After my Aunt Lily and Uncle Mark died, my dad took my cousin Jessica in. But she treated him like her personal ATM, bleeding him dry and then accusing him of spying on her, of being a creep… 1. “Sarah, I can’t believe your dad… going after his own niece? Guess the old man’s still got some fire in him, huh? Hahaha!” I was head-down, working on a project proposal at the office. My arch-nemesis, Chloe Davis, suddenly materialized above me, her voice dripping with sarcasm. My blood boiled instantly. I figured she was just trying to sabotage me, snatch the project with some low-blow personal attack. But then she shoved her phone right in my face. Playing on the screen was a viral video – TikTok, probably – with hundreds of thousands of likes and comments: “OMG you guys, you won’t BELIEVE this. My own uncle… sexually harassed me. Spied on me. That old creep is absolutely shameless, lower than dirt! Here’s what happened: two years ago, my parents died in a car crash. My uncle, Michael Johnson – yeah, the disgusting old sicko – said I should come live with him. At first, I was actually happy. It meant I still had family, you know? But just two days ago, I caught him. The creep was spying on me while I was showering, changing clothes. And when I confronted him? He didn’t apologize. He threatened me! Told me if I said a word, he’d beat me senseless and leak the videos he took! That’s when I saw his true colors. I realized he didn’t take me in out of kindness. He wanted to take advantage of me! It all made sense then – why my underwear sometimes seemed like it had been moved around. That pervert is so disgusting! I don’t even know how many times he violated my privacy. So, I moved out immediately. But he’s my only family left, so I felt like I had to just suck it up, forgive him, and carry this burden alone. BUT, listen up everyone, if you’re ever spied on or taken advantage of, PLEASE don’t be like me and suffer in silence. Stand up for yourselves! Fight back against these predators! Call them out online…” I… I was completely numb. This was pure fabrication. Slander. The woman in the video was my cousin, Jessica Miller. Yes, she’d moved in with us two years ago after her parents died, and yes, she’d moved out a couple of days ago. But it wasn’t because my dad harassed her or spied on her. It was because she demanded twenty thousand dollars from him, and he didn’t give it to her! For the two years Jessica lived with us, my dad treated her like his own daughter. He paid for everything – food, housing, everything. She didn’t spend a dime. Sometimes, she’d even cry poverty to get money from him for clothes or makeup. I remember once, Dad worked a construction job for a year, only for the foreman and manager to skip town with everyone’s wages. He didn’t get paid a cent. We were struggling just to eat. When I found out, I lied and said I got a bonus at work. In reality, I gave him two months of my own salary so he could take a break. But when I came back from a business trip? I found him eating instant ramen noodles every day, not even buying cheap veggies. After I pressed him, he admitted Jessica had guilted the money out of him for some designer dress and outfit because "everyone at her new internship wears custom stuff." I was so furious I couldn't eat for three days! I don't even own custom-made clothes! My dad would literally starve himself to make sure she had money, terrified she’d feel like a burden or an outsider. But that ungrateful viper? Instead of being thankful, she pushed her luck. She demanded another twenty thousand dollars from him for a "nest egg," supposedly for when she eventually got married. And she made it clear any gift money from a future wedding was hers to keep too. Seriously? Was she treating my dad like her personal ATM?! I didn't even have a nest egg saved up! What gave her the right? Besides, my dad’s just a regular construction worker. He’s been both mom and dad to me for years, working his fingers to the bone. Where was he supposed to pull twenty grand from?! Jessica threw a massive tantrum, screamed at him, completely turned on him right then and there. Called him heartless, greedy, said he cared more about money than family. I almost laughed out loud from sheer rage. Who was the one obsessed with money? Who was the shameless, heartless one?! And now, she had the audacity to post this kind of video? Twisting everything, spreading lies and slander? She’d stoop to this level – this vile, disgusting level – just for money? Does she even have a shred of humanity left? I slammed my fist on the desk! Just as I was about to unleash a string of curses, my boss, Mr. Peterson, called out, "Sarah, my office, please." His face was grim. He’d clearly seen the video. As soon as I walked in, I started explaining, "Mr. Peterson, please don't misunderstand. That video is completely false, pure slander. My dad would never spy on anyone. He’s just an honest, hardworking guy…" But Mr. Peterson held up a hand, cutting me off. "Sarah, even if I believe you, what difference does it make? That video already has millions of views. The public fallout is huge, and it's going to hit you soon. I can't let this negatively impact the company." "So, Mr. Peterson, what… what are you saying?" A horrible feeling washed over me. He sighed. "Go home now, Sarah. Sort this out with your father. Let Chloe take over the project for now. Once this is completely resolved, you can come back." In other words, if I couldn't make this go away completely, I wouldn't have a job to come back to. One malicious, slanderous video from Jessica, and my project, my job, were on the line? Panic surged. "Mr. Peterson, I promise you, my dad would absolutely never—" "Enough! Go home and check on your father! He needs you right now." Mr. Peterson waved me away. I could only bite my lip and walk out. Jessica, you shameless, ungrateful snake. I will make you pay for this! "Wow, you just never know, do you? He seemed like such a quiet old guy, but behind closed doors, he's a creep preying on his own niece. Tsk, tsk, really goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover!" The second I stepped out of the office, Chloe’s mocking voice piped up again. Others quickly chimed in: "Exactly! Like father, like daughter, right? Maybe