Chapter 457:

Letty’s pupils shrank. Rylie’s question pierced deep.

She straightened her back in a rush, hiding the panic rising in her chest. She forced a mix of outrage and hurt onto her face, her voice rising in protest. “Rylie! That’s a serious accusation! You’re throwing out baseless claims, attacking me and Zaylee with nothing but your imagination. It’s ridiculous!”

She pointed shakily at Zaylee’s paper. “Yes, I made this question. I admit I overlooked the relativistic part! That was my mistake. But what does that prove? Zaylee simply solved it using classical physics. That precisely shows her strong foundation and skill with formulas. If her solution mirrors mine, it’s a coincidence, nothing more! You have no right to accuse me of leaking answers.”

Letty inhaled slowly, desperate to steady herself. Her gaze swept over the other teachers seated nearby, her voice now louder, with a hint of righteous confidence. “And let’s not forget — this paper wasn’t made by me alone. There were questions from other teachers too. What about the math section? Zaylee nearly aced it! Are you saying I helped her cheat on those too? That’s not only an insult to me — it’s an insult to every teacher involved.”

Her voice echoed in the hall, sounding bold despite the shaky logic. But in that moment, it was enough to steady some of the doubtful stares.

After all, wasn’t it just one flawed question?

Zaylee had done well on everything else — could that really all be fake?

Yes, Letty had made an oversight. But did that mean she helped someone cheat? That was a serious accusation, one that touched on a person’s integrity. The murmurs of discussion rose again from the crowd, tinged with confusion and uncertainty.

Zaylee’s face, once pale as snow, slowly regained a touch of color after hearing Letty speak. It was as if she was clinging to her last hope. Her voice trembled, but she spoke loudly, trying hard to be heard. “That’s right! Rylie, you can’t accuse me and Ms. Carter like this! I solved the physics problem myself! I did the other ones too! I’ve been working really hard lately! I stayed up late to study! I practiced so many Advanced Honors Class questions! Why can’t I get better?”

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Her words were hurried, imbued with a frantic urge to prove herself, yet her eyes dared not meet Rylie’s gaze.

Gunter and the other teachers frowned. Letty’s defense wasn’t solid, but Zaylee’s high scores on the rest of the paper couldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t enough to draw a firm conclusion based on one problem.

Rylie listened in silence. Letty was trying to defend herself, and Zaylee was putting on a brave face, but Rylie’s expression stayed calm, without a hint of anger. She even gave a small nod, as if acknowledging the point Letty had raised.

“Dr. Carter does have a point,” Rylie said into the microphone. Her voice was calm, almost too calm, and it sent a chill through Letty and Zaylee. “One problem doesn’t prove anything. Zaylee’s strong performance on the rest of the paper is worth looking into.”

Letty felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Rylie would let it go. But then Rylie’s voice changed. Her eyes locked onto Zaylee like ice — sharp and cold.

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