Book Trk
Chapter 1002
Blake's heart raced with panic. What could Mr. Garcia possibly want with her out of the blue? Had he uncovered something? No, that couldn't be it! She stood up with effort, trying to appear calm, and followed the secretary out of the room. The two teachers watched them leave, curiosity etched on their faces. What could Mr. Garcia possibly want with Blake on such a normal day?
"Ding" Suddenly, both teachers' phones buzzed at the same time. A message had arrived. And it wasn't just them; the entire faculty and student body at Maple Grove University received it at once. As they read the message, their expressions changed drastically.
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Meanwhile, Connor's face was a mask of indifference as he switched off his phone screen. When he looked back at Flora, who was happily browsing through clothes, his gaze softened. She was carefree, shopping as if nothing was wrong. But his patience was wearing thin.
"Which one do you like?" Flora noticed his look and came over. His eyes lingered on the tie in her hand, and he swallowed hard.
In Mr. Garcia's office at the University of Maple Grove, he stared at the documents on his computer, looking thoroughly displeased. "Mr. Garcia, Blake's here," the secretary announced, tapping on the door.
Mr. Garcia looked up with a blank expression, glanced at Blake standing behind the secretary, and gestured for the secretary to leave.
"Mr. Garcia, you wanted to see me?" Blake walked in, trying to maintain a smile even though she was telling herself not to worry. She'd always used an alias; there was no way they could trace anything back to her. Still, her nerves were on edge. "Mr. Garcia?" she called again when he didn't respond.
"Bang!" Mr. Garcia slammed his hand on the desk, unable to hold back any longer. "You seem pretty pleased with yourself, huh? Not a hint of regret!"
Blake had never seen Mr. Garcia this angry before, and it shook her, wiping the smile off her face. "Mr. Garcia, I'm not sure what you're getting at."
Mr. Garcia let out a cold laugh. "Hiring burner accounts on Twitter to smear Flora and the school? You're smart enough to know exactly what I'm talking about."
Blake felt her stomach drop. So, Mr. Garcia had found out after all.
"Mr. Garcia, you must be mistaken. I didn't hire anyone on Twitter." She forced a weak smile. "Did someone tell you something? Was it Flora? Or-"
"You're a lost cause!" Mr. Garcia fumed. "The evidence is right here, and you're still trying to deny it!"
With that, he picked up the documents and slammed them onto the desk. Blake looked over without thinking.
Her smile vanished completely. The chat logs with the burner account, her phone number linked to it-everything pointed straight to her. She had no way to talk her way out of it. "Nothing to say now?" Mr. Garcia asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"Mr. Garcia, I..." Blake bit her lip, trembling slightly.
"I don't want to hear any more excuses," Mr. Garcia interrupted impatiently The school's decision is to suspend you, record it in your file, and require a fifty-thousand-word reflection paper due the day after tomorrow! Plus, you will personally apologize to Flora. When Flora forgives you and you show genuine improvement, we'll think about letting you come back."
Blake felt the sting of injustice. Mr. Garcia was really coming down hard on her! Writing a reflection paper was one thing, but apologizing to Flora? She was older than Flora, yet she was expected to apologize?!
Though she felt wronged, she knew Mr. Garcia was angry, so she swallowed her pride and left. As soon as she stepped out, she met the scornful and judgmentalgazes of those passing by.