Chapter 54

“Shut up. None of you knows anything. We have never picked on her. In fact, we care about her a lot. After all, she…”

“I owe my achievements to no one but myself, and I didn’t beg to be on the team after I failed the exam either,” Luna cut Bussell off sharply.

“Russell, you had better think before you speak, otherwise, you will bring shame to Professor Hanley.”

Russell paled, and a lingering tension hung in the air. He let his anger get to him and tried to say that Luna owed her achievements to him and the other seniors.

It was true that everyone quietly admitted she couldn’t have maintained her top ranking in college or won the various awards without the help of Russell and the others, as well as Wilson’s STEM guidance. However, the whole thing would change if he blurted that out. After all, Luna was the only female on the team. Unsavory rumors would spread like wildfire if it weren’t for the fact that she looked malnourished. If the rumor spread, everyone would question Wilson’s judgment in forming his team. Russell couldn’t possibly shoulder such consequences. He was scared, but Lana was already so infuriated that she was clenching her fists.

In her past life, she was ruined by such rumors. Everyone accused her of being shameless for getting into Wilson’s team and achieving so much. They mistakenly believed that Luna got Wilson and her seniors to help her by manipulating them, and that she was actually incapable of anything. Afterward, Wilson and the others realized she was actually incapable and wanted to kick her off the team. However, the rumor went that she stripped naked and slept with all of them just to stay on the team. The rumors suggested that Wilson and the others were strong-willed and had integrity. They looked down on her alleged wrongful behaviors and were forced to leave negative feedback before removing her from the team.

The rumors had ruined Luna, but the fact remained that none of them were true. What was worse, no one stood up for her and defended her—not Wilson or her senior colleagues. All they did was twiddle their thumbs as people slandered and condemned her. Things got so bad that no hospital would hire her, and she couldn’t get into a research institute.

Now, Russell recklessly tried to repeat history. He never paused to consider that his words could ruin Luna. He had no right to say that she owed her achievements to them. It was absolutely shameless of him. Luna would’ve slapped him twice, but she didn’t want to sully her hands.

Russell knew that the whole thing had gone out of control and that he could no longer patch things up with her. She was determined to sever her ties with them. However, he really did spend some effort on the rabbit toy he gave her. Moreover, she had willingly given him the fitness watch; he had never forced her to buy it. Russell genuinely had no idea that Luna had to cut back on her food expenses just to save enough money for his gift. Back then, he even joked with the others, saying that she became a vegetarian to lose some weight.

The thing was, he had every opportunity to stop and think about the logic of it all. She was skinny to begin with. Why would she deliberately stop eating meat? However, Russell refused to bear the blame. It wasn’t his fault. Nobody forced Luna to do it. She herself did everything of her own volition. As he had never strong-armed her or done anything like that, he felt he didn’t have to endure everyone’s rage and disdain.

He swept his gaze across the crowd, taking in the scornful looks thrown his way. His resentment for Luna had festered and become extreme.

“It looks like Mia was right. You have changed, Lana. I never thought I’d live to see the day you turn into someone as despicable as what you are now. You care about money and nothing else.”

“Your time would’ve been better spent on research instead of this nonsense. This explains why you can’t win Mia this time and why Professor Hanley picked her.”

Luna scoffed. “Why, Russell, aren’t you a forgetful one? I got first place during the initial assessment. I merely lost out on the thesis. Professor Hanley didn’t approve of my thesis. I’ll give you that. You seem to think that I had it coming. Well, you’re free to have your opinions.” Luna had lost all patience to argue with him. If not for preventing others from misunderstanding her again, she wouldn’t have stayed and said another word to him. Feeling that it was a waste of time talking to him, she turned and left.