All Chapters of The Machine I "Destroyed" Was Mine All Along: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I was too lazy to waste words on them and simply pointed to the corner where the camera hung. "Whoever broke it, the footage will show, won't it?"Nicky Hardy let out a derisive snort."And who else could it be but you? Elizabeth has always cherished these instruments. And you—know nothing and still insisted on joining the research group."I looked at him and couldn't help but smirk.He clearly knew I joined the research group just for him.I had confessed to him once. He had said, cool and detached, "Michelle, I don't deserve you."At the time, I thought he was just reserved and slow to warm up. After all, he never rejected my presence. We'd have the occasional meal together, and he'd smile at me. I stayed up late helping him organize literature, and he'd bring me a cup of tea. During holidays, he'd even give me little gifts.He dangled me there. Neither cold nor warm, neither distant nor near—just occasionally tossing me a sweet, letting me think I had a chance.And now, he s

Elizabeth's voice was soft, tinged with helplessness and indignation, perfectly playing the role of an innocent junior caught in the crossfire.Professor Belfort, clearly busy on the other end, spoke succinctly."That equipment was sponsored by Oakmont Group. The contract includes one free maintenance. Don't panic—when I have time, I'll contact Oakmont and have them send someone over to fix it."Elizabeth bit her lip, still dissatisfied, pressing further, "Professor, what about Michelle? After all, it was her mishandling that caused the damage. Shouldn't there be some consequence? Otherwise, if everyone operates carelessly, things will get out of control in the lab. Maybe Michelle should leave the research group? Other students will surely object if she stays."Ah, the dagger in the folds.All this fuss, all this maneuvering, was just to push me out of the research group.First, she liked Nicky. Nicky and I had always been entangled in an unclear relationship; she had long consid

I curved the corners of my mouth into a small, polite smile and met Arthur's gaze."You're far too kind, Arthur. I wouldn't call it overseeing—just recording the data along the way. It's really you who deserves the credit, taking time out of your busy schedule to come personally."A faint smile flickered in Arthur's eyes, but his expression remained all business."Miss Ailes, you overstate it. The Group heard about the equipment issue, so the board specifically asked me to come check. After all, this device is the latest from the R&D Department. The post-delivery operating data is crucial for future optimization. Your tracking over this period has been a great help."Nicky stood to the side, his expression priceless.He glanced at me, then at Arthur, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking in a cautious, probing tone."Mr. Lemont… what do you mean? Does Michelle have some connection with Oakmont Group?"Arthur looked at him evenly."Your question is a little odd. M

Arthur measured several points with a multimeter, nodding as he went."You're right. A capacitor on the control board burned out. This kind of failure requires a sudden high voltage—it's impossible under normal operation."I cast a glance at Elizabeth. She was trembling uncontrollably.The other students finally processed what was happening, their eyes shifting to Elizabeth with a mix of shock and disbelief."So… Michelle didn't break the equipment? Then who did?"Arthur pulled a replacement capacitor from his toolbox and began the swap.Twenty minutes later, he closed the device casing and pressed the power button. The machine hummed to life, running perfectly.Arthur packed up his tools, straightened, and addressed me politely, "Miss Ailes, the equipment is repaired. I'll send the fault report to your email. Contact me anytime if any issues arise."I nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Arthur."At that moment, the laboratory door opened again. Two uniformed police officer

I picked up a piece of food and chewed slowly.He grew anxious."Michelle… trust me, I didn't know! If I had known what kind of person Elizabeth was, I would never have helped her!"Finally, I lifted my gaze and looked at him."Nicky… do you really believe what you're saying? You're telling me you don't know what she's like? How she sidelines me, how she schemes behind my back—you didn't see any of that?""I…"I cut him off. "It's not that you didn't see it. You just didn't care because none of it was directed at you. It was all aimed at me, not you."She's gentle and considerate to you, helps with experiments, organizes your data—you think she's a good girl."And when it comes time to choosing sides, of course, you side with her. After all, I'm just some clueless nepo baby, while she's the poor soul working hard, just like you, right?"He shook his head frantically, trying to explain."Michelle, I…""Enough. Stop talking. Eat your meal."I turned and walked away.But from