Chapter 6

Summer POV

I suppressed the unease and grievance in my heart, my voice trembling. "Mr. Cooper, my professor can vouch for me. I've been working on this experiment with him the whole time. Some of the confidential data was even calculated by me personally. There's no reason for me to copy it..."

Mr. Cooper's brow furrowed tightly, his suspicious gaze falling on Sophie again.

Ethan stepped to the side, blocking Mr. Cooper's sharp gaze. He took out the ten-million-dollar check from his pocket, raising an eyebrow with a contemptuous tone.

"No reason? Summer, didn't you sell the data for money?"

"This check is the payment from the person you made the deal with. Everyone in class can testify to this."

Then several of my roommates crowded at the door and added loudly. "That's right! Yesterday we saw Summer run out alone with a flash drive, and this morning she got this check. She's definitely the one who leaked the data! She's desperate for money. The school suspended her student loan. She can't even afford to stay in school!"

I felt like I'd fallen into an ice cave, cold all over, watching helplessly as Ethan took out his phone and added the final straw.

"Mr. Cooper, look at this post and you'll understand. Everything about Summer can be bought and sold for a price."

His cold eyes cut my heart to pieces like a knife. "Someone like this. For ten million, what wouldn't she do?"

My whole body trembled. Every word he said was like a resounding slap across my face.

Mr. Cooper's gaze toward me instantly grew cold. He directly determined that I had sold confidential data for money, gave me a disciplinary mark, and canceled my eligibility for all honors for the year.

Holding the disciplinary notice, I didn't know how I left Mr. Cooper's office. My mind echoed with those words of extreme disappointment.

"Even if your grades are good, if your character is bad, you'll only harm society when you leave!"

I was like a soulless shell, watching Ethan approach step by step. My heart was dead, and I asked him in a very soft voice why.

He knew that check was from his mother. He knew I never spent money carelessly and could never afford an expensive flash drive.

Ethan just said casually, "Sophie needs to apply for a full scholarship. She can't have any blemishes. You have money anyway, isn't that enough?"

As he spoke, he pressed the check into my palm.

I looked down at the crumpled check in my palm and laughed softly.

One check had buried my reputation and my future.

In Ethan's eyes, could money settle everything?

I tore the check to shreds like a madwoman and threw the pieces at him forcefully. "Ethan, take your filthy money and get lost!"

Ethan looked at the scattered check fragments before him, slightly stunned.

"What, not enough?"

"Slap!"

I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes, my fingertips trembling.

"Ethan, I really regret it! I regret agreeing to be your girlfriend! If I could do it over, I would stay far, far away from you!"

With that, I turned and left without hesitation.

Still in shock, Ethan stood frozen. An inexplicable anger rose from the depths of his heart.

But before he could speak, he saw me fall straight down.

When I woke up again, I was in a hospital room.

A nurse was changing my IV bag.

"You're awake?"

"You fainted from a high fever. Your classmate brought you to the hospital. By the way, he's quite good-looking. Is he your boyfriend?"

"Who?"