The experiment entered a critical stage, and I originally had no intention of going home.

On Friday night, my mom suddenly called me:

"Xinxin, why didn't you come home today?"

"There's something happening at school, so I won't be going home this weekend."

There was some chaos in the voice on the other end of the phone, and then my dad's voice came through:

"Xinxin, why don't you come home for a visit? Your mom and I are still a bit worried about that incident with the wall at your school. We want to talk to you. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you back to school."

With things having reached this point, I had no choice but to agree.

As soon as I entered the house, my parents were sitting in the living room, waving to me:

"Xinxin, come and sit here."

Looking at their worried eyes, my heart suddenly softened.

No matter how others spread rumors about me or look at me with strange eyes, at least my parents still love me and worry about me.

"Mom and Dad, I'm really fine. I didn't post that message, and I reported it to the police. "

When my dad heard this, his expression on his face didn't ease, but became even more serious:

"Can the police handle your case? Can they catch that person?"

Sitting next to my mom, I nodded, thinking that since I had come home, I should explain everything to my parents so they wouldn't worry:

"Of course they can. Technology is advanced now. With just an account, they can trace the IP address, real name, and phone number. They can find out everything."

"Xinxin, does that mean that just saying a few words is a crime?"

"She used my photo as her avatar and spread false information, saying that I was pregnant and wanted an abortion. The reposts have already exceeded a thousand. It's considered online rumors, and the serious ones can even lead to imprisonment."

"Imprisonment?"

My dad stood up, staring with his eyes wide open and said, "Imprisonment for this? Doesn't that mean it will leave a criminal record?"

I looked at my dad's agitated expression and felt a sense of inexplicable grievance in my heart, furrowing my brows slightly:

"The person spreading rumors has caused me to become famous throughout the school. It has even reached the point where it's affecting you here. My reputation has been ruined. Isn't it only right for there to be a criminal record? Who will take responsibility for my reputation? I'm at a crucial stage for applying for graduate school. Haven't you thought about how much these rumors will affect my future?"

There was a slightly guilty expression on my parents' faces, and my tears couldn't help but fall:

"You say that we should forgive and forget, but why should I? I'm not afraid of making a big fuss. I didn't do anything wrong. If you, as my parents, don't care about me, how can you speak up for the person who hurt me?"

My mom hurriedly stood up to comfort me:

"Xinxin, how could your dad and I not care about you? It's just..."

I followed her gaze and looked at my dad.

In an instant, it seemed like something exploded in my mind.

A photo from my high school days, the day when Wang Xue suddenly vomited after eating fish, my aunt eagerly came to my house to spread the news of my pregnancy, and my parents advised me not to report it and spoke up for the person spreading rumors...

"Mom, you just said that we would ruin this girl's entire life. How do you know it's a girl?"

I stared at her expressionlessly, until she couldn't utter a word, her lips moved but she couldn't speak.

A ridiculous guess made me laugh involuntarily, as if an electric current surged through me:

"I know now. The person spreading rumors about me behind my back is my cousin, Wang Xue, right?"

"Xinxin, don't blame Xiaoxue. Your aunt already told me. She didn't do it on purpose, and she knows she was wrong..."

My mom hurriedly explained, looking at my gloomy expression, she reached out to try to hold me.

But I avoidedher touch and took a step back.

"So, it was Aunt who told you about my pregnancy, right? And you believed her without questioning it?"

My voice trembled with a mixture of anger and disappointment. The truth was unraveling before my eyes, revealing a web of deceit and betrayal.

"Xinxin, it's not like that. Your aunt was worried about you, and she thought she was doing the right thing. She didn't mean to cause you harm."

"But she did cause me harm, Mom! And you, you didn't even bother to ask me or trust me. Instead, you defended her and let her spread lies about me. How could you do that?"

Tears streamed down my face as I confronted my parents, feeling a deep sense of betrayal. The people I had trusted the most had turned their backs on me.

My dad, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up:

"Xinxin, we're sorry. We made a mistake in handling this situation. We should have trusted you and supported you from the beginning. We were blinded by our concern for you and didn't consider the consequences. Please forgive us."

His words were heartfelt, but the damage had already been done. The trust between us had been shattered, and it would take time to heal.

I wiped away my tears and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

"Dad, Mom, I appreciate your apology, but this incident has revealed a deeper problem in our family. It's not just about the rumors or Aunt's actions. It's about trust and communication. We need to address these issues if we want to move forward."

My parents nodded, their expressions filled with remorse.

"I suggest that we sit down together and have an open and honest conversation. We need to rebuild the trust that has been broken, and that starts with understanding one another's perspectives and feelings. Can we do that?"

My parents exchanged glances and nodded again.

"Yes, Xinxin, let's talk. We want to understand how you feel and find a way to repair our relationship."

I led my parents to the living room, and we sat down, ready to have the difficult but necessary conversation that would hopefully bring us closer as a family.

It was a long night of tears, anger, and heartfelt conversation. But in the end, we began the process of healing, rebuilding the trust that had been damaged, and learning to communicate openly and honestly with one another.

The road ahead wouldn't be easy, but we were determined to work through it together, knowing that family bonds were worth fighting for.