The Machine I "Destroyed" Was Mine All Along

The senior students at the door instantly looked at me differently and began whispering among themselves.

"That instrument is broken? We should stay far away from her from now on. Otherwise, we'll be the ones taking the hit. That thing costs a fortune."

"She usually acts so high and mighty, but when she screws up, she won't admit it."

"Poor Elizabeth… stuck with someone like her."

Each word felt like a needle, stabbing me one by one.

Before I could even react, Elizabeth, overhearing, cried harder, her shoulders trembling as she shrank into Nicky's arms.

I drew a deep breath and said, "Fine. If everyone's already decided it was me, let's check the footage and see."

Elizabeth's eyes flickered. She bit her lip, wearing the expression of someone wronged yet forced to endure it.

"Michelle, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I be afraid?"

She lifted her head, tears shimmering in her eyes, and looked at Nicky.

"Nicky, go copy the footage. Let everyone see the truth."

Nicky furrowed his brow, as if to argue, but finally turned and walked to the surveillance room.

Five minutes later, he returned with a USB drive and projected the footage onto the lab's white wall.

The video showed only two people in the lab.

Me. And Elizabeth.

I stood next to the equipment. She stood a few steps behind me.

And then, only I reached out and touched the instrument.

The part where Elizabeth guided me to check the malfunction simply vanished.

From the crowd at the door came quiet whispers.

"So bold, checking the footage like that. Thought she was innocent, huh?"

"Isn't it obvious? She did it. What's there to discuss?"

"Nothing to lose anyway. She can't afford it, so she might as well play dirty to the end."

Nicky turned off the projection and fixed me with a cold stare.

"See that? You touched it."

I didn't look at him. My eyes were glued to the looping footage on the wall. He copied the footage himself. That missing section—who else could it be but him?

Three years. Even a wild animal learns to wag its tail after three years. But Nicky? He only knew how to bite.

"Call the police," I said.

The room fell silent for a second.

Nicky frowned. "What?"

I met his eyes. "If you've decided I'm the one who broke it, let the police handle it. Civil dispute or deliberate damage, someone has to be held accountable."

Elizabeth's face changed slightly, but she quickly returned to her pitiful, helpless look.

"Michelle, do you really need to make such a scene? We're classmates—we still have to get along later."

Nicky stepped forward, his tone softening slightly.

"Michelle, think about it. Scandals like this shouldn't be made public. If the police find you're responsible, you'll not only pay for it—you'll ruin your reputation. If you admit a mistake now, we can still help you figure something out."

I looked at his high-handed, condescending offer and felt nothing but disgust.

Then Elizabeth suddenly spoke up, "Maybe… we should contact the professor first? Even though he's out on research, maybe he has a solution."

She pulled out her phone, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"Michelle, don't worry. Let's ask the professor first. It's better than fretting here on our own."

I smirked inwardly.

Fine. Let's see how long these two can keep up their act.

Elizabeth quickly dialed the professor, putting the call on speaker.

"Hello, Professor Belfort? This is Elizabeth Horwitz. I'm sorry to bother you, but there's been an accident in the lab—the new equipment is broken. Yes… Michelle Ailes broke it. She's really worried and wants to ask if you have any suggestions."