Chapter 44: Safe and Sound
Felicity nervously bit her lip. She was absolutely determined not to admit to this matter. She let out a scoff, turning her gaze toward Madelyn.
“Madelyn, you should use your brain if you want to clear your name. Did you run out of ways to vindicate yourself, and that’s why you came up with such a pathetic lie? What, you don’t like me so you want to pin everything on me, is that it?”
Felicity laughed, covering her nose. “Even if you plan to pin the blame on me, shouldn’t you at least provide some evidence! Words alone won’t cut it, you know!”
“Evidence? Of course, I have it.” Madelyn suddenly let out a hearty laugh, taking a step forward, her aura evidently outshining Felicity’s.
“You want evidence? All right, I’ll give it to you.” Madelyn looked straight into Felicity’s eyes, her voice steady and sincere. “The day I was writing the thesis, I had a feeling I might be set up. So, after I finished writing that day, I decided to be cautious. I prepared an extra copy of the document and sent it to my own email. If you’re looking for evidence, I can easily show you my inbox. The dates and content of the emails are all still recorded. I can say with absolute certainty that my thesis was tampered with. And the person responsible for this is none other than you, Felicity.”
Madelyn fearlessly met Felicity’s gaze, eager to hear what she planned to say. As expected, Felicity became slightly flustered, her gaze subtly evasive. But then, unexpectedly, she broke into laughter.
Felicity defended herself, saying, “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. With today’s advanced technology, there are computer experts everywhere. Faking a mere email isn’t a difficult task. Besides, if your thesis was indeed tampered with, shouldn’t you have done a bit more investigating! How can you just outright accuse me of being the one who tampered with it?”
Felicity’s mind flashed back to what Janessa had just said: “Remember, don’t spout nonsense. Just insist that you didn’t do anything. I’ve already erased the surveillance footage. They won’t be able to find anything, so don’t worry.”
With this in mind, Felicity felt even more resolute in her heart. Regrettably, all of this had been anticipated by Madelyn. She had predicted early on that if she were to accuse Felicity based solely on her inbox, the reasons wouldn’t be substantial enough. She had also known that Felicity would certainly respond in such a manner. That was why she had made extra preparations. Felicity really is the type who refuses to be convinced until she is faced with the grim reality. Does she truly believe that by erasing the surveillance footage, I’m left with no recourse?
Madelyn took out a flash drive, chuckling. “If you feel that the reason I’ve given isn’t convincing enough, then let me provide you with solid evidence to make you fully convinced.”
Felicity looked at Madelyn’s flash drive warily, a sudden wave of panic washing over her.
“What is this?”
“Well, to be honest, this is the surveillance footage from inside and outside Professor Pierson’s office, taken the day after I submitted my thesis.”
Felicity’s expression inevitably changed. Despite everything, she straightened up and asked, “So what?”
To her surprise, Madelyn suddenly let out a playful laugh. “Even though you deleted the surveillance footage, with today’s advanced technology, recovering a video shouldn’t be a big deal, should it? You said so yourself, too.”
After she finished speaking, she handed the flash drive over to Yadiel. “Since you’re asking for evidence, let’s take a look together. Yadiel, do you mind!”
Yadiel gave a nod, took the flash drive, and then connected it to the computer. Watching Yadiel’s every move, Ruth was filled with admiration. Every single thing he does is incredibly attractive!
Felicity blanched. What on earth is going on? As the surveillance footage rewound, it transported them back to the day when Madelyn was diligently working on her thesis. Ruth first returned to her office, but it wasn’t long before she came out again. Following that, a shadowy figure stealthily slipped into Ruth’s office. The scene shifted to the dimly lit interior, where Felicity meticulously searched through Ruth’s desk. Finally, she found Madelyn’s thesis on the tabletop. Immediately after, Felicity pulled out a prepared forgery from her bag, replacing the original thesis. After finishing everything, Felicity walked to the door, pausing for a moment. Perhaps feeling uneasy, Felicity took out Madelyn’s thesis. She ruthlessly tore it into tiny pieces before tossing it into the trash. Then, she stealthily slipped away. The scene concluded here, marking the end.
Madelyn turned around and looked at Felicity with a playful gaze. “Felicity, you claimed earlier that I had no evidence. Now that the evidence is irrefutable, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Felicity’s once-composed demeanor now betrayed her guilt, her complexion turning a conspicuous shade of crimson. Madelyn is so despicable! She somehow restored the deleted footage!
