Chapter 34 Her Conditions
"You're blowing this way out of proportion. Isn't it a teacher's job to stand up for their students?" Emily shot a smile at Lavinia.
Lavinia was taken aback, her face briefly betraying a hint of humiliation. She felt Emily was challenging her. Even though Emily was from the Johnson family, she wasn't the favorite, and Lavinia had no intention of going easy on her.
"Sure, it's my job to stand up for students who deserve it. But with all the stuff said about you online, I didn't hold it against you. And now you have the nerve to come here and question me? You think I'm that easygoing?" Lavinia sneered.
Those remarks had been confirmed by Bianca, so they couldn't be false. If it weren't for Bianca constantly defending her, Emily would have already been reported by other students.
Emily's smile faded, her demeanor turning cold and unyielding. She looked up slightly, her voice icy, "Lavinia, what exactly are you claiming is irrefutable? Where's your evidence? If you have proof, I'll accept any punishment, even expulsion. But..."
She stepped closer to Lavinia, her presence so intimidating that Lavinia instinctively stepped back.
"Do you have evidence? If not, don't make baseless accusations. As a teacher, you should set a better example."
Lavinia backed up until she hit the desk behind her, finally realizing she had been intimidated by a student. Her face darkened, "I don't need evidence to know you're at fault. Besides, Bianca's plea for leniency is an indirect admission of your guilt. When your own family admits it, what more proof do you need?"
Lavinia's disdain was palpable. In the past, Emily had been too naive, unable to play the victim card or explain herself, leading everyone to believe Bianca.
Emily, tired of arguing with someone who was biased against her, pulled out photos and a USB drive, placing them in front of Lavinia.
"But I have evidence proving my innocence. These are all the proofs I've collected. If you still insist on your beliefs in the face of evidence, then I can only say you're unfit to be a teacher and should step down."
"You!" Lavinia's face turned an ugly shade of red. She angrily picked up the photos and flipped through them quickly. She then inserted the USB drive into her computer and watched the contents.
After reviewing the evidence, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. Emily was indeed innocent. However, remembering Emily's earlier attitude, Lavinia still didn't like her.
"Since you have evidence, why didn't you present it earlier? I see that this incident wasn't your fault, but in the future, try to avoid getting involved in such matters. It doesn't look good. Also, you should get along with your classmates. If you can't handle school, how will you manage in the real world?"
Lavinia prided herself on being a good teacher, thinking she was giving Emily valuable life advice. But Emily's expression remained cold.
Getting along with people was important, but it depended on whether they were worth it. Having lived through so much, Emily knew that absolute power left no room for difficult relationships.
She didn't agree with Lavinia. Instead, she said, "So, are you going to handle the online issue now?"
"What?" Lavinia frowned, feeling that Emily hadn't listened to her advice at all. Her tone grew colder, "Since it wasn't your fault, I'll have the administrator take down the post. That's it."
"Is that all?"
"What more do you want?" Lavinia asked, annoyed by Emily's persistence.
Emily met Lavinia's sharp gaze, "It's simple. The post was made by Ronnie Ford from the computer science department. He spread false information and led the cyberbullying against me. I want him to publicly apologize and receive disciplinary action."
Lavinia knew her husband's company was looking to collaborate with Ronnie's professor, Glenn Cole. Ronnie was a prominent figure in the school and Glenn's prized student. If she asked Glenn to discipline Ronnie, the collaboration would be jeopardized.
"No way!" Lavinia refused outright. "He can apologize privately, but disciplinary action is too much. You weren't harmed, and a disciplinary record could ruin his future. Don't be so narrow-minded."
Emily's gaze was icy, "I was harmed, but I stayed strong. That's no excuse for him to escape punishment."
"If you can't be fair, I'll report this to the school administration myself."
Emily collected the photos and USB drive before Lavinia could react.
Lavinia's expression remained stern, "You can't go!"
She even threatened, "Emily, don't make a scene. Do as I say, or forget about graduating. Your diploma depends on my approval."
Emily's face turned colder, "Thanks for the reminder. I'll transfer to another department. Then you won't be able to hold my diploma over me."
Lavinia thought Emily was bluffing, "You think transferring is that easy? I can tell any department you're not a good student, and no one will take you."
Emily remained calm, "No need to worry. I've already found a professor willing to accept me."
Lavinia frowned, thinking Emily was lying, "Which professor would want you?"
Emily didn't flinch, "I'll call him now."
She dialed Kurt's number, asking him to come over.
Lavinia watched, expecting Emily to fail. But when she heard "Mr. Lowe," she felt a twinge of panic.
Still, she calmed herself, thinking Emily was bluffing.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Lavinia said, watching Emily closely.
At the same time, Emily's presence at school caught the attention of Lily, who quickly informed Bianca.