My Roommate Called My Dad My Sugar Daddy? Oops, There Goes Her Fellowship Chapter 04

My Roommate Called My Dad My Sugar Daddy? Oops, There Goes Her Fellowship Chapter 04

I kept my expression cold.

“No.”

Her voice stayed soft.

“I know the forum has turned ugly.”

“But I never wanted to destroy you.”

I cut her off.

“The evidence will show exactly what you intended.”

“A few convenient tears won’t change that.”

She pressed her lips together.

“Your family has money, so maybe you don’t understand what this spot means to me.”

I looked at her and nearly lost my temper.

“And so?”

“Because you need it more, I’m supposed to let you slander me?”

Claire said quietly, “I only want the department to look into it.”

“If there’s nothing wrong, you won’t lose anything.”

I laughed.

“I’ve already lost something.”

“I was photographed without my knowledge, attacked online, and whispered about everywhere I went.”

“And you’re telling me I haven’t lost anything?”

A flicker of coldness crossed Claire’s eyes.

“Nora, there’s no need to be this aggressive.”

“I only asked a question.”

The conference room door opened.

Rachel came out to call us in.

I looked straight at her and enunciated every word.

“Then you’d better ask every one of your questions clearly in there.”

“And have your own answers ready.”

The room was full when the hearing started.

The associate dean, members of the fellowship selection committee, a financial aid officer, Ms. Mercer, and an academic integrity officer were all there.

Claire and I sat on opposite sides.

Ryan, my attorney, sat beside me.

My parents arrived five minutes after it began.

My mother’s eyes were still a little red, and she sat down with her back perfectly straight.

My father, Gordon Shaw, set his folder on the table and looked at me first.

That single look tightened my throat.

I forced the emotion down.

The associate dean opened the meeting.

“Today, we are here to establish the facts.”

“We’ll begin with the reporting party.”

Claire stood up.

She didn’t cry.

She used that same soft tone she always used.

“I never said Nora Shaw had a sugar daddy, and I never said there was anything wrong with her fellowship application.”

“I only saw her carrying a bag far beyond what an ordinary student spends, and having dinner with an older man at an upscale hotel.”

“We’re in the middle of the fellowship review period, and I was worried about fairness in this department.”

“If it’s a misunderstanding, I’m willing to apologize.”

Every sentence landed exactly where she wanted it.

Then it was my turn.

I stood up with my palms burning, and my voice came out clear.

“I’ll start with what is actually true.”

“I did go to a luxury hotel last night.”

“The man in the photo is much older than I am.”

“And he did pay for this bag.”

Claire kept her eyes down.

I saw the corner of her mouth twitch before she could stop it.

“Since Nora has already admitted it, then…”

I cut off the rest of what she was going to say.

I slid my birth certificate, family records, and a family photo across the table.

“Because he is my…”

At those words, Claire’s composure cracked, along with everyone else’s.