The leader of Jessica’s team, Bobby Wilson, gave Ginny a sharp glare full of irritation, then turned to Professor Edward, clearly hoping he’d take this chance to dismiss her.
But Professor Edward didn’t follow Bobby’s lead. Instead, he turned to Ginny and asked calmly, “Do you want to explain yourself?”
Ginny nodded, then lifted her head and looked straight at Jessica. “You said I tampered with the professor’s computer. Besides your own claim, do you have any actual evidence?”
Jessica answered quickly, clearly prepared. “Yesterday afternoon, I saw you at the café downstairs meeting someone. If I’m not mistaken, you were discussing things related to the lab.”
“That’s just your speculation,” Ginny replied evenly. “That doesn’t qualify as evidence.”
She paused, then added, “If you want to accuse me of colluding with someone to leak lab data, you’ll need something more concrete. A video of me copying files, for instance. Or a recorded confession from the person I supposedly met.”
“You’re twisting my words,” Jessica snapped. “If I had all that, you’d just come up with more excuses. You keep asking me for proof, but what about you? What proof do you have that you didn’t do it?”
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“You heard what everyone said just now. The lab computer was acting up this morning, and it happened after you visited the professor’s office. Are you saying that’s just a coincidence? Do you really think anyone will believe that?”
Ginny didn’t respond with anger. Instead, she smiled, which immediately made Jessica uneasy. Something about the look on her face unsettled her.
Then Ginny said, “I went to the professor’s office because he called and asked me to retrieve something. I have the call log to prove it. And the professor is right here—if anyone thinks I’m lying, you can ask him.
“As for the café, who I met is my business. That’s private. But since your first assumption was wrong, your second one doesn’t hold up either.”
She turned to Professor Edward.
Once he realized that his call had caused the misunderstanding, he quickly stepped in to clarify things with everyone.
Just as Jessica, clearly unwilling to admit defeat, was about to sit down, Ginny turned toward her again.
“Now that you mention yesterday, I remember something too,” she said quietly. “I saw you in the professor’s office while I was heading to the restroom. You were using his computer. Did the
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professor call you too? Ask you to look something up?”
Jessica froze, her eyes widening.
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She had gone to the professor’s office, deliberately choosing a moment when the lab was empty. How had Ginny seen her?
Was Ginny still in the lab at that time? she wondered, panic flickering across her face.
But by then, everyone–including Professor Edward—was looking at her.
–
“Jessica,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “I didn’t call you yesterday. I didn’t ask you to retrieve any files. So tell me why were you in my office? What were you doing on my computer?”
Jessica panicked.
The moment she saw Ginny enter the office the day before, she had a different idea. She had thought her plan was flawless.
She hadn’t expected Ginny had been there because of a legitimate call from the professor–or that the professor would confirm it in front of everyone.
Now, not only had her lie been exposed, but she’d also been caught accessing the professor’s computer without permission.
Did they all suspect what she’d actually done?
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“So it was you who tampered with the computer,” Ginny said, watching her unravel.
Jessica panicked. “No, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything!”
“Then give us a reason,” Ginny replied, echoing Jessica’s earlier demand. “Why were you in the professor’s office? What proof do you have that you didn’t touch his computer?”
Jessica stammered, lost for words.
Ginny didn’t look at her again. She turned to face the rest of the lab.
“I’ve been here for a week now,” she said. “From the moment I joined, I’ve had no idea what I did to offend any of you. But you’ve all chosen to ignore and isolate me.
“I told myself maybe you were just used to your own group. Or maybe you didn’t like someone joining the team last minute. So I kept my head down. Focused on my work. Tried not to get in anyone’s way.
“But even that wasn’t enough. Even then, someone still tried to pin something on me–right in front of the professor.”
She looked at Jessica again, then scanned the room slowly, letting her gaze land on each person in turn.
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“So let’s stop pretending. Jessica and the rest of you. Since it’s come to this, why not just be honest?
“Why are you targeting me? Why did you try to frame me? If I’ve wronged any of you, then I’m truly sorry. I’ll apologize- sincerely. But if I haven’t, then I deserve a real apology too.”
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