Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Then Call the Police
Seeing her so unnervingly composed, as if nothing had happened, Mrs. Lane made a move to charge forward and avenge her son before anyone else could speak.
Fortunately, Director Sanders, who was standing nearby, had quick reflexes and hastily stopped her. "Mrs. Lane, please calm down. Let’s get an understanding of the situation first. I assure you, we will handle this properly!"
"Haven’t I made myself clear? What else is there to understand!" Mrs. Lane’s eyes were practically bursting with rage, her trembling finger pointing at Cecilia. "She seduced my son! She told me to my face that she’d break up with him, but behind my back, she kept pestering him relentlessly. And now she’s injured my son and put him in the hospital!"
"If your school dares to shield a student like her, I will absolutely not let this matter rest!"
Then she turned to the principal. "Principal Warner, you’ve seen the medical report. You tell me, what kind of girl does something like that? It’s outrageous! Utterly shameless!"
Principal Warner sighed at the scene. He shot Cecilia a displeased glance, as if blaming her for offending Mrs. Lane and bringing trouble to the school.
But as the principal, it was his duty to handle any matter that escalated to this point.
"Mrs. Lane, please, don’t get so worked up. First, regarding Cecilia Sterling and Shawn Lane’s relationship, I don’t believe the university has any right to interfere. The freedom to be in a relationship is a fundamental right for adults. Even if you object, you can’t pin a ’crime’ on Miss Sterling. A relationship isn’t a crime, and a word like ’seduction’ shouldn’t be thrown at a young woman so lightly."
"But my son’s injury..."
Principal Warner held up a hand, gesturing for Mrs. Lane to be patient. "However," he continued, "if Shawn Lane was indeed injured by Cecilia Sterling and hospitalized as a result, the university will absolutely take action. And it will be serious."
Mrs. Lane was emboldened by the principal’s words. She took a step back, smoothed out her clothes, and said smugly, "She can’t deny it. I’ve already obtained the security footage from the incident."
Principal Warner turned to Cecilia. "Miss Sterling, does Shawn Lane’s injury and hospitalization have anything to do with you?"
He had expected Cecilia to be afraid or at least try to make excuses for herself. Instead, she simply nodded, her expression blank, and admitted, "That’s right. It was because of me."
"Principal Warner, look at her attitude!" Mrs. Lane exploded on the spot.
"Mrs. Lane, please don’t interrupt. Let the principal get the details," Director Sanders said, trying to placate her with a look of resignation.
Seeing Cecilia admit it so readily, Principal Warner’s expression darkened. "Since you’ve admitted it, the university will have to take this matter very seriously."
"Principal, this incident occurred off-campus. Does the university even have the right to get involved?" Cecilia asked softly.
Principal Warner took a deep breath. "Young lady, the university is stepping in to give Shawn Lane and his family an explanation. Why are you bringing up whether it was on or off campus? If we were to treat this as a purely off-campus incident, are you saying you want them to call the police?"
At the mention of calling the police, Cecilia showed no signs of fear. Mrs. Lane’s eyes, however, lit up.
’That’s right, why didn’t I think of calling the police?’
’This is assault!’
"If you don’t expel her, I’m calling the police!" Mrs. Lane yelled, her voice dripping with menace.
Principal Warner then realized he’d misspoken, somehow making the situation even more complicated. He quickly said, "Mrs. Lane, the university understands how you feel. But while Miss Sterling is at fault, expelling her outright would make the school seem too callous. Perhaps you could find it in your heart to give her another chance?"
"Rest assured, we will put a major demerit on her permanent record. We’ll also have her go to the hospital to visit Shawn Lane and personally apologize to him!"
But that last sentence seemed to flip a switch in Mrs. Lane. She shrieked, "Absolutely not! I can’t let my son see her ever again!"
"Then she can apologize to you. Would that be acceptable?" Principal Warner offered.
"I don’t want her apology! I want you to expel her! The very thought of my son being in the same school, the same department, even the same class as her makes me sick to my stomach." Mrs. Lane’s stance was firm. She turned to glare viciously at Cecilia. "In short, if you don’t expel her, I’ll call the police and have her arrested!"
One would expect such an uncompromising threat to frighten Cecilia, but she showed no reaction whatsoever. She simply stood there, straight-backed, without even glancing at Mrs. Lane, let alone showing a hint of remorse.
Only then did she turn her head toward Mrs. Lane, who was standing behind Director Sanders. And then, she smiled.
Her smile was accompanied by a soft, throaty scoff that made everyone in the room freeze for a second.
John Lawson was already breaking out in a nervous sweat over Mrs. Lane’s aggressive attitude and the fact that Cecilia was facing an all-but-guaranteed major demerit. That smile of hers nearly scared him witless.
*AHEM... AHEM...*
John Lawson quickly faked a cough, trying to make everyone think the sound had come from him.
But Cecilia’s smile couldn’t be hidden, and it sent Mrs. Lane spiraling again. "Principal Warner, look at her! She actually has the nerve to laugh! This is a student who has no respect for you or this university, and you still don’t want to expel her?"
"Fine, you won’t expel her? I’m calling the police right now!"
As she spoke, Mrs. Lane made a show of pulling out her phone. Director Sanders quickly reached out to stop her, trying to reason. "Mrs. Lane, please, don’t be hasty. We were just..."
"Director Sanders, don’t stop her. Let her call the police." Cecilia, having watched this little spectacle for long enough, finally spoke, her tone calm and breezy.
As she spoke, she even took out her own phone. Looking at Mrs. Lane, she said, "Or how about I call for you? I happened to report a financial dispute just the other day. The nearest police station is very close to the university."
Her unexpected words and actions left everyone in the room dumbfounded once again.
Seeing this, Principal Warner snapped, "Miss Sterling, that’s enough! You’ve already admitted your involvement in this incident, so it’s only right that you be disciplined and offer an apology."
Director Sanders added anxiously, "Young lady, why are you so stubborn? How can you add fuel to the fire at a time like this? Just apologize!"
Only John Lawson, who had been Cecilia’s counselor for a year, knew her at least a little. She would never hurt someone without a reason.
’Seeing her so fearless now, not even afraid of the police,’ he thought, ’there must be more to this story. A hidden reason for it all.’
He quickly stepped forward and asked, "Cecilia, Shawn Lane’s injury is the outcome here. Since you’re present, why don’t you explain the cause and the sequence of events in detail? That way, we can all have a clearer understanding!"
Cecilia nodded slightly and began, "To put it simply, Shawn Lane tried to grab me without my consent. According to Article 237 of the Criminal Code, violating a woman’s will and using force to molest her constitutes the crime of indecent assault!"
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