“Chloe, you must’ve had a wild time overseas, didn’t you?” My sister-in-law, Fiona, whom I was meeting for the first time, suddenly blurted this out when I came home for the holidays. “That necklace looks familiar. Black for in-person, white for video, blue for custom orders, red for no limits. What level are you at?” My relatives, who had just been prying about my income, collectively gasped in shock. “No wonder you insisted on going abroad. You were afraid of being seen if you were selling yourself here, huh?” Mom and Dad were furious. “Get out! Don’t you dare stain our family’s name!” I touched the red carnelian necklace on my neck and smiled. “Oh, Fiona, you’ve had a wilder time than me. You’re sweeter to Mr. Jenkins next door than you are to Ethan.” It had been four years since I’d been home. Mom and Dad had specifically invited all our relatives over for a big holiday dinner. I went around, toasting everyone and handing out the gifts I’d prepared. Aunt Carol kept praising me, eyeing the brand new designer bag I’d given her. “Chloe, you’re the successful one. Among all the kids in our family, no one earns as much as you. If you get a chance to get rich, don’t forget to bring us along.” Mom and Dad beamed, their faces glowing. “Chloe not only earns a lot but she’s also so thoughtful. She even sends us two thousand dollars every month while studying abroad, unlike someone else I know. We sent him to a private vocational college that costs forty thousand a year, and he still couldn’t graduate. He just lounges around at home all day, driving us crazy.” Ethan, my brother, who had been sulking and drinking heavily, bristled at the comparison. “Who knows where she got that money? It’s probably dirty money!” Fiona nudged his arm, then raised her glass with an apologetic look. “Chloe, Ethan’s had too much to drink, don’t mind him. “But I really don’t know, what kind of work were you doing abroad that paid so well?” I put down my glass, about to speak, but then I saw her raise an eyebrow, a look on her face like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. “Honestly, you don’t have to say anything, Chloe. We all understand that a pretty girl like you might be tempted to make quick cash.” The moment she finished speaking, everyone at the dinner table stared at me. Someone blunt just came out and asked, “Chloe, were you selling yourself overseas?” Fiona then seemed to realize she’d spoken out of turn, waving her hand with a laugh. “What ‘selling herself’? Why say something so ugly? I didn’t say anything at all! Eat, eat.” “But I just need to remind you, Chloe, don’t let anyone take pictures or videos. With all your male relatives around, it would be awful if they saw you online later.” I couldn’t believe Fiona, whom I was meeting for the first time, would openly spread rumors about me. I was so angry, I slammed my fist on the table. “That’s nonsense! How could you say such a thing? Did you see anything?!” She looked startled. “No, no, I didn’t see anything, I’m just talking nonsense, okay? But if you’re wearing *that kind* of necklace, why are you afraid of people talking?” But it was too late to stop the conversation. Dad slammed his fork down. “What necklace? Explain yourself!” Fiona was quick to reply. “Everyone says that international students who wear those necklaces are… wild. “Black for in-person, white for video, blue for custom orders, red for no limits. Chloe, what level are you at?” The relatives who had been showering me with compliments instantly changed their tune. “I knew it! How else could she earn money instead of spending it on studies? Tsk, tsk.” “Let her keep that money. We’re not jealous of *that* kind of cash.” Aunt Carol, who had been clutching her new bag, also changed her expression. “Ugh, no way! I don’t want anything bought with dirty money. Don’t you dare track that filth into our home.” She even stomped on the ground a few times. Mom and Dad sobered up completely, unable to process what was happening. Mom clutched her chest, struggling to breathe. “Chloe, is what your sister-in-law saying true? Speak up!”
I angrily pounded the table. “Of course it’s not true!” Dad glared. “Then why would Fiona say that? Where did you get that necklace?” I pulled up the brand’s official website to show them. “This necklace is from an international luxury brand, people all over the world buy it. What does it have to do with international students?” I never imagined that something even celebrities and millionaires wore could be used to spread rumors about me. It was like seeing someone with an expensive watch and accusing them of having a sugar daddy. But Fiona was defiant. “Exactly! It’s an expensive brand, so rich men use it to give as gifts!” Watching her spout nonsense, I felt my blood pressure rising. If I didn’t clear this up, my reputation would be completely ruined. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to calm down and asked her, “Fiona, you’ve never even been abroad. What proof do you have for what you’re saying?” To my surprise, she was prepared. She immediately shared a video to the family group chat. “This is what people who studied abroad themselves said. You female international students, you’ve had your fun, made your money overseas, and now you come back looking for some unsuspecting local guy to settle down with.” At her words, Mia, my cousin, who had just been thinking of introducing me to a friend, looked disgusted. “I knew it, none of you who go abroad are any good! Fawning over foreigners, getting used up by foreign men, then running back to contaminate our pure, good-hearted local guys!” Leo, my other cousin, stared at my stomach. “I wondered why you suddenly came back after four years. You’re pregnant and forced to come back looking for someone to marry, right? Is the baby black or white?” I almost laughed from sheer anger watching that video. The person in the video was talking about how those necklaces were popular in niche circles, but in Fiona’s mouth, it became “everyone who wears this necklace is wild.” The video clearly said that *both* male and female international students could be led astray abroad, but Fiona only mentioned female international students. I grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the door. “Olivia, Mr. Evans’s daughter from upstairs, also studied abroad, and she wears this necklace. Let’s go ask her if she was selling herself too.” Ethan, who had been silent, immediately blocked the doorway. “Chloe, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Are you trying to embarrass us even more?!” “Your sister-in-law has never even met you. Ask yourself, what good would it do her to spread rumors about you?” My whole family stood together, pointing fingers at me. A deep sense of despair choked me. Even though I hadn’t been home for four years, I’d spent countless hours and money helping Mom and Dad buy a house and helping Ethan get married and settle down. Now, those four were a family, and I was the outsider. Seeing my whole family say this, the relatives were even more convinced that I’d had a wild private life abroad. “Flies don’t buzz around clean eggs. So many people are here, why are they only talking about you and not us?” “Your parents boast to everyone that they have a daughter studying abroad. Now where are they supposed to put their faces?” “I don’t dare come to your house for the holidays anymore, lest you corrupt my kids.” Mom’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed into a chair. Dad’s hand, pointing at my nose, trembled. “Chloe Miller, we never lacked food or drink in this house. Why would you do something so scandalous?!” I was about to explain again that I hadn’t, but Fiona cut me off. “Mom, Dad, don’t say that to Chloe. Maybe it really is a coincidence?” “Even if Chloe inexplicably has so much money, and out of all the branded necklaces, she happened to pick this one, it doesn’t necessarily mean she was selling herself.” I felt faint with anger. Her words seemed to be defending me, but in reality, they still implied the same thing, determined to link me to promiscuous international students. I stopped wasting my breath and pulled out the journal articles I’d published over the past four years. “I was always holed up at school. How would I have time to go out? All this money I earned from doing freelance research in the lab.” Fiona listened, then gasped in fake surprise, covering her mouth. “Chloe, you were doing *those sorts of things* in the lab? You’re so brave!” I stared into Fiona’s eyes, so enraged I felt fire spitting from them. “You’re slandering me, and that’s illegal, you know that? If you don’t have proof, I’ll call the police and have you arrested right now!” Fiona scoffed, then pulled out a photo from her phone. “You want proof? Here it is, see for yourself!”
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