The next day, we were gathered in our usual spot, chatting and enjoying a moment of respite from our studies. Angel Wen, with a sly grin, looked at me and boldly declared, “Hey, everyone, did you hear that David here has a crush on Angel Bai?”

Her words were met with a sudden hush, and all eyes turned toward me. I was taken aback, not only by the unexpected accusation but also by the fact that it was entirely untrue.

Scott, always quick to react, was among those who assumed the rumor was real. He jumped in and said, “Wait, what? David, is this true?”

I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel the false accusation. “No, no, it’s not true at all. I don’t have a crush on Angel Bai. It’s just a misunderstanding.”

Angel Wen, seemingly unfazed by the commotion she had caused, shrugged and said, “Well, it looked like something more to me.”

Angel Wen and Angel Bai were 2 friends that arrived in this school together, they were both chinese, and both had ‘Angel’ in their name, but their personalitites were very different, Angel Bai was good in studies, she was an extrovert, although she isn’t as annoying as the others, and she wasn’t a teacher’s pet. Angel Wen, however, was bad in studies, she was an extrovert, yet annoying, she was a gossip since a long time ago.

The incident left me feeling unfairly targeted and embarrassed in front of the entire class. Angel Wen’s careless words had stirred unnecessary drama, and to my surprise, no one came to my defense or helped clarify the situation. Instead, it seemed like everyone had chosen to believe the baseless rumor.

“Oh David! Where is your girlfriend? You should go to find her!” Laughed Naay, “Yeah, David, you shouldn’t be touching my friend Angel Bai, she is worth more than just you!” Angel Wen said, and I tightened my grip, “You are a long-tongued gossip, Angel Wen, there is no evidence that I ever was friends with her, so how is it that you are saying I like her?! And for no reason at all!”

Scott, Ryan, and the rest of our friends, while aware of the truth, pretended that they didn’t, they kept laughing at me, while I felt complete torment, just like what Ethan Mok experienced.