Chapter 6

Each punishment was like a mountain crushing me, making it impossible to breathe.

I crouched against the wall, hugging myself, crying my heart out in silence.

Time seemed to crawl by before I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

Nate gently helped me to my feet, his touch full of concern as he brushed away my endless tears.

"Emmy, I'll pay the compensation for you. And don't worry about delaying graduation, you've already survived repeating a year once. I'll be waiting for you in the States. " Nate said.

I stared at him like he was a total stranger, my voice rough and barely holding it together. "So you really don't trust me? "

He choked, completely speechless.

"I'll prove it, " I scoffed, yanking my hand away and storming off alone.

For the next few days, I went to the library every single day.

Wherever I went, people were gossiping and staring, whispering behind my back.

"Isn't that her? Ms. M.? "

"Yeah, she's the one from that scandal. They've got it plastered on every lab door. "

I gritted my teeth and pretended not to hear, poring over the accident report and frantically digging through every bit of information I could find.

After pulling several all-nighters, I clutched a messy stack of draft papers and rushed to find Nate, my voice urgent.

"I left at 11:02, and the explosion didn't happen until 2:50 PM. I worked out how long it takes for all the common solvents to catch fire if they were heated, at most two hours, right?

"If I'd really made a mistake, the explosion would've happened way sooner. You know exactly what solvents you guys keep in the lab, can't you vouch for me? " I pleaded.

But he stood there, refusing to meet my eyes, fumbling for words. "Emmy, maybe you forgot to factor in some rare solvents? Like THF or I don't know, something else."

I couldn't follow what he meant.

My eyes were red and swollen as I grabbed his arm with a weak grip, my voice shaking. "It really wasn't me. Can't you think it over one more time? "

He took the stack of drafts I'd spent all night working on, and as I stared in disbelief, he slowly ripped them to shreds. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"In the end, you're the one who has to take the fall for this accident, " he said hoarsely.

I stood there, confused and stunned, not knowing what to say.

A trace of sympathy flickered in his eyes. "Olivia's always been so proud, she'd break down if she got anything less than first place. If her graduation got delayed, that would be the end for her. She wouldn't survive it."

I laughed, almost in disbelief.

It was like needles pricking my heart, the pain so sharp I could barely breathe. "So you know it wasn't me, but you're still making me take the fall? "

"Did you ever think about what this would do to my future? " I asked.

He patted my trembling shoulder, trying to comfort me. "You've got me. No matter what happens, I'll support you, I'll take care of everything for you. "

"Relax, I already bought your ticket to the States. Even if your graduation gets delayed, just think of it as a graduation trip, go have some fun and clear your head, " he added.

I scoffed, shoved him away, and turned to leave.

Soon after, he texted me the flight ticket.

Nate texted: [Don't forget, it's at 9 AM tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you at the gate.]

I didn't say a word or reply. I quietly blocked and deleted him.

He'd forgotten.

I'd already ended things with him.

Tomorrow, next year, it doesn't matter, I'm never going to chase after him again.