"Ms. Sinclair!" Dr. Riffe roared, slamming his hands on the desk as he stood up, his voice trembling with both anger and fear. "You have no proof. This is slander! I will ruin you! Not just here, but in the entire academic world!"
Despite his loud voice, the quiver in his tone betrayed his insecurity. Lyla wasn’t intimidated. She smirked, taking two steps back. "How do you know I don't have evidence? Let's wait and see." With those words, she turned to leave.
Dr. Riffe panicked. He rushed out from behind his desk, shouting, "Lyla, don’t think I don’t know about your past. I did your background check. You think I don’t know why you quit your PhD?"
Lyla froze in her tracks. Hearing him mention her past, memories came flooding back like daggers stabbing her from behind. She clenched her fi
