Once I felt ready and confident enough, I finally gathered my courage and asked Shaun to accompany me to see Mr. Holland. The whole way there, I couldn't stop fidgeting. I kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Shaun, ever the composed and sharp-witted professor, glanced at me with amusement. He asked, "Why are you so nervous? You're Mr. Holland's favorite student, you know." I remained silent.The truth was, the more someone cared about a person, the harder it was to face them when one had let them down. Back then, Mr. Holland had put so much faith in me, yet I ended up disappointing him. If I hadn't overheard at that coffee shop that he still wanted me back in the lab, I would've never dared to show up in front of him again. Shaun noticed I was still tense. He gently patted my shoulder and said, "Don't stress about it. If Mr. Holland says it's not too late for you to return, he means it. He's not going to stay mad." I nodded and gave him a small, grateful
Irvin opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but before he could, Julianne clutched her stomach with a pained expression. "Irvin… my stomach hurts so bad…" Her dramatic display immediately erased everything else from his mind. He scooped her up in his arms without hesitation. As he turned to leave, he suddenly glanced back at me. "Emilia, if you want to get the divorce certificate smoothly, you'd better keep your distance from him." He shot me a hard look. "I'll deal with you when I get back." And with that, he rushed off, carrying Julianne like some helpless damsel. I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes so hard it hurt. What a joke. Deal with me? Please. I used to be so blind. I mean, how did I ever put up with that? Shaun, watching Irvin's antics, said thoughtfully, "It's ironic, really. He demands you keep your distance from other men, but he doesn't even think twice about parading another woman in front of his own wife." He looked at me and
"If you don't want to fail your class, go study like you're supposed to instead of trying to bribe your way through!" Shaun and I exchanged a surprised glance. We couldn't believe someone had actually tried to bribe Mr. Holland. He was infamous across campus for being cold and unyielding—there wasn't a single person who could "work connections" with him, let alone think they'd get away with it. Who would even have the audacity to try? Was it one of the new students who enrolled while Mr. Holland was on his teaching hiatus? Mr. Peter Holland, who Hurley University's dean had recently convinced to come out of retirement and return to teaching, didn't tolerate nonsense. Anyone smart enough to enroll here would know better than to try something so stupid. Curious, I wondered who the poor soul was. When the young woman turned around, I froze. Oh. Wow. It was Lily, Jeremy's girlfriend. Well, that explained why I'd just run into her mom outside. The moment Lily spotted
Mr. Holland had a particular love for gardening. His two-story house was filled with blooming flowers, making the whole space feel surreal. Walking in, it didn't feel like winter at all—it felt like I had stepped into a lush, vibrant spring garden. After we entered, Mr. Holland didn't even acknowledge us. He went straight to watering his plants, acting like we weren't there. "Mr. Holland…" I tried, forcing a sheepish smile as I stepped forward. He let out a cold huff, not even looking at me. Following my shameless philosophy—if he didn't kick me out, there was still hope for forgiveness—I took another step closer, flashing an even more ingratiating grin. "Mr. Holland, let me help you water the plants! You know I'm a pro at this!" He huffed again, still ignoring me, but he didn't say no. I immediately took the opportunity and grabbed the watering can from his hand. When he saw me grinning at him like that, instead of his usual huff, he gave a cold chuckle. Then he t
"Exactly! Mr. Holland, what kind of teaching are you doing? How do you manage to raise a student with no morals, shame, or sense of decency?" "Everyone knows Irvin and Julianne have been childhood sweethearts since they were kids! If she hadn't interfered, Julianne and Irvin would've been married ages ago!" "And even now, with Irvin treating her so poorly, she still won't let go! She's clinging to him, ruining Julianne's chances of happiness. She has absolutely no self-respect!""Mr. Holland, where did you graduate? To have raised such an outstanding student, we should definitely make you a banner and spread the word!" The divorce between Irvin and me hadn't been made public yet. At Grandma's birthday banquet, Irvin had openly claimed that nothing was going on between him and Julianne—that they were just like siblings. But actions speak louder than words, and when Julianne and I both fell into the water that night, he saved her. Since then, the news of how much Irvin pampe
"Oh? Consequences I can't handle?" Julianne covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes filled with contempt. She looked at me like I was nothing, like something she could crush without a second thought. Her smug confidence radiated from every inch of her being like I wasn't even worth the effort to destroy. After her mocking laugh, she signaled to one of her most loyal lackeys with a subtle glance. The guy with bleached blond hair caught the cue immediately, egging the others on to close in around me and Mr. Holland. "Hey, Emilia," he sneered, his tone dripping with malice. "Your precious Mr. Holland is getting up there in age, huh? One little accident, and he might be bedridden for months." He snickered. "But don't worry. Medical bills? I've got money to burn." He leaned closer, his voice turning darker. "If you don't know what's good for you, I wouldn't mind teaching you a little lesson first." My eyes sharpened, cold as a blade. No matter what, even if it me
