Especially before starting grad school, she needed some proper achievements! Otherwise, even Audrey wouldn’t let her off the hook!
Aiden nodded indifferently. “I have reviewed your file. Compared to the other members of the team, your qualifications are the weakest; you are even less qualified than Josie. Although Josie has not previously published any papers independently, she has participated in various national medical competitions with our team since her sophomore year. She has numerous Grand Prize and First Prize team medals to her name. Moreover, over the past year or so, she has published two somewhat sensational papers, fully demonstrating her capability. You and she are both among the few girls in Professor Lawson’s team. People will inevitably compare you. With my research achievements, you won’t lose too badly.”
With every word Aiden said, Natalie’s face grew darker. It only improved slightly after his last sentence. “I knew you cared about me, Aiden. You’re afraid I can’t compare to her, so you want to help me, right? But these are your achievements. How can I take them? That’s not right!”
Natalie pretended to decline. “Don’t worry, I will work hard. One day, I will surpass Josie. I won’t be outshone by her! I won’t let the professor down, or you down!”
As she spoke, she reached out to take Aiden’s arm.
Aiden almost instinctively withdrew his arm, failing to notice that the movement was too wide, and knocked over the stack of documents that Natalie was holding in her other hand.
Materials were scattered throughout the entire room.
Natalie frowned slightly, looking at Aiden in confusion. “Aiden?”
“Since Kyle already gave you the materials, make good use of them. As for our relationship…” Aiden took a deep breath, patience wearing thin. “I’ve thought it over carefully and still feel we’re right for each other. So let’s end it now.”
“What… what did you say?” Natalie staggered back two steps, staring at Aiden in utter disbelief.
Aiden, with a firm attitude, said, “I said we’re breaking up. I don’t like you and don’t want to be your boyfriend anymore!"
“Aiden, how could you treat me like this?” Natalie, furious, pointed at Aiden.
“Shut up!” Aiden lost his patience. “I do not wish to further examine how the two of us began, but I am already aware of everything between you and Kyle. A woman like you could never become my wife. There is no way I would ever marry you.”
Natalie’s face turned pale. Her mind raced; she didn’t know how Aiden had learned about this matter.
She said, “Did Josie say something to you? It was her, wasn’t it? How can you believe her and not trust me? Kyle and I are completely innocent; nothing ever happened… we…”
“Enough! That’s enough!” Aiden pushed away Natalie, who rushed over to hug him. “At this point, why are you still trying to drag Josie into this now? Josie was never one to gossip. She wouldn’t tell me these things. I went to see Kyle! I wanted to ask him, as a friend once, why he stole my research materials. But I never expected him to give me such a big surprise!”
Natalie had believed that, once Kyle was imprisoned, he would no longer pose a threat to her. After all, Aiden had never personally handled legal matters, and he and Kyle would not meet again.
She never imagined that Aiden would personally go to meet Kyle.
She shook her head desperately, adamantly refusing to admit it. “No, that’s not true. Kyle is a thief and a liar. How can you believe anything he says? The lies he’s told are countless! First, he framed Josie; now he’s framing me. How can you believe him? Aiden, please don’t believe him, okay? We are really innocent. How could I possibly be interested in a man like him? How could I possibly sleep with him?”
“Really?” Aiden let out a self-mocking laugh. “But he could clearly describe the location of every single scar on your body. He even said…”