Renee’s rage melted into smug satisfaction. She stood gracefully and smiled. “Thank you, Professor. I’ll do my best.”
But my eyes narrowed as I looked at the essay he projected on the screen.
“Professor,” I said evenly, “there must be a mistake. I was the one who wrote that article.”
Every gaze that had been admiring her turned to me in surprise, and the classroom buzzed again.
But the professor’s expression darkened. Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to confront him in front of everyone. He spoke in a cold, practiced tone. “For competition entries, the first requirement is a good reputation. After all your incidents, you’d only hurt the school’s name. Renee is an excellent student. She’s the better choice.”
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I tilted my head, smiling slyly. “Tell me, Professor. Is it really because of her ‘good image,’ or did she pay you off?”
“Or maybe,” I added, feigning confusion, “you're her sugar daddy, that's why all the good things land in her lap.”
I sighed dramatically and put on my most innocent look.
Veronica's POV
“No way, an old guy going after a younger girl?”