“No, you won’t.” Sean picked up a piece of rib and placed it on her plate. “If things are going smoothly, it means you know how to answer all the questions. Claire is right. Based on your academic performance, you shouldn’t worry about failing the exam. Eat with peace of mind and don’t overthink it.”
Josie lowered her head. “Perhaps I overthink because I’m thinking about the materials in David’s possession?”
“What materials? And how is this connected to David again?” Claire looked visibly wary.
Before Josie could begin to explain, Sean spoke first, “Compared to the materials, I am more concerned about whether Kyle will receive the punishment he deserves. Hurry up and eat. Once you finish, we will go to the Department of Student Affairs. How long has it been already? There is still no result of their action. There’s no way he would wait for the outcome of any wager. We must put pressure on the school and get the person dealt with as soon as possible.”
Josie also thought she had been too careless. She didn’t know why she agreed to a bet with David on a whim. It was evident that Kyle was beyond forgiveness and must receive his punishment.
“Oh no, what on earth is happening? Can someone please explain?” Claire stood to the side, helplessly anxious.
Josie was about to explain when her phone rang. She took it out and saw that it was a call from the Department of Student Affairs. She glanced at Sean and Claire, then answered the phone, “Yes?”
Olaf Sentiendo’s voice from the Department of Student Affairs came through the receiver, “We have thoroughly investigated Kyle’s defamation against you. Just moments ago, he voluntarily admitted that he was the one who distributed those text messages. He was jealous and resentful because you made him lose face, and he wanted to embarrass you as well. The school has decided for him to issue a public apology. The letter of apology will be pinned on top of the school’s official website for one week. We have also advised him to withdraw from school. He has already submitted the letter of apology to the school and has agreed to the school’s decision. However, he made a request, and after considering the responsibilities of the school, we agreed to it.”
Josie pursed her lips and asked, “Did he request that the school not publicly disclose his identity in both official announcements and apology letters?”
“That’s partly true,” Olaf nodded. “The other half is that he wants to postpone the withdrawal procedure until the beginning of next semester. Considering that our purpose is to clear your name and to set an example for current students, so that while acquiring knowledge, they also continuously improve their moral standards, the objective has already been achieved. There is no need to push him into a desperate situation. Doing so goes against our original intention as an educational institution.”
“Well, it seems the school has made its decision. What else can I say?” Josie was more or less resigned. As for the public apology, her reputation would hardly be affected. As for the matter of withdrawing from school, it was likely that he had learned about her bet with David and was still hoping for a lucky outcome.
However, regardless of whether she won the bet, this matter had already come to an end for Josie. What she originally wanted was also an apology from Kyle. It would be better if he were expelled, but perhaps it was his luck that he was still allowed to stay. A public apology, combined with the publication of her thesis in the campus journal, would leave Kyle with both his reputation and substance completely stripped away. It was only a matter of time before his social downfall. Just as Josie had experienced in the past, she was dragged before the public and subjected to judgment. If psychological resilience were even slightly insufficient, survival became impossible. However it was unclear how strong Kyle’s psychological resilience was. Josie never wanted to take them all down in one fell swoop. That would just let them off too easily.
Josie hung up the phone. “There is no need to go to the Department of Student Affairs. Kyle has admitted to the issue regarding the text messages. The school will not conduct any further investigation, and the disciplinary decision will be announced this afternoon. They also told me that Kyle was advised to withdraw.”