Though the marriage certificate was obtained in Daloria, Ventia, and wasn't recognized back in the country, calling her "stepmom" wasn't exactly a stretch. Irvin, with his proud and lofty nature, could never truly accept the idea of marrying someone who had once been his stepmother. No matter how brief Julianne's role in that position had been, the fact remained—she had been with his father. Phillip was notorious for his philandering ways. Even when Irvin's mother was still alive, he'd been discreetly involved with other women. After her passing, he no longer bothered to hide his behavior, flaunting his affairs openly. Julianne had briefly caught his attention with her "pure" and "innocent" demeanor. It didn't last. After quickly tiring of her, Phillip tossed her aside before their honeymoon was even over, moving on to his next conquest. Their Daloria marriage was brief, barely a blip, and with it taking place overseas, almost no one knew about it. Irvin, in an effort to
I sidestepped her lunge, letting her swipe at nothing. A cold laugh escaped my lips. "Why wouldn't I dare?"I had tried to stay calm, endure their insults, and focus on a peaceful divorce. I didn't retaliate when they spread lies about me or painted me as the villain. But them? They saw my silence as a weakness. They thought I was an easy target, someone they could humiliate without consequence. I could have tolerated everything they said about me, but when they dragged Mr. Holland into it? That crossed a line. Julianne missed her mark and only got angrier. Her frustration boiled over, her voice shrill and hysterical. "Emilia! How dare you? How dare you!" She was used to walking all over me, used to always having the upper hand. Every confrontation between us had ended with her as the victor. She thrived on that superiority, on being untouchable. But now? Now, I had hit her where it hurt, and she couldn't handle it. She snapped completely. Grabbing a teapot from
Irvin still had more to say. But then he realized anything he said now would be pointless. Thus, in the end, he just gazed profoundly at me before silently leaving.I went to the restroom after Irvin left. And when I exited a stall to wash my hands, I looked at myself in the mirror. Seeing the unmistakable disappointment in my reflection, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. I truly was pathetic.After splashing cold water on my face to wake myself up, I redid my simple makeup and headed back to the private dining room.As I was leaving the restroom, Grace happened to walk in. When she saw me, she smiled. "Hello, Ms. Quill."Since we were alone, I didn't feel like playing along. I kept walking, ignoring her completely.Seeing this, Grace stepped forward and blocked my path."I know my past behavior has hurt our relationship, Ms. Quill," she said. "But rest assured, it won't happen again," she said.Grace wouldn't bother me again because, truthfully, I wasn't even worth the trou
Irvin lowered his gaze.After a pensive moment, he replied, "Okay. I'll verify her true identity and send her to prison!"Irvin might have taken a moment to respond, but I still felt his reply was too decisive, which wasn't like him at all.I had known Irvin for a long time, so I knew he valued loyalty and kindness. That was why he still helped Julianne during her criminal trial even after learning the whole truth.Now, Julianne had distanced herself from our lives and even had a new identity. If Irvin could no longer associate with her, he could accept this and do it. However, he shouldn't have been able to agree so readily when it came to destroying Julianne's current life and sending her to prison.Thus, I studied him dubiously. And when he met my gaze, he instinctively looked away. I couldn't help but scoff at this."You know William has use for Julianne and that I don't actually want you to send her to prison, don't you?" I grilled him. "That's why you agreed so easily, is
During dinner, I excused myself to use the restroom. As I passed a private room, I was suddenly forcefully yanked inside. I was about to cry out, but then I met Irvin's worried gaze."I just got news you were in an accident and hospitalized yesterday. What happened, babe?" he asked.Irvin suspected Julianne wasn't the only reason I had been prevented from attending the academic exchange conference. Hence, he had someone look into why I was delayed from entering the hall. That was how he discovered I had fallen into the river and subsequently spent a night in the hospital.Upon learning this, he had immediately sent me an anxious text asking what had happened. However, I hadn't been checking my phone. So, naturally, I hadn't responded to his message.Irvin had figured I was probably too engrossed in exchanging knowledge with the professors and hadn't had the time to look at my phone. And since I had shown up without any apparent injuries, he had also assumed I was physically fine.
