From Ashes to Queen: Now I Call the Shots novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Scarlett Quits No Regrets

The lab fell into dead silence.

Everyone stared wide–eyed at the cage in disbelief.

Only now did they begin to process a key fact.

Scarlett had been the first in their lab to develop chip implantation for lab mice – a breakthrough that had allowed them to monitor cells ten times faster than any other lab.

So her being able to embed a location chip wasn’t surprising.

But why was her mouse in Rebecca’s cage?

Could Scarlett have set this up?

But their ambush today had been spontaneous.

There was no way she could’ve predicted it.

Into the silence, Scarlett’s voice cut through like ice breaking across a frozen lake.

“Yesterday, I was the first one to leave the lab. Today, I arrived late due to personal matters — and this is what I find.”

She turned to Calvin Miller. “Professor Miller, based on this evidence, do you still believe I slandered my

labmate?”

Lately, her experimental mice had repeatedly failed while Rebecca’s always succeeded. She’d had her suspicions but no real proof.

–

This cancer treatment trial was too important to risk. So, she embedded trackers in all of her mice.

She hadn’t expected it to come in handy so soon.

She turned her eyes toward Rebecca — dark and fathomless. The kind of gaze that made your heart skip a beat.

“Rebecca, care to explain? Why was my mouse in your cage?”

Rebecca went pale.

In the past, whenever she swapped out Scarlett’s specimens, she’d done it cleanly. She’d even managed to paint Scarlett as a sore loser.

But this time, Scarlett had installed trackers.

What now?

If she couldn’t offer a convincing explanation, all of her awards might be reviewed by the school.

1/4

That would be the end of her.

“Professor Miller!”

–

Her go–to move tears.

4×4

She broke down in sobs so severe she could barely speak all while her brain raced to come up with a plan.

“I took a day off yesterday for my birthday. I just arrived this morning and stayed with everyone the whole time how could I have tampered with the experiment?”

–

She sniffled and shifted the focus.

“Scarlett would never frame me. She had no time or reason. So, I suspect someone else is trying to sabotage our lab’s unity.”

Micah jumped in first. “That’s right. We’re the most decorated lab in the school. Jealousy’s to be expected.”

The others nodded.

“Only Scarlett and Rebecca ever win awards. It makes sense someone would try to poach them.”

“Must’ve been a misunderstanding.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, eager to move on.

As if this was nothing but a minor hiccup.

Scarlett stood by the door, watching Calvin’s awkward expression.

“If we’re calling it a misunderstanding, and you all misunderstood me… shouldn’t someone apologize?”

The lab fell silent again. Guilty, everyone looked down.

But a moment later, Rebecca started crying again.

–

“Scarlett, I’ll apologize. But none of this was our classmates‘ fault or the professor’s. They were just trying to figure out the truth.”

Micah, who had been full of remorse a moment ago, immediately flipped.

“We were trying to help you. We cleared your name – and this is how you repay us? I even tried to speak to Professor Miller about letting you come back to the main lab. But you’ve really disappointed me.”

Scarlett’s lashes trembled. Her hands tightened at her sides.

“Is that so? Professor Miller… is that how you see it, too?”

Calvin avoided her eyes and sighed deeply.

“When you first joined my lab, I thought you were pure–hearted. That’s why I took you in.”

2/4

–

He continued, “But now you’ve let ambition cloud your judgment. You’ve grown prideful even dared to talk back to me. I am deeply disappointed. Even if your classmates pleaded on your behalf today, I could not forgive you.”

He added, “Why don’t you spend a month cleaning the school library? It might clear your head.”

Then he turned and smiled warmly at Rebecca. “Rebecca, stop crying. This is all because someone was jealous of you. I’ll see to it that you’re treated fairly. Come, let’s go review your paper.”

Rebecca wiped her tears and finally smiled. “Thank you, Professor Miller.”

—

She walked several steps with him before turning back. “Professor Miller, please Scarlett’s experiment is at a crucial stage. Maybe cancel the library punishment?”

Calvin sighed and tapped her forehead lightly. “You’re too softhearted. Fine – library for one week.”

Scarlett, just clean the

Scarlett’s face had gone so pale it was almost gray. Her chest ached with a bitter tightness.

So this was it.

The professor who once claimed a teacher is like a father for life… had never actually believed in her.

Drip.

The first tear, long held back, slipped down her cheek.

Then she smiled.

“And what if I refuse this unfair treatment?”

“What did you say?” Calvin whipped around, eyes narrowing in fury.

He had just returned from overseas, exhausted from travel, hoping to review his students‘ work – only to be dragged into this mess.

It was clearly sabotage from another lab, but Scarlett insisted on blaming Rebecca!

Rebecca the prodigy even Professor Hamilton had praised – how could she possibly be scheming?

–

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