Reese had always known that Wendy held a grudge against Ginny. Just like before, when others in the lab turned their frustrations toward her, he didn’t interfere–but he didn’t
defend her either.
But this time, Wendy dragged him into it. So he had no choice but to speak up.
“My place in the professor’s eyes doesn’t depend on stuff like that,” he said calmly. “If I’m good enough, he’ll remember me. And if I’m not, even if I show up in front of him every day just to get noticed, it won’t change a thing.”
“Wendy,” he continued, voice still even but firm, “what I’ve learned is this–focus on being good at what you do. When you’re truly capable, you won’t need to care how the professor treats anyone else. You’ll have nothing to be jealous of.”
Wendy felt exposed, like someone had peeled back her skin and read her every thought. She flushed, embarrassed.
Just then, Ginny stepped out of the professor’s office. Wendy turned away quickly, not wanting to face her. She grabbed her data and made her way into the lab.
As she passed Ginny, the latter greeted her with a simple, friendly nod.
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Wendy didn’t even acknowledge her. Where once she might have offered at least a token response, today she walked straight past her and pushed open the lab door.
“What’s her problem?” Ginny asked, puzzled. “She was fine earlier.”
Reese just gave a small smile and said nothing.
With the upcoming trip abroad at the start of the month, Ginny became busier than ever. Days were packed with lab work, and her nights were spent poring over data.
It was exhausting, but it also gave her a strange sense of peace- her mind no longer wandered to things that had once troubled her. The noise had finally quieted.
And without all that heaviness, she looked and felt better by the day.
But not everyone was happy to see her doing well.
That evening, Professor Edward returned to the hotel by cab, only to be told at the front desk that a woman was waiting for him.
He walked over, curious, and saw for the first time the elegant figure of Mrs. Wheeler.
He’d never met her before–but he wasn’t unfamiliar with the
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Wheeler family’s business.
The moment she introduced herself, the polite smile on Professor Edward’s face faded, visibly.
Lucky Draw
Still, he sat down, accepted a cup of tea, and waited for her to speak.
Mrs. Wheeler had originally planned to let him start the conversation–only then would she explain her purpose. But the professor just sat there in silence, showing no intention of helping her along.
Time ticked by. The hotel would get busier soon, and if someone recognized her sitting here… what then?
Growing anxious, she finally broke the silence.
“Professor Edward, I hope you’ll consider removing Ginny from your lab. She’s someone who interfered with another person’s marriage, and even caused someone to lose a child. A person like that isn’t fit to study medicine, much less to be your student.”
Professor Edward had expected something along these lines, but hearing the words spoken aloud still annoyed him.
“Mrs. Wheeler,” he said coolly, “perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding, My student, Ginny, told me that she was married. Legally. With a certificate. She also said they had a proper wedding ceremony.
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“So if you’re calling her a homewrecker, are you suggesting that before marrying her, her husband had already married your daughter?
“Because if that’s the case, then the one at fault is her husband. And according to your country’s law, that would make him guilty of bigamy. You and your daughter could sue him.
“As for the other accusation–that she caused your daughter to miscarry–Ginny also spoke to me about it. She said your daughter wasn’t even pregnant. That the entire scene that day was something your daughter staged herself.”
“She even wanted to call the police, but you refused.
“Now, Madam Jiang, if what you say is true, and Ginny is really that vicious, why wouldn’t you report her? Why go through all this, trying to get her kicked out of my lab instead of letting the law handle it? Doesn’t that seem… less satisfying?”
He said all this with the look of a man who genuinely didn’t understand her logic.
Mrs. Wheeler hadn’t expected him to be so well–informed. She hadn’t realized Ginny had shared so much with him.
Was this something to be proud of? Was she not ashamed?
And now, instead of siding with her, Professor Edward was
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actually defending Ginny–while painting her daughter in the worst possible light.
Mrs. Wheeler’s mood soured.
“I didn’t report her because I was trying to show respect for the Pierce family,” she said, her tone sharp. “But that doesn’t mean I can just swallow this humiliation. She’s hurt my daughter, and I won’t let her walk away without consequences.
“But let me be clear–my goal isn’t to ruin her. I just want her to learn a lesson. I want her to understand that she can’t go around bullying my daughter without facing the consequences.
“So here’s my offer. If you agree to remove her from your lab, the Wheeler family is prepared to invest a million dollars into your research.”
“Well, Professor Edward? What do you think of that offer?”
She’d done her homework before coming. She knew Professor Edward’s lab only had one current investor, and that investor wasn’t exactly generous.
The funding he received was just enough to keep the lab running, but it didn’t leave much room to actually pay the
students.
And medical students, especially at their age, had bills to pay- whether they were dating, renting apartments, or just trying to
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survive.
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Professor Edward might cover their costs out of his own pocket once in a while, but could he do that forever?
The Wheeler family’s offer could make a real difference. A million dollars could solve a lot of their problems.
