"Anyone else? Maybe Shay?" Josefina inquired, her voice a playful mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Shay let out a chuckle and said, "Josefina, don’t put words in my mouth. I didn’t say anything."
Mandy spoke up with a bit of defiance, "It was Joelle who said it. I heard Josefina telling my uncle to get the best lawyers, promising to make her regret it."
Joelle, looking a bit rattled, grabbed Shay's arm. "Shay, help me out here."
Shay, trying to keep the peace, said, "Look, Josefina, Sunny was just talking nonsense. She wasn’t picking on you. She was just repeating what someone else said."
"She wasn’t just repeating someone else!" Mandy insisted.
"I was just repeating what I heard, telling it to Shay," Joelle defended herself, pulling Shay along. "Let’s go, we don’t need to get into it with them."
Mandy started to chase after them, wanting to pull them back, but Josefina held her back. "Let it go. There’s no cameras around. Even if we complained, without her admitting, we’ve got no proof."
Besides, with Mandy being Josefina’s relative, her credibility as a witness was shaky.
Frustrated, Mandy exclaimed, "So we’re just going to let them treat you like this?"
"I know you’re looking out for me, but we can’t do much about it now. They can say what they want, but I trust there are plenty of people who are fair and speak the truth, like you," Josefina reassured her.
Mandy, a bit embarrassed by the compliment, felt both pride and a tinge of shame. She had skipped school for a few days to reflect on her past mistakes, realizing how foolish she’d been.
Arriving at school solo, she stumbled upon the conversation.
Thinking back on how she used to treat Josefina made her see the others in a similar light, ready to stand up without thinking.
"Thanks, Mandy," Josefina said with warmth, bringing a blush to Mandy's cheeks.
Mandy, now flustered, fiddled with her hair, avoiding Josefina’s gaze. "Uh, I’ve got class. I should get going," she mumbled awkwardly, making her exit.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess