Chapter 197
She simply couldn’t accept this outcome . ‘ Why ? Just because Winifred has some big shot backing her ? ”
‘ Is there any justice left at all ? ‘ she fumed inwardly .
Sylvie stepped up to defend Ms. Green . “ Yeah , si
all I saw it . Winifred kicked i
I the teacher . You should punish her . And besides , she’s claiming my work
as her own . ”
“ Shut your mouth , Sylvie ! You’ve got some nerve , seriously . The judges and all of us already know this painting is just one of Winifred’s old drafts . And those so – called works of yours before ? Turns out they all belong to Winifred too . Even now , you’re still trying to talk your way out of it ? ” the principal snapped , his voice full of fury and disbelief .
The principal was practically fuming . If it hadn’t been for that whistleblower letter and the hard evidence , he never would’ve realized all those paintings were actually done by Winifred .
What really stung was that the drafts for every single one of those pieces had been sitting in the school’s computer system the whole time . It was a total slap in the face for all the teachers .
Copying someone else’s work , and not even bothering to change a thing . That was shameless .
Sylvie’s mind buzzed , and in an instant , all sound faded away . All she could feel was a wave of icy coldness rising from deep inside , enveloping her completely .
Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking . ‘ How did they find out ? ‘ she thought , panic gripping her .
‘ Could it be … ? ‘ Sylvie thought , pulling out her phone , only to see the school forum completely swamped with posts exposing her plagiarism . Teachers had even officially certified the evidence .
[ Someone like her actually got second place ? I knew she was just faking it all along . And to think she always claimed to hate plagiarism the most . What a joke . ]
[ Please . She kept bragging about how her work was the result of painstaking efforts , and how inspiration was so hard to come by . Turns out all that talk about pouring her heart and soul into her art was just made up . None of those pieces were even hers . ]
[ Her grades only suddenly shot up after Winifred left . So it was all just stealing other people’s work . Someone like her doesn’t deserve to stay at this school . She should be kicked out of the art department for good . ]
[ Sylvie , you thief ! ]
[ Sylvie , get out of this school ! ]
All kinds of posts and messages flooded Sylvie’s screen . Her face went completely pale , and she couldn’t stop shaking .
‘ How could this happen ? How could it be ? ‘ she screamed inside , unable to accept it .
‘ My reputation … everything I had … it’s all gone … ‘ Sylvie’s mind went blank , her world collapsing around her .
Winifred strolled up to her , a smirk tugging at her lips . “ So , Sylvie , how is it ? Do you like the big present I gave you ? ”
She turned to Ms. Green , putting on an apologetic look . “ Oh , sorry , Ms. Green , I forgot to mention . I already handed all the evidence to the principal before I came in . I didn’t mean to leave you out of the loop . You’re not upset , are you ? ”
Winifred’s scheming smile , paired with those dark , brooding eyes , made Ms. Green’s heart skip a beat . She felt a chill run straight down her spine .
‘ Winifred’s never been the type you can mess with , ‘ Ms. Green thought , her heart sinking .
She was both furious and stunned . ‘ She did this on purpose . She’d already gone to the principal , but still had to announce it in front of me just to
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Chapter 197
humiliate me and make sure I lost my job , ‘ Ms. Green realized , bitter resentment welling up inside her .
Ms. Green clenched her fists so tight her knuckles turned white . To think she’d end up tripped up by the very student she’d always lonked down . How utterly hateful .
By the time the parents showed up , Sylvie was already in tears , her face streaked with mascara and her eyes red and swollen , but she didn’t say engle
word .
Iris walked into the office , took out a tissue , and gently dabbed at her tears . “ Don’t be afraid , I’m here for you now . ”
“ So , you’re Sylvie’s guardian , right ? This is a really serious matter . I hope you’ll make sure to discipline your child properly ,” the principal said , his tone icy .
Iris scoffed . “ My little sister just picked up a few scraps she thought nobody wanted . She had no clue who drew them . How is that plagiarism , exactly? ”
The moment Tris opened her mouth , the teachers ‘ faces went stiff .
Iris’s gaze landed on the girl leaning lazily against the wall with her hands in her pockets – Winifred , the sister of that woman .
Her eyes were full of disdain . ‘ What a pain in the ass , ‘ she thought .
“ Name your price , Winifred . Let’s just settle this and move on . If this blows up , it won’t look good for any of you , ” Iris said , checking the time , her tone dripping with condescension .
Her time was worth more than gold . Every minute she spent here was burning through dollars .
Winifred lazily lifted her eyelids , pulling a small ball from her pocket and rolling it between her fingers . The black jacket accentuated her tall , stender figure , and her short shorts showed off a pair of long , fair legs that looked almost like they were carved from jade .
“ Who the hell do you think you are ? If you want to talk , go get your mom to come see me , ” she said coldly , not even bothering to look up .
AD