Alice's POV
On the other end of the line, silence hung heavy.
I could hear Professor Schuman’s ragged breathing through the phone, and even from here, his fury was palpable.
Melvin’s face turned ghostly pale. In a panic, he lunged at me, trying to snatch the phone from my hand.
“Alice! Are you out of your damn mind? What nonsense are you spouting?”
Chloe was stunned, too. She clutched his arm, her voice shaking. “Sir, what do we do?”
I easily stepped out of his reach and kept speaking into the phone.
“Professor, it’d be best if you came here yourself.”
“I’ll be there immediately.”
The words hissed through his clenched teeth before he hung up.
Now, only the three of us remained in the lab.
The air grew suffocating, thick with tension.
Melvin’s eyes locked onto me, murderous in their intensity. He stormed forward, wrapped his hand around my neck, and roared, “What are you trying to pull, Alice? Do you want to ruin me and Chloe?”
“Ruin you?” I gasped, struggling under his grip, my face turning purple. Inside, I almost laughed at the absurdity. “You’re the ones who ruined the sample. I only told the truth.”
“Who saw us ruin it?” His voice rose, sharp and aggressive. “It was you! You were clumsy while recording data and knocked it over! Chloe and I tried to stop you!”
After that, he shoved me away with disgust. I stumbled and crashed to the floor, staring at him in disbelief.
I hadn’t realized people could be this shameless.
Suddenly, Chloe seized the opportunity. Like flipping a switch, she slipped into her act, tears streaming down as she whimpered, “Yes. Alice, how could you blame us like this? We were only trying to help you. Even if you don’t want to take responsibility, you shouldn’t push it onto us.”
She cowered behind Melvin, looking small and fragile, like she was terrified I might strike her.
Melvin immediately shielded her tighter, glaring down at me with contempt.
“I really misjudged you, Alice! To think you’d stoop this low, twisting the truth just to save yourself. Do you even have a conscience?”
Twist the truth? Stooping low?
Those words coming out of his mouth, what a bitter joke!
My chest felt like it was being ground through a meat grinder, pain turning numb.
“Melvin,” I said, locking eyes with him, “can you honestly tell me you believe your own words?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” he answered with self-righteous conviction. “This is the truth! And listen, when Professor Schuman gets here, you’d better own up to your mistake. Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because of our past.”
I let out a short, bitter laugh.
Our past? Was there even anything left of it?
When he forced me to take the blame for Chloe, when he used my deepest wound to tear me apart, whatever fragile bond we once had shattered long ago.
Just then, Chloe tugged gently at his sleeve, her voice soft and pitiful. “Sir, don’t be so harsh. Maybe Alice didn’t mean it. Maybe she’s just too scared. It’s okay if we take the blame as long as she’s alright.”
Her act worked perfectly. Melvin’s fury reignited, his face twisted as he jabbed a finger at me.
“Scared? What’s she got to be scared of? Her family’s loaded! At worst, they’ll just pay for it. Two million is nothing to her! But you, Chloe? What about your grad school recommendation? What about your future?”
His gaze toward Chloe was soft, full of pity and concern. But when he turned to me, it was nothing but ice and disdain.
“Alice,” he said, every word laced with finality, “you’re taking the fall for this. You owe me that much.”
My eyes widened in disbelief.
I owed him?
What exactly did I owe?
Money? Love? Time? In the past two years, who really owed whom?
Rage trembled through me, shaking every inch of my body. Just as I was about to lose control, the lab door burst open with a crash.
