The silence in the dean's office was suffocating as Adrian continued presenting evidence against Olivia. I stood awkwardly near the door, feeling completely out of place in this high-stakes confrontation. Part of me pitied Olivia as her face crumbled with each new accusation, despite everything she'd done to me.
"I never cheated!" Olivia's voice cracked as she looked desperately at the dean. "There must be some mistake!"
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Is it a mistake that you aced Professor Miller's Advanced Pack Politics exam when university records show you attended exactly zero classes this semester?"
She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. "I... I studied independently."
"Independently?" Adrian's tone was dangerously calm. "Without ever checking out a single textbook from the library or accessing a single online resource through the university portal?"
The dean's face hardened as he watched Olivia squirm.
