Chapter 293

Chapter 293 The Trap
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Many students had broken down in tears during their defenses, faced with questions so sharp they cut like knives.
Some, though, grew braver under the pressure and became legends of the school.
Others were dragged across the finish line only because their mentors refused to let them drown.
But…
Just ten minutes earlier, the professors on Scarlett’s defense committee had been nodding with approval. The lead examiner had even smiled and said, “For a thesis to reach this level, it’s truly remarkable.”
That harmony shattered the instant Vice President Leon pushed the door open.
He carried a stack of documents, his face dark as a storm. Striding to the chairman’s side, he leaned in and whispered a few words.
The chairman’s brow furrowed at once. He flipped through the papers, his expression tightening with unease.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Leon said, his voice carrying clearly through the microphone into every corner of the hall, “the session must pause. There is an urgent matter we need to address openly. The school has received multiple letters of complaint. They accuse Scarlett of winning the national medical student innovation competition in Jandale by relying on her Lane family connections. Furthermore… they allege her thesis contains academic misconduct.”
The words exploded like firecrackers.
The same professors who had just been praising her now turned to one another with looks of doubt and suspicion.
Scarlett had always been low–key, her grades consistently first in her class, her clinical work so outstanding her mentors had called her a natural. No one had ever questioned her before.
“Mr. Leon,” one professor finally spoke, his tone steady, “the letter claims Scarlett used connections to win. Where is the evidence? It claims misconduct in her thesis. Which part is supposedly in question?”
Leon shook his head. “It’s still under investigation. For now, the proceedings are suspended.”
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Scarlett didn’t learn of any of this until late at night.
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The Lane family, worried she might struggle adjusting, had bought her an apartment near the university to stay in during her defense.
―
The place was over two hundred square meters far too large for one person.
So she’d asked Sharon to stay. Partly to discuss James’s business, partly for company since both had to report to school the next day.
Sharon’s internet was faster, and she quickly found the posts online.
Strangely, the university hadn’t issued any statement at all, letting public opinion spiral unchecked.
“This isn’t right,” Sharon muttered.
“Even if someone cheated, it would never leak out like this. Normally the school handles these things internally with warnings or disciplinary notes. This is the first time I’ve ever seen it blow up across the whole internet.”
Scarlett stayed quiet.
Scrolling faster and faster, Sharon’s frown deepened as she read the swelling tide of comments.
—
“Look at this they’re saying your data came straight from the lab, that the competition was rigged with family favors, even that saving the director at the hospital was staged in advance. This is insane!”
She slammed her phone down and turned to Scarlett, her eyes anxious.
“Scarlett, someone’s pulling strings behind this, no doubt about it. And I’d bet it’s tied to the Excellent Graduate award. There’s only one provincial spot this year. Besides you, the strongest contenders are Colt, Yulia, and Kason.”
Scarlett, standing at the window, turned at last, her face unreadable. “Those three?” she asked quietly.
“Exactly!” Sharon said, slapping her palm against the sofa.
“Colt’s family owns a medical equipment company. He’s desperate to use the award to get into Union Hospital. If you block his way, he’d stoop to this easily. Yulia? She joined Professor Miller’s lab the same year as you but was dropped after a mistake. She’s always had a chip on her shoulder. Her thesis score is barely two points below yours. She’d want that title too. And Kason? He’s Leon’s prized student. You know how the vice president feels about your family. It wouldn’t surprise me if he pushed this whole thing.”
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The more she spoke, the more convinced she became.
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“Think about it the Excellent Graduate award isn’t just prestige. It’s leverage for positions, titles, everything. None of them could beat you head–on, so of course they’d go dirty. And with the scandal spreading online and the school doing nothing, Leon even ambushed you at the defense itself you can’t tell me this isn’t rotten to the core!”
Scarlett came to sit beside her, lifting a glass from the table. The warm water slid down her throat, calming her as she set it back down.
“You make a strong case,” she said softly. “But without proof, talk is useless.”
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