I Traded Three Years of Love for One Perfect Revenge Chapter 06
My head snapped up, and for a moment, my mind went blank.
“What did you just say?”
The first-year dean opened a drawer and pulled out an evidence bag containing the diamond pendant necklace.
“Campus police found this under your mattress this morning.”
“Brielle reported it stolen and told them you took it.”
“There are witnesses, and we have physical evidence.”
Brielle hid behind Cole, sniffling as she spoke in a wounded little voice.
“I didn’t even want to report it.”
“We’re roommates. I didn’t want to take things this far.”
“But Cole gave me that necklace. It means a lot to me.”
“No matter how broke you are or how much you hate me, you can’t steal from me.”
I stared at the necklace and remembered Brielle parading around in it at the welcome gala, soaking up everyone’s envy.
Then I started laughing.
I couldn’t stop.
“You really went all out to frame me.”
—
“I’ve been back home at the hospital taking care of my mom by myself. I didn’t even get back to campus until this morning.”
“So how exactly did I steal your necklace last night? Did I teleport?”
Cole stepped closer and looked down at me with open contempt.
“Quit playing dumb.”
“You were back in the dorm last night. Brielle saw you, and so did girls from the room next door.”
“You waited until everyone was asleep and stole it.”
“You’re so greedy you’d lie about your own mother being sick just to get money. What wouldn’t you stoop to?”
I was shaking so hard with rage that my nails dug into my palms.
“You’re lying!”
“I have my bus ticket! I didn’t get back until this morning!”
I hurriedly pulled up the ticket confirmation on my phone and held it out to the dean.
The dean frowned without even taking the phone.
“Digital tickets can be altered easily enough.”
“And several students from your class, along with girls from other rooms, all say they saw you in the hallway last night.”
I froze.
How was that possible?
—
I turned toward Brielle and caught the flash of satisfaction in her eyes.
Then I understood.
She had bought them off.
Or found some other way to get them to coordinate their stories and lie for her.
By then, Brielle was the generous rich girl everyone adored.
And I was just the broke girl who could barely afford to eat, already being dragged through the mud after a breakup.
“Then handle it according to university policy,” Cole said coldly, as if he were passing sentence on something he considered worthless.
“She stole something worth four grand. That’s serious enough for criminal charges, and Aldercrest should expel her.”
“Aldercrest has no place for students with no integrity.”
The first-year dean sighed and tapped the desk.
“The university will open a formal conduct investigation.”
“Until it’s resolved, you’ll be suspended from classes.”
“If the allegation is substantiated, you’ll be expelled, and campus police will move forward with the criminal case.”
I stared at the three of them.
They had condemned me without a second thought.
—
My stomach twisted.
I had fought so hard to get into Aldercrest.
All those sleepless nights and all those practice tests and problem sets had been for the future I was supposed to have here.
And now a few effortless lies might destroy all of it.
I rushed out of the office with tears burning in my eyes.
Once I reached an empty corner of the building, I stopped and struggled to catch my breath.
The tears finally came.
I could not let them expel me.
I refused to let that happen.
I needed evidence. I needed the security footage. I needed to clear my name.
I was about to run to campus police when my phone suddenly started ringing nonstop.
It was the hospital.
I answered with shaking hands.
“Nora, your mother has developed a severe infection, and now her heart and lungs are failing.”
“The local community hospital can’t provide the level of care she needs. She has to be transferred immediately by ambulance to a major regional medical center for another surgery.”
—
“You need to come up with around $40,000 for the surgery right away.”
“If she isn’t transferred and treated immediately, you need to prepare yourself for the possibility that she won’t make it.”