Chapter 45: A Heavy Slap
Having witnessed everything unfold before her very eyes, Ruth couldn’t help but let her anger surface. “Felicity, didn’t you just say you had nothing to do with this?”
Feeling anxious, Felicity quickly defended herself, “Yes, I did go in, but I was only taking some other documents, not her thesis!”
At that moment, Yadiel suddenly erupted in anger. “If it weren’t her thesis, would you have torn up the documents the moment you stepped out of the office? You’re clearly trying to destroy all evidence! Not only do you refuse to admit your mistakes, but you’re also so stubbornly ignorant. You’re hopeless! I’ve already informed your parents and reported this matter to the department head. In a little while, you’ll face your punishment!”
Upon hearing that her parents had been summoned, Felicity finally revealed a look of panic. Madelyn knew that Felicity was merely a pawn, and the real mastermind behind all of this was Janessa. Now that Felicity had taken the blame for her, Janessa was safe and sound again. Madelyn was filled with resentment. She would never allow Janessa to get away unscathed.
She asked Felicity, “Felicity, as far as I recall, we’ve never had any grudges in our everyday interactions. Did someone put you up to this?”
Felicity was taken aback and immediately said, “No!”
Madelyn laughed. “Really?”
George was a middle-aged man who, at first glance, seemed rather difficult to get along with. He was no more than one hundred and seventy centimeters tall and was dressed in casual attire, all in deep brown, giving off a profoundly serious vibe. His hair was neatly combed, spritzed with gel, looking very tidy. He greatly resembled a male reporter from a bygone era. However, the pair of outdated old leather shoes on his feet exuded an air of antiquity. In comparison, perhaps due to his less fortunate family background, Harry seemed to have a somewhat shifty appearance. He was the kind of person who knew exactly what to say no matter who he was talking to. Society had shaped him into someone who seemed to have lost his own identity, making him appear somewhat cunning.
Upon witnessing the gathering of so many professors, Harry surmised that Felicity must have gotten into some trouble. He approached them with a flattering smile and said, “Good day, Professors. May I ask if you’ve called me here because my child has done something wrong?”
“Sir, please allow me to explain the situation,” Yadiel said, then explained the entire sequence of events to George. “Mr. Buckley, this student is Felicity, a student of Professor Pierson. A while back, Madelyn’s thesis scored quite high, causing a stir among the class, and accusations of cheating and hiring a ghostwriter arose. Therefore, Madelyn requested to write her thesis publicly to clear her name. But who would have known, after Madelyn finished her thesis, Felicity actually snuck into the office and replaced her thesis with a different document, causing a huge uproar. But not only did she not admit to her wrongdoings, she even refused to correct her mistakes. I honestly don’t know how to handle such a student. That’s why I called you here.”
“This is absolutely outrageous!” After listening to all of this calmly, George couldn’t help but fly into a towering rage. He was a traditional old man, always believing that students should behave as students, attentively listening in class and studying diligently. Moreover, what he detested most in his life were students with such improper conduct.
With a stern look, he turned to Felicity. “What kind of education did you receive? Didn’t anyone teach you to be honest?”
Having been scolded, Felicity was about to speak when suddenly Harry delivered her a heavy slap.
“Damn it, I’ve been working my ass off to pay for your education, and this is how you repay me? Listen here, Felicity, if you don’t want to study anymore, then drop out right now and start earning your own living!”
Felicity’s eyes welled up with tears. Yadiel didn’t expect that Harry would actually lash out in anger. He immediately stepped forward to intervene.
“Sir, I can understand your feelings, but hitting a child is never the right solution. You just need to be more strict with her in the future.”
Yadiel then turned to George. “Mr. Buckley, no matter what, this incident has caused significant emotional distress to Madelyn. I suggest that you publicly rectify this situation on her behalf.”
After some thought, George felt that it was only fair, so he nodded in agreement. “All right, the university will clear her name. As for you, Felicity, you should head home for now. Once the university has made a decision regarding your punishment, you’ll be notified.”
Harry was deeply grateful. “All right, thank you. My child is naive. I hope you can go easy on her.”
And with that, everything came to an end. Having observed for a long time and seeing that the matter had been resolved, Madelyn returned to the classroom. However, for reasons unknown, even though the matter had been clarified, there was a lingering anger in her heart that she just couldn’t shake off.