At the tail end of February, Graham and Penelope had their first significant quarrel.
Penelope had Harley discard Graham's vital research data hard drive, which led to the collapse of Graham's year-long research project. This resulted not only in Graham being singled out for criticism within the academy but also in him losing his recruitment rights.
Harley whispered, "I saw Aunt Taylor's name on the hard drive. Mom said we shouldn't keep anything related to Aunt Taylor."
This incident ignited the frustration of students who were already fed up with the chaos. They recorded videos, wrote letters, and directly demanded the college to dismiss Graham.
The reaction on the internet was even more explosive. Fans who had previously enjoyed the couple's story were overwhelmed by the voices of angry students, saying, "Enough, stop making excuses for Penelope. It's clear she's sabotaging people's careers."
"First it was Melinda's lab, and now Huntington's data. What's going on with Penelope?"
The web was abuzz with outrage.
A controversy from a few months earlier was rehashed by netizens, with the most popular comments pointing fingers at me.
A netizen commented discontentedly, "I've said before in the comments that there was something off about Penelope's behavior, but no one listened then. Everyone was too busy targeting Melinda. Do our voices, as graduate students, really count for so little? Just a bunch of fools obsessed with romance."
"God, so it was Melinda's experiment that was destroyed last time...!"
"Why didn't Melinda speak up then? And what about those graduate students?"
The students finally erupted, "It seems Professor Huntington has the means to sweep this under the rug. We wanted to speak up and tell the truth, but Professor Taylor held us back. She chose to endure the cyberbullying herself."
In academia, it's rare for someone to report their own advisor unless it's a last resort. I didn't want these academically passionate kids to be prematurely dragged into a maelstrom of public opinion, sacrificing their futures for a sliver of justice.
Penelope quickly crumbled under the storm on the internet, and I witnessed the argument between her and Graham.
Penelope, tearful, said, "Harley is your daughter. She just didn't want you to have any ties with Melinda. Is that so wrong?"
Graham responded coldly and mercilessly, "What does this have to do with Melinda? It's my research data that matters!"
The truth is, people only feel pain when a problem directly affects them. While Graham could easily compensate for my previous losses with money, the loss of his own research was something he found hard to stomach.
That hard drive, a gift from me to Graham years ago and engraved with my name, had always been the medium for his data storage.
Yet, due to a misunderstanding, Penelope made an irreversible decision.
Their relationship, as a result, hit an impasse.
Before Penelope left, she gave a provocative look, "Graham will forgive me for everything. Don't be so full of yourself."
I casually resumed my work, offhandedly commenting, "Miss Davis, have you been finding things tough lately? Your bag looks like it hasn't been changed in a while."
This clearly touched a nerve with Penelope. Her "fake death" episode, though seemingly to escape the pressure from the Huntington family, was actually an attempt to disrupt my life.
Unexpectedly, she was injured in this scheme, severely impacting her dance career. The financial crisis facing the Huntington family meant she could no longer sustain her previously luxurious lifestyle.
Not long after, rumors of Penelope's comeback began circulating online.
Graham's anxious phone calls resonated down the hallway, "Can't we just take a moment to calm down? With your leg in its current condition, shouldn't you be resting at home? Why insist on competing with Melinda?"
Penelope became increasingly emotional in her response, "Do you look down on me now? If you dare get close to Melinda again, I don't know what I might do..."
Graham ended the call decisively, turning to see me at the doorway. I spoke politely, "I've come to collect some documents."
All of his students had transferred to me, and the tasks ahead were daunting. A trace of sorrow flickered in Graham's eyes, "You've really taken on a lot."
As I was about to leave, Graham stopped me, "Melinda."
I turned back, and he looked at me, his eyes brimming with complex emotions, "I was recently diagnosed with cancer. I don't think I have much time left."
My response was measured, "I'm currently strapped for resources. I'm afraid I can't be of much help."
At the doorway, I paused, attempting to soften my tone, "Perhaps, you could seek assistance elsewhere?"
Seeing the pallor on his face, I added, "Still, I do hope you get better."
