I marched into the dean's office with my head high, though anger simmered beneath my controlled exterior. Dean Richards sat behind his massive desk, eyes narrowing as I entered. Professor Wright followed closely behind me, his face pale with worry.
"Miss Dubois, I see you've decided to bring reinforcements," Dean Richards said, gesturing dismissively toward Professor Wright. "It won't change anything."
"I'm here to clear up this misunderstanding," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Professor Wright is innocent in all this. Your accusation of plagiarism against me is completely unfounded."
The dean leaned back in his chair, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Unfounded? The research proposal you submitted contains elements identical to Dr. Wilson's unpublished work. That's not coincidence, that's theft."
