Chapter 17
Rain pounded against the windows of the military office as Maxwell stared absently at the mountain of documents on his desk
Since Vanessa’s academic fraud had been exposed, his superiors had spoken to him three times, hinting that his personal affairs were affecting military discipline.
He rubbed his temples and walked toward the filing cabinet.
As he pulled open a drawer, a pink diary unexpectedly slipped out, falling to the floor with a soft thud.
Maxwell frowned as he picked it up-this was something Vanessa had left behind during her last visit.
He meant to close it and put it back, but inadvertently glimpsed his own name on an inside page.
His fingers unconsciously opened the diary-
[Today I successfully made Mom and Dad blame Jordan again. All I have to do is fake a cough, and they’ll scold her for not closing the window properly. I knew they’d never doubt anything I say…]
[Finally managed to change the college application! Just as I thought, all I need is to shed some tears and Max will help me. Still, I don’t think he’s good enough for me. Once I’m in a better position, I’ll surely meet many excellent guys! With my charm, I’m destined to be a rich man’s wife!]
[The necklace Max gave me is so pretty. I deliberately placed it under Jordan’s pillow. Watching her get slapped was hilarious-I almost laughed out loud. I can’t stand her self-righteous attitude. It’s disgusting!]
[I burned myself on purpose. I originally wanted skin from her face for my graft, but that didn’t work out. I feel like Max still cares about that bitch somewhat. But I bet if I say she hired men to ruin my reputation, he won’t spare her a thought! What I
don’t want, she can’t have either!]
The pages shook violently in Maxwell’s hands. He slammed the diary shut, his chest heaving.
All those deliberately overlooked details suddenly became crystal clear-Vanessa’s shifty eyes whenever Jordan was falsely accused, the fleeting smile at the corner of her lips after each conflict…
The military vehicle sped through the rainy night, splashing water in its wake.
In the Hayes living room, Vanessa was trying on new earrings in front of a mirror. Seeing Maxwell burst in soaking wet, she
Yed him excitedly. “Max! What are you…”
hat is this?” Maxwell slammed the diary onto the coffee table, his voice hoarse.
Vanessa’s face instantly paled. She fell to her knees, tears bursting forth. “Max, let me explain! I don’t know what this is! It must be Jordan-she must have written this to frame me!”
“Could Jordan have stolen your diary, written all this, and planted it in my office to frame you?” Maxwell laughed coldly. “Vanessa, do I look like a fool to you?”
Vanessa suddenly grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table and pressed it to her wrist. “Why won’t you believe me? If you don’t believe me, I’ll kill myself right now! Will that satisfy you?!”
The blade pressed against her fair skin, drawing a thin red line. Maxwell reflexively grabbed the knife. “Are you insane?”
“Yes, I am insane!” Vanessa used the opportunity to throw herself into his arms, sobbing. “I’m insane because I love you too much… All my life, you only had eyes for Jordan, even planning to marry her. I… I had no choice…”
With her warm body pressed against him, Maxwell felt only coldness spreading through his veins. He stiffly pushed her “We both need some space to think about this.”
away.
The next morning, “The New American Literary Review” published Jordan’s non-fiction piece “The Stolen Life” on its front page. The article meticulously detailed how her college acceptance letter had been switched, causing a nationwide sensation.
“…Lying on that cold concrete floor in the county correction facility, I finally understood an important truth: Some people are born in the sunlight, while others must tear through darkness with their own hands to see the light…”
Emmett placed a mug of hot milk on Jordan’s desk. “They’ve formed an official investigation committee.”
Jordan gazed out the window, the sunlight filtering through the leaves casting dappled shadows on her face. “I don’t care if they’re punished. I wrote this to tell everyone who’s been mistreated-we can fight back.
