Chapter 615 A Car Accident
All day long, Meryl endured whispers and rumors. Everyone she encountered seemed to gossip about her alleged “plagiarism.” She ignored them and focused on practicing her cello, listening to music for inspiration.
After class, Meryl and Harvey left the room and ran into Hank Lopez, the violin instructor from the next class over. Hank glanced at Meryl, then pulled Harvey aside, saying in a low voice, “Mr. Herty, may I have a word?”
Harvey wasn’t much of an internet user and probably wasn’t aware of the uproar on Twitter. Hank kindly informed him, “Have you heard? People online are saying your new protégé plagiarized someone else’s composition.”
If the accusation was proven true, it wouldn’t just harm Meryl; Harvey’s own reputation as her mentor could also be tarnished. The music world had zero tolerance for such things, and Hank, concerned for Harvey’s reputation, wanted to warn him.
Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Plagiarism?”
“Yeah, haven’t you been online?” Hank took out his phone, held it out to Harvey, and added, “Look, the evidence is solid.”
It was the same image of the sheet music draft that Meryl had seen earlier. After a brief look, Harvey handed the phone back. “This is nothing but baseless gossip. You believe everything you see online?”
Waving Hank off, Harvey walked away. Hank frowned at his retreating figure. “Mr. Herty, I’m just looking out for you. The evidence is right there! Did you even look closely?” He followed Harvey, still trying to make his point.
Meryl stood in place, watching them leave. She bit her lip lightly and hesitated. Curious, she pulled out her phone, as she hadn’t checked social media all day. Her notifications were flooded with mentions, and users were demanding her response to the plagiarism scandal.
“No wonder everyone in the orchestra was pointing fingers,” she thought. “So it’s already blown up this much?” She found it ironic. “I’m the victim here. What is there to respond to?” Without hesitation, she uninstalled Twitter.
Three days remained until the composition competition. After packing up her things, Meryl stepped outside and saw a long black limousine parked at the front entrance.
The sun had set, leaving a rosy glow in the sky, painting the heavens with streaks of brilliant red and deep blue. The breathtaking view made everything feel like a scene out of a storybook. Leaning against the car was Chandler, one hand in his pocket, his eyes unintentionally swept toward her, their depths radiating a subtle brilliance.
Just one look and Meryl felt her heart skip a beat. This man’s good looks had a way of captivating her every time. But she quickly remembered the condom she had once touched in his pocket.
Chandler’s sudden appearance here might not necessarily be for her. It could very well be for Rachel. That thought made her lower her gaze, a strange pang of disappointment welling up inside.
Chandler waved her over. Meryl hesitated but took a step forward. Before she could get far, Rachel’s voice rang out from behind. “Chandler, perfect timing! I have a gift for you.”
Rachel walked past Meryl and reached Chandler first, handing him the gift with a bright smile. Chandler didn’t accept it. His eyes remained fixed on Meryl, puzzled by her sudden pause. Feeling uneasy, Meryl stayed where she was. At that moment, Philip came rushing over from a distance. He whispered something to Meryl, making her expression change.
Under Chandler’s watchful gaze, she left with Philip, heading toward the Powell Manor.
Rachel, arms crossed, watched Meryl walk away and smirked. “You came all this way to pick her up, and she didn’t even acknowledge you. She just went straight to Felix. Clearly, she doesn’t care about her husband at all.”
Chandler’s brows furrowed, and he shot Rachel a cold look. “Are you done? If so, leave.” Hearing the chill in his voice, Rachel felt a sting of hurt. She left reluctantly, looking back at him with every step, but Chandler didn’t glance her way. He didn’t even touch the gift she brought. Clearly, he was still angry with her. Rachel lowered her gaze, feeling dejected.
As night fell, Chandler stood under the darkened sky, his figure cloaked in shadows. But his eyes remained locked on Powell Manor, narrowing dangerously.
Felix was injured. Meryl had come to check on him after hearing that his leg condition had flared up again. Inside the room, Felix lay on the bed, his face contorted in pain. Meryl approached and lifted his pant leg, her breath catching at the sight. It was clear that Felix had suffered a comminuted fracture.
“What happened?”
His face was drenched in sweat from the pain. Philip’s eyes were red as he explained, “A car accident. Mr. Powell was just in a car accident.”
“Why wasn’t he taken to the hospital? Where’s the driver? Was the police called?”
“It was Mr. Christopher Powell! How could we call the police? Mr. Keith Powell has always favored his other two sons over Mr. Powell. Even if they committed murder, he’d cover for them. Powell gets blamed for everything…”
“Shut up, you’re too loud!” Felix interrupted coldly. He looked at Meryl and gestured toward his leg. “So? Is there any saving it?”
Meryl pressed her lips together. “Acupuncture won’t help. You’ll need surgery. Go to the hospital. You’ll probably need a metal rod inserted.”
At the mention of surgery, Philip’s face paled. “Does that mean he’ll have to be hospitalized? How long until he recovers?”
Meryl replied, “At least three months, but it depends on how well he heals.”
Philip’s eyes reddened further. “Christopher Powell is too cruel! I saw it with my own eyes. He did it on purpose. How could he do this to his own brother?”
Felix pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, his expression darkening. The car accident had been completely unexpected. He and Christopher had been on a business trip together, but when they were alone, Christopher had seized the chance to push him out of the moving car. The driver had then run over his legs, crushing them completely. He had let his guard down around Christopher, and now he was paying the price.
“Christopher, I’ll remember this,” Felix thought grimly.