My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 153

Emily Blair strolled in with a bright laugh. “Wow, looks like I arrived just in time for the show.”

The office was a mess of faces—some shocked, some smug, others downright furious. In short, it was a spectacle.

She made her way forward, locking eyes with a boy whose face was streaked with angry tears. She let out a surprised, almost delighted little gasp.

“Oh, are you crying? Did something terrible happen to you? Come on, tell me—I could use a good laugh.”

The dean’s brows drew together in disapproval. “Emily Blair, what is that supposed to mean?”

Amelia Lane piped up, her voice dripping with mock concern. “Emily Blair, you’ve got the nerve to show your face here?”

Emily shot right back with zero hesitation. “If you can stand here after everything, why wouldn’t I?”

Amelia’s expression darkened, her lips curling into a sneer. “You really are shameless, aren’t you? You cheated your way to the top and now you think it’s funny?”

She raised her voice, addressing the room. “Everybody knows what you did. Don’t even think about running or trying to talk your way out of this.”

The dean cleared his throat, his tone grave. “Emily Blair, given your actions during the exam, the school intends to void your test scores and issue a major disciplinary mark. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Emily nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity. Six hundred and sixty-six—could they make it any more obvious?

She struggled to keep a straight face. “You keep saying I cheated, but where’s your proof?”

Amelia snapped, “Do we even need proof? You’ve never had grades this high before. The only explanation is that you cheated!”

Emily’s smile sharpened. “I’ll say it again: show me your evidence.”

“And another thing,” she added, her eyes cold and mocking, “I earned first place fair and square. How does that suddenly become cheating in your eyes?”

Emily’s lips curled in a cold, mocking smile. “I’ll say it one more time. If you have evidence, bring it out. You claim I bought the test answers early—so, show me the purchase record. It’s that simple.”

Amelia stepped forward. “You and Elizabeth Wilson were out selling snacks at a street fair a few days ago. Wasn’t that all just to get money for the answers? Why else would you suddenly start hustling for cash? Who knows what you two were really up to?”

A teacher chimed in, “Emily, I understand how much you want to do well, but this isn’t the way. Every other student worked hard for their results. By cheating, you’ve made all their efforts meaningless. It’s heartbreaking for us teachers to see that. Can you understand?”

Emily realized that arguing further was pointless—none of them were interested in the truth.

She walked over and pulled a test paper from the dean’s desk. It was the nationwide monthly math exam, notorious for its brutal final problem—something even the best teachers and students from top schools struggled to solve.

Amelia saw what she was doing and let out a derisive snort. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to solve that test to prove your innocence?”

She gave a mocking laugh. “I’d pick a different test if I were you. There’s no way you can handle that one. You’re just setting yourself up for humiliation.”