Chapter 488

Lillian Lopez stormed into the lab.

She marched straight up to Alexander Laurent.

"Why was I fired?"

"Because I took a sick day? Or was there an issue with the project data?"

Alexander looked up.

He let out a soft, sudden laugh.

"Just because the police couldn't find proof, doesn't mean I don't know who did it. Should I make all the details public? Let everyone hear them?"

Lillian's face went pale.

Her last shred of hope shattered completely.

So he had known all along.

He had just waited until now to act.

She felt like an invisible hand was choking her.

All her anger lodged in her chest, suffocating her.

Zoe Langley opened her mouth to speak.

But her eyes met Alexander's icy gaze.

She instantly understood the situation was serious.

Connecting it to the conversation just now.

A startling suspicion formed in her mind.

Her look at Lillian shifted from sympathy to shock.

Quincy Evans had already guessed.

That's why he remained silent.

Only Simon Lowell was still in the dark.

He stepped forward to support Lillian.

He began, "Lil—"

"Get away from me!"

Lillian shoved him away violently.

She fled in a panic.

The stares from Zoe and Quincy felt like needles in her back.

They must have all figured it out!

Simon looked at his now empty hand.

He didn't look up for a long time.

Alexander turned and walked toward the lab bench.

Suddenly—

"Professor, can you give everyone an explanation?"

Simon spoke too quickly.

Quincy couldn't stop him in time.

Alexander turned around slowly.

Simon pressed, "There must be a reason for firing Lillian. What exactly did she do wrong?"

Alexander smiled.

The sympathy in his eyes turned into a cold, sharp blade.

"Simon, you've gone from undergrad to PhD. Your IQ shouldn't be a problem."

"?"

"Some things can't be smoothed over by playing dumb. Someone with a higher education should, at the very least, understand right from wrong."

"There's no need to spell everything out. Forcing a confrontation doesn't hurt pride; it wounds dignity."

After speaking, Alexander took off his lab coat.

He strode out of the lab.

Simon stood frozen in place.

Quincy pointed at him, exasperated.

"Alex was saving your face! Did you have to smear shit on everyone? But don't forget, your own hands got dirty first!"

He left in a huff.

Zoe sighed.

Her look at Simon was both pitying and mocking.

"I don't believe you couldn't see Lillian was keeping you as a backup! You were the donkey, and the Professor was the thoroughbred she wanted!"

"Too bad the thoroughbred wasn't interested. So she just rode you, her stupid donkey, into battle. And in the end, even the donkey got sold off!"

"If you really want to know the reason, go ask your girlfriend."

Zoe left too.

How could such a smart person become such an idiot when in love?

His phone suddenly rang.

Simon looked at the intimate nickname on the screen.

He remembered the disgust in her eyes when she shoved him away.

He hesitated for the first time.

But he still answered the call.

A woman's voice came through—

"You didn't even come after me? Simon Lowell, do you even care about me?!"

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "...Where are you?"

Lillian snapped, "The coffee shop by the campus gate. Get here in five minutes."

Simon grunted in agreement.

It took him fifteen minutes to get there.

Lillian sat with her arms crossed. "Why are you so late? I hate waiting!"

"Yeah. Sorry." Simon looked down.

His pathetic demeanor infuriated her.

He was inferior to Alexander Laurent in every way.

But remembering he still had his uses, she suppressed her anger and forced a weak smile.

"Can you talk to the Professor for me? Ask him to reverse the termination?"

Simon suddenly looked up.

He studied her with an unfamiliar gaze.

Lillian nervously averted her eyes.

"Are you going to help or not? If not, forget it…"

This line always made Simon agree immediately before.

But this time, he was silent for a long time…

"Okay."

He finally agreed.

Lillian just started to relax.

But Simon continued, "But you have to tell me why the Professor fired you."

"What… what's there to say…"

"What if I insist on knowing?"

Lillian frowned.

She felt her authority was being challenged.

Her face immediately darkened—

"Simon Lowell, are you blackmailing me? You don't love me at all if you can't even do this one little thing!"

Listening to her accusations.

Simon half-lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Lillian sneered. "Why ask so many questions? If you don't want to be together, just break up. It's not like you…"

"Okay."

Lillian was stunned. "...What did you say?!"

Simon slowly raised his head.

He called her name one last time. "Lillian."

Her heart tightened. "You…"

"I agree to break up."

Lillian was dumbfounded. "You… what do you mean?"

"Isn't this what you wanted? I'm agreeing."

"Simon Lowell! You look down on me because I got fired? I never thought you were so shallow!"

"Heh…"

"W-What are you laughing at?"

Simon enunciated each word clearly. "In your eyes, I must be very stupid, right? So stupid you didn't even bother to敷衍 me? You played me for a fool, used me like a workhorse, and now you're throwing me away like trash?"

"I—"

"The reason you can't say it, everyone else already knows. But I'm not a real idiot."

Lillian was speechless.

Simon wanted to laugh, but it looked more like crying. "I should have seen it sooner. Your heart belonged to someone else. But I always thought I could change things if I tried hard enough. It turns out, some people's hearts can't be warmed. So Lillian—"

"I'm letting go. You're free."

With that, Simon stood up and left.

He stopped at the counter to pay the bill on his way out.

Lillian watched his retreating back.

Her lips trembled, but no words came out.

After a long moment, she slumped back into her chair.

She murmured, lost, "How did it come to this…"

She thought she had him firmly in her grasp, but just like that… he was gone.