“Who said I wouldn’t participate in your university’s psychology competition?” A familiar voice rang out.
Sarah’s eyes widened in shock as she turned around.
The office door swung open, and Jane walked in with her assistant.
Lucy Chancer stared in disbelief. “Jane… Jane Lawrence!”
Jane ignored the stunned faces and walked up to the dean, shaking his hand. “Hello, I’m Jane Lawrence.”
“Ma’am, what brings you here?” Sarah asked, still frozen in place.
“We’ll discuss this later,” Jane replied, her attention shifting to Mrs. Chancer. “Madam, I’ve now confirmed that I will be attending the competition as a judge. This should no longer be considered an oversight, correct?”
Mrs. Chancer’s face darkened. She exchanged a baffled look with Lucy. How had Jane Lawrence been convinced? Could it have
been Mr. Reynolds pulling strings again?
“Ms. Lawrence, you’re really agreeing to be a judge for the competition?” The dean asked, barely hiding his surprise.
Jane nodded. “Yes, it’s confirmed.”
“That’s impossible! You said you didn’t have time! My brother already asked you, and you made it clear you wouldn’t come!”
Lucy blurted out, her voice hysterical.
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. Dean Larson’s sharp gaze turned to her, and she quickly averted
her eyes. “I–I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Miss Chancer,” Jane said calmly, “when your brother asked, it was about whether I had time for other activities outside of my
forum. I told him I wouldn’t attend any. However, I did attend your birthday banquet, and as for this competition, I decided to
come because of a file Miss Sanders provided. It included papers written by your university’s students, which I found
impressive.”
Mrs. Chancer finally grasped the situation. She couldn’t believe it—what seemed like a golden opportunity to get rid of Sarah had
slipped through her fingers yet again. But she wasn’t one to give up so easily.
“Ms. Lawrence,” she began, her tone sharp, “you don’t know Sarah’s past. She’s a divorced woman with a questionable reputation. Are you really willing to associate yourself with someone like her?”
Jane’s response was cool and decisive. “Madam, your comment is irrelevant. My participation is based on academic merit, not on
anyone’s personal life.”
Seeing she had no more ground to stand on, Mrs. Chancer quickly left with Lucy in tow. But not before Lucy shot a venomous
glare at Sarah.
1/2
Chapter 98
+15 Bonus
Dean Larson eagerly poured Jane a cup of tea. “Ms. Lawrence, it’s truly an honor to have you join us. The psychology students are
thrilled about your participation.”
“Your university’s students have impressed me greatly, especially Miss Sanders. Her paper caught my attention, and I’d like to
discuss a few things with her,” Jane said, her curiosity about Sarah now fully piqued.
“Of course! Why not continue in my office?” Sarah suggested, sensing this would be an in–depth conversation.
“That sounds perfect.”
The next hour was spent in an intense discussion between Sarah and Jane, covering topics from biofeedback theory to humanistic psychology. Jane was impressed by Sarah’s depth of knowledge and her unique perspectives on complex issues.
“Miss Sanders, could we include this question in the competition’s discussion topics?” Jane handed Sarah a piece of paper.
Sarah glanced at the question and gasped. “You really want to use this question?”
“Absolutely,” Jane said with a warm smile.