These prominent scholars might be able to speak eloquently during academic discussions, but they weren't fond of socializing. Hence, when invited to dinner, their first instinct was to decline.It wasn't until Professor Weiss explained that we would simply be continuing the day's discussion while eating—rather than it being a formal meal—that the scholars finally agreed to join us later that evening.Hungry for more knowledge, my attention was fully focused on these professors. All I could think about was what questions I could ask them over dinner. I was so focused that I didn't even notice Irvin repeatedly glancing at me as we left.We took a shuttle back to the official conference hotel. Then, after saying temporary goodbyes, we headed to our respective rooms to change.Once inside the room, Emma couldn't hold it in any longer."Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "I thought I was pretty smart because I had a high IQ. I had always been a top student and managed to get into one of the to
While I couldn't completely let go of Irvin, I was no longer the person I once was.Back then, I had placed love above all else, so loving Irvin had been the most important thing to me. I'd devoted myself to him and treated him like he was my entire world. He had been the source of all my emotions—from happiness to anger, and from sorrow to joy.Now, my top priority was my studies and research. I would never again give up the academic path I loved so deeply for anyone.…Julianne watched as Mitchell apologized to Professor Weiss and tried to curry favor with him. Then, she saw the way Professor Weiss treated me with warmth and respect. Hatred simmered behind her eyes. She felt life was so unfair. She had to work hard for everything she wanted, and yet those very things seemed to fall effortlessly into my lap. She didn't want to take any more risks. But despite this, she was so furious that she couldn't resist the urge to. She wanted to destroy me once and for all.Grace obse
Mitchell felt humiliated from having to apologize to me so publicly, so he was already in a bad mood. And when he heard the tone Julienne used with him, his expression soured even more."Who told you Ms. Quill is an academic fraud, Ms. Calder?" he shot back.Julianne clearly hadn't expected that. She was caught off guard by the question. Then, as though sensing someone's gaze on her, she turned her head. And when she spotted Irvin, she froze.Julianne had kept tabs on Irvin, but they hadn't seen each other face-to-face ever since she faked her death. So, their sudden encounter shook her.I lowered my gaze when I saw Julianne and Irvin lock eyes.I had recognized Julianne the moment I saw her. My family had too. Thus, I believed it would be the same for Irvin as well.Our relationship problems started because of Julianne, so they should end with her too.Having grown up together with Irvin, she knew she couldn't hide who she really was from him. Regardless, she couldn't admit she
"Ms. Quill, you—" Grace sputtered.From her expression, I could tell she wanted to say, "You really will say anything to save your pride. How will you get in if you won't follow us?"Just then, a few people walked out of the hall. At the lead was an elderly man with white hair.Upon seeing me, the elderly man's stern expression morphed into a smile. "Emilia! You're here!"I returned the smile and walked up to greet him, "Hello, Professor Weiss."I had met several influential figures during the Global Technology Forum in Lestoria. Among them, I had gotten along best with this man, Professor Richard Weiss.After exchanging pleasantries, Professor Weiss turned to Mitchell and asked, "Who is this man? What gives him the right to bar you from attending the conference and call you an academic fraud?"Professor Weiss was the biggest name in the physics field. He was someone everyone respected and dared not offend.Hearing this, Mitchell quickly explained, "It was a misunderstanding! I
"Of course!" Grace said.Moving to my side, she linked her arm with mine in a friendly gesture. It was as though we were on very good terms.She continued, "Not only is she an incredibly skilled researcher, but she's also my sister-in-law—which means she's also a member of the Hardwell family. So, Mr. Slate, any accusations of her being an academic fraud must be a misunderstanding!"Upon hearing how solemn Grace was, Mitchell couldn't help but look at me."If you aren't an academic fraud, then why would Ms. Calder say that about you?" he asked.I coolly returned his gaze. "That's a question for Ms. Calder, not me."Mitchell frowned and looked displeased. He clearly hadn't expected that answer.Grace turned to me and said, "Alright, Emi. Let's go inside together!"Her expression read, "Come on. I'll bring you in."Irvin didn't understand why I hadn't been allowed in despite having an invitation. He also didn't know why I had been mistaken for an academic fraud and was being bar
I looked down at my phone and was zooming in on the image of the data. But before I could even take a good look at it, Emma squeezed my arm."Holy crap! Emilia. Isn't that your ex-husband's brother!" she exclaimed.I instinctively looked up—just in time to see Irvin opening the car door and courteously helping Grace get down.Grace flashed a gentle smile at Irvin, then linked arms with him. To onlookers, that intimate gesture made them look like a loving married couple.I thought back to how Irvin had been near tears when we had met on the first snowfall of the season. Yet now, he was holding another woman's arm and playing the role of her devoted husband.I couldn't even describe how I felt at that moment.Then, I recalled how much Irvin had despised Grace before. Yet, in just a month, he managed to make it look like they were happily married. I feared it wouldn't be long before he began to feel sympathy for her. And then, per Grace's scheme, Irvin would eventually truly becom