"I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth."
"I didn't push him down the stairs. You haven't even investigated and you're accusing me."
My mother's eyes turned red with heartache when she saw me injured.
My aunt continued to accuse me. "If you didn't push him, did he jump? My son is afraid of heights. If someone hadn't instigated him, he wouldn't have the guts to climb to the balcony."
"You usually come to my house and take him to see Spider-Man movies. Did I wrongly accuse you?"
Speaking of Spider-Man movies, it's not that I like them; my nephew insisted.
I didn't expect his mother to use this to spread rumors and stir up trouble.
If her son's grades hadn't been so poor and my uncle hadn't begged me to go over and help him, I wouldn't have gone to his house.
"What? You're speechless. Did I get it right?"
My mother helped me up and protected me behind her. "Just because he saw a Spider-Man movie, he's accusing my son of pushing him down the stairs. What motive did he have for pushing him down the stairs? Tell me."
My aunt was choked by this and for a moment, she couldn't retaliate.
"That's right! Why would Ethan push his nephew down the stairs?"
"There's no such thing as a shove."
My aunt panicked when she heard others speaking up for me.
Seeing her guilty look, I guessed she was framing me.
She knew I wasn't the one pushing him down the stairs, but she insisted on pinning the blame on me.
I couldn't understand why she was targeting me.
Just then, my uncle, David Baker, called.
My aunt pressed the speakerphone button and my uncle's voice came through.
"Are you with my sister? Let her answer the phone."
"Go ahead, honey. I've pressed the speakerphone button. Everyone's on."
I had a bad feeling overhearing the husband and wife's conversation.
"Since everyone's here, I won't hide it anymore."
"Sis! Your son, pushed my son down the stairs."
"He broke a leg and the rest of his body needs to be hospitalized for observation. But we can't afford the surgery and medical expenses!"
"Since your son was at fault, you and your brother-in-law must compensate us for the damage."
"Two hundred thousand, call me now."
My parents' faces changed when they heard this figure.
My mother leaned over to the phone. "Let's not talk about the medical bills. What is your right to accuse my son of pushing someone?"
My uncle on the other end of the line said viciously. "What is your defense? Then listen carefully to what my son has to say."
My uncle handed the phone to his nephew, who had just woken up.
"Son, tell me who pushed you down the stairs."
Jason Baker, without hesitation, said it was me.
"It was Ethan. I didn't want to jump, but he pushed me."
"I fell before I could stand."
When these words were spoken, everyone at the scene erupted in laughter. "It really was Ethan who pushed me down the stairs! I never thought I would."
"There's a saying, 'You can't judge a person by his appearance."
"What the hell? That was a lie!" My ears rang and I couldn't believe what I heard.
He clearly fell down himself, so why did he join his parents in blaming me?
After hearing this, my parents stood there, enduring the accusations and insults from everyone.
My aunt rushed over, grabbed my hair and dragged me to the stairs.
"You little rascal, are you still trying to defend yourself?"
"Initially, for the sake of our relationship, I wanted to let you off the hook and pay you some money, but you refused to admit it, so I'll let you experience the feeling of a broken leg."
