The dean's office had never felt smaller. I could practically taste the tension in the air as Dean Anderson pushed a document across his desk toward Professor Wright.
"Just sign the expulsion form," he said, his voice dripping with barely concealed contempt. "This matter needs to be resolved before it damages our reputation further."
My blood boiled watching him treat my mentor this way. Professor Wright had been more than a teacher to me—he'd been the guiding light when my life was shrouded in darkness. Now he stood there, trapped by the dean's manipulation, his usually confident posture diminished.
"I won't sign this," Professor Wright said firmly, pushing the paper back. "Juliana is my brightest student. I've supervised her work personally. These plagiarism accusations are completely unfounded."
Dean Anderson's lips curled into a smirk that made my skin crawl.