some people are just as twisted and dirty on the inside as their dad. We should probably keep our distance!" "Ugh, puts on a professional front, but comes from trash like that. People like them deserve to be canceled!" "........." Listening to their disgusting words, my fists clenched tight. Suddenly, Mr. Peterson’s sharp voice cut through from his office: "That's enough! Do you all want your pay docked?" "Sarah, just go home!" I forced myself to swallow the rage. "You just wait," I muttered under my breath. "The truth will come out." 2. When I got home, Dad was on the phone. It sounded like one of our relatives, Aunt Carol, and she was laying into him. I could hear her sharp tones from across the room. "...Michael, how could you do such a thing? Jessica is your niece, your own blood! Have you no shame? At your age! I’m embarrassed for you! How are we supposed to face anyone now…" My dad was desperately trying to explain, but he’s never been good with words. He was getting so flustered tears were welling up in his eyes. "Carol, I swear I didn't! I don't know why Jessica would post something like that! I didn't spy on her, really! She's my niece, how could I possibly…? It's impossible…" He was trembling, repeating the same phrases over and over. Seeing him like that broke my heart and fueled my anger. I walked over and snatched the phone from his hand. "Aunt Carol! If Dad really spied on Jessica, why didn't she call the police? Why post a video online? She's framing him! It's slander!" My aunt paused for a second. "Well… well, that's because Jessica's a sensitive girl, she cares about family, and she's probably scared you two will retaliate! How could you treat such a sweet girl so horribly…" "Sensitive? Cares about family? Ha! If you think she's so great, why don't you take her in? Stop wasting my time!" I scoffed. "You brat… you…! That video has hundreds of thousands of people talking! You think they're all wrong? Jessica was right, you two are just heartless and ungrateful! You deserve…" "Believe whatever you want online! Just stop calling my dad!" SLAM! I hung up forcefully. Dad immediately started fussing, scolding me for talking to Aunt Carol like that, wanting to call her back. I tossed the phone onto the couch and grabbed his arm. "Dad! Stop! She won't believe you!" "Then… then what do we do? I can't just let people think this! What's gotten into Jessica…?" Dad paced like a caged animal, wringing his hands. "Oh, right! I'll call Jessica! If I just talk to her, clear things up, it'll be fine! I'll get her to take the video down…" He reached for the phone again. I blocked him once more. "Dad, don't you get it yet? Jessica is an ungrateful viper! She won't listen to you right now!" Dad shook his head frantically. "No, no, Jessica's just confused, acting out. If I explain it to her, she'll understand. She doesn't really mean to hurt me. I'll call her, we'll sort it out…" I felt helpless. "What do you mean, confused? She's deliberately slandering you! Can you please just stop trying to contact her? What we need to do now is call the police!" "The police? No, no! That would ruin Jessica! Let me just call her, we can talk it through. Let go of me…" Dad pulled his arm free with surprising strength. I was speechless with frustration. Fine. Call her. Let's see what wonderful things she has to say to you. Dad dialed her number, his voice hesitant and careful. "Hello? Jessica? Honey, I saw that video you posted online… what's going on? How could you say your uncle spied—" "Why do you care what video I post?! I'll say whatever I want! You got a problem with that?!" Jessica's furious voice erupted from the phone before he could finish. "No, Jessica, listen to me. You need to take that video down right now. Your Aunt Carol just called, she said—" "What do I care what she said?! Let me tell you something – no money, no deleting the video! Got it?!" Click. Beeeep beeep beeep… Dad just stood there, stunned, phone still pressed to his ear. "Well? See her true colors now?" I took the phone from his hand and guided him to the sofa. He sat there for a long time, silent. Then tears started streaming down his face. "How could she? How could Jessica do this? I never treated her badly… how could she lie about me like this…?" I knew this wasn't the time for wallowing. We needed to clear his name, fast. I immediately dialed 911. Dad actually tried to stop me, still holding onto some sliver of hope for Jessica. I snapped, my voice sharp with frustration. "Do you want me to lose my job because of her? Think about what Aunt Carol just said! Think about what your coworkers will say! How are we supposed to live in this neighborhood anymore?" I pulled away from him and made the call. The police arrived quickly. After hearing the story, one officer asked, "Did you record that last phone call you made?" I shook my head. "Okay," the officer said. "We'll need to contact the other party involved, Ms. Miller, to get her statement and investigate further. If we can confirm she knowingly spread false information – defamation – we'll proceed according to the law." "How long will that take?" I asked anxiously. "It depends on her cooperation," the officer replied. "This is just a preliminary investigation, so we can't compel her testimony at this stage." "So, if she just refuses to cooperate, we're stuck? Just left hanging while our reputations are destroyed? What about the damage to our lives, the lost income?" I was getting desperate. "We understand your frustration," the officer said reassuringly. "Rest assured, we will investigate this thoroughly and as quickly as possible, and take appropriate action based on the facts." Great. Said a lot without saying anything useful! By the time the police finished their investigation, would I even have a job to go back to? After they left, the anger simmered inside me. That viper Jessica. Not only did she cost me my project, but she'd turned our family and friends against my dad. I couldn't just let her get away with it. Just charging her with defamation wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. I needed to add something more potent to the mix. But before I could make my move, someone else targeted our home first.
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