by this wild child. That would be a shortcut to making friends with him. A stroke of luck!‘

    Janelle thought so too, her eyes fixed eagerly on Xander.

    Xander sat with his legs crossed,zily propping his temple with a hand, as his gaze swept over them. “Let this kid off?”

    They nodded. “Yeah, we’re generous and we’ll let it slide.”

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    A scornful sneer crossed Xander’s lips as he mocked, “But wasn’t it you who set her up? Howe you’re acting all magnanimous now? You think you deserve to?”

    They were taken aback.

    Xander leaned forward, eyeing Janelle who sat on the ground, clueless. “From the moment my sister arrived, you’ve been targeting her, haven’t you?”

    Janelle’s pupils dted in confusion. “Your sister? Where is she?”

    Xander’s expression grew more inscrutable. “Isn’t she right across from you?”

    Janelle was dumbfounded.