CHAPTER 171

ELLA'S POV

I watched in shocked silence as the video played on the screen. My jaw dropped, mirroring the stunned expressions of the other students around me.

Their eyes darted between the Lucinda on the screen and the real one sitting just a few tables away.

So this explains everything - why Lucinda had Trent wrapped around her finger, and even Damien's involvement. It all made sense now, like puzzle pieces finally clicking into place.

As the video ended, a hush fell over the cafeteria. You could've heard a pin drop in those few seconds of stunned silence. Then, like a dam breaking, voices erupted all around me.

"Oh my god, did you hear that?" a girl with bright blue hair gasped, nearly knocking over her lunch tray as she turned to her friend.

"I can't believe Lucinda would do something like that," another boy whispered, his eyes wide as saucers.

"So she's been the real bitch all along," someone else chimed in, their voice dripping with disgust.

My heart squeezed as I heard a quiet