Alicia’s face darkened, and she stayed silent.
Everyone around could read between the lines. No one said it out loud, but their expressions said enough.
Edward glanced at her. “Alicia, I believe you didn’t say those things.”
Her expression shifted immediately, eyes filling with emotion. “Thank you, Mr. Ford Senior…”
“But it’s not enough that I was the only one who believed it,” he added calmly. “Like Elise said -show them the mall surveillance footage and clear your name.”
Now that even Edward had spoken, Alicia couldn’t make any more excuses.
Her eyes flickered for a moment. Then suddenly, she dropped to her knees in front of him, voice trembling. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ford Senior. I lied to you.”
Edward rushed to help her up before she could fully kneel, his face full of concern. “What happened? If something’s upsetting you, just tell me. Don’t hold it in.”
I scoffed silently.
She hadn’t even confessed to anything yet, and he was already softening. No doubt about it- he was completely biased.
Alicia wiped away tears and looked at him pitifully. “Those words… They were said. But not by me. It was one of my friends. She got mad for my sake and said those things. But I scolded her right away–I told her never to speak like that again.”
Aria wasn’t buying it. She stepped forward, eyes blazing. “Please. She’s your friend, and she’s saying stuff like that in front of people. Of course, she was echoing your attitude! Stop trying to dump the blame on someone else!”
“She is my friend,” Alicia said, voice small but righteous. “But that doesn’t mean I agreed with her. Why do you think I told her to shut up? I can’t control what people think. She was just trying to defend me!”
“So, it was all just a ‘misunderstanding,‘ huh?” I said, my tone flat.
Edward jumped in decisively. “You two should apologize to each other and move on.”
“I’m not apologizing!” Aria shouted immediately. “Why the hell should I apologize?”
Alicia stayed quiet, but Aria had already exploded. “This was her fault! And I’m supposed to say sorry? Over my dead body!”
“That’s enough!” Mr. Guzman barked. “You’re blowing this up over something so minor! Alicia already said it wasn’t her idea–her friend went too far. Why are you being
aggressive?”
Aria had been angry before. But now, after being yelled at by her own parents, her face went from furious to devastated.
You know who was wrong. Why are you covering for her?” she said, her voice cracking. “Is she really so much more important than me? I’m your daughter!”
Mrs. Guzman turned away, clearly unwilling to meet Arla’s eyes.
Mr. Guzman stiffened. He shot a glance toward Edward, who was still gently comforting Alicia, and sighed deeply. Then he turned back to Aria, his face hard.
“You are our only daughter,” he said sternly. “That’s why we have to teach you right from wrong. You’re the Guzman family’s pride. You don’t get to act like some brat from the street and throw punches over every little slight!”
Then, bowing slightly, he looked at Edward. “I sincerely apologize. Aria has been spoiled by both of us. My wife and I take full responsibility for this situation.”
“And how do you plan to ‘take responsibility“?” Aria asked coldly, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Are you going to give away another family heirloom to Alicia to make things right?”
