A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"Yeah. Calliope's not exactly the forgiving type, is she? Did she leave the Jewell family to guilt-trip Lisette into leaving too?"

"Poor Lisette, she didn't deserve that!"

"Calliope's got a personality problem. The whole Jewell family isn't fond of her. How's that Lisette's fault?"

"Wow, Portia, have you fallen under Calliope's spell too?"

People around Portia were quick to voice their thoughts, rallying behind Lisette. They glanced at Portia with a mix of disdain and disbelief.

"Can't you guys see? Lisette's putting on an act," Portia said, exasperated with her classmates.

"Class president, aren't you supposed to be fair? You really believe Lisette's not acting?" Portia asked, hoping for some backup.

Let's not stir up trouble. We're all classmates here. Let's have a good time today," the class president said hurriedly. "Lisette's always been like this-kind-hearted and honest.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

applause echoed

the doorway, her entrance

this reuniona tribunal against me?" she asked, scanning the room with an amused curiosity. "Weren't you just talking about me? Now that I'm here, why so quiet? Speak up. I can't hear what you have to say

all, Calliope had been the campus.queen bee, and their entire year knew her. Despite all the gossip behind her back,

you did, and now we can't talk about it?"

who had never seen eye-to-eye with Calliope since high school. A boy she liked had a crush on Calliope, and she had

talking," Calliope replied earnestly. "Maybe you should get your ears checked. What I said was I'd prefer it

Eva, poised

world, everyone had changed, shaped by the pressures of society. But Calliope seemed to

into something en