Chapter 26: Pushed Out Again

Jonathan’s single remark silenced the entire room. The students were speechless. He walked in, tossed his lecture notes onto the desk, leaned one hand on the table, and casually slid the other into his pocket. His voice was relaxed as he spoke.

“I don’t teach law. If you want to switch majors, hurry up and do it. Don’t waste my time.”

From the moment Jonathan began speaking, the smile on Sierra’s lips hadn’t faded. The last time he verbally attacked Yaron, she’d already noticed how sharp his tongue was. Today, he hadn’t disappointed her.

But judging from the stunned expressions around the room, it seemed no one else had ever seen this side of him before. The students stared at him in disbelief—this was the same professor known for being cultured and refined?

Jonathan swept a glance over them.

“No one’s leaving? Then sit down and pay attention.”

Sierra was the first to respond. She had already opened her textbook and picked up her pen. Today, she owed Jonathan another favor; she was racking up quite a debt with this man.

The other students quickly followed suit, scrambling to sit down, afraid he would throw them out. Sierra glanced at Evan and Denise. Evan’s face was dark with anger, while Denise’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears, looking as pitiful as ever. Sierra averted her gaze in disgust. She had no patience for this fake innocence.

Now that class was starting, it was no longer appropriate for Evan to stay. He was about to leave when Jonathan spoke again.

“Mr. Evan, please take your sister with you.”

The words shocked not just the Xander siblings but even Sierra, who instinctively turned to look at Jonathan. He remained perfectly composed.

“She’s not a student in this class. I don’t allow auditors in my lectures.”

“And besides—”

Before he could finish, Denise had already run out of the room in tears.

Jonathan shrugged indifferently. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to be accused of bullying her later.”

Sierra couldn’t hold back a laugh. Jonathan really knew exactly what to say. Every word hit the mark. It was so satisfying; it felt like her entire body had unclogged.

Clearly blaming her for everything. Sierra arched an eyebrow. So he only dared to go after the easy targets? Too bad for him—she wasn’t an easy target anymore.

She smirked and said playfully, “Mr. Evan, you’d better go check on your sister before she ends up in the hospital again. You know how fragile she is.”

Evan’s breathing grew heavier at the jab. He glared at Sierra one last time before hurrying out. As annoying as her words were, she wasn’t wrong. Denise wasn’t fully recovered yet. She had only insisted on leaving the hospital because she heard Jonathan would be lecturing. Now, after being humiliated by her crush, she was probably devastated. As her brother, he had to check on her.

Watching him speed up his pace, Sierra scoffed and turned her attention back to her notebook. Jonathan had been observing the entire scene. A flicker of something unrecognizable passed through his eyes—something close to… pity.

After all that commotion, none of the students dared to openly target Sierra anymore. At least not in class. But outside of it, they continued to isolate and reject her. Sierra didn’t care. Their childish antics were beneath her.

After that day, Denise didn’t show up again. Even in the Xander household, Sierra never saw her. Whether she was avoiding her or had actually gone back to the hospital, Sierra didn’t bother to find out. As long as they didn’t disrupt her life, they could do whatever they wanted.

The next few days, Sierra buried herself in her studies and research, spending her time between school and the lab. She only went back to the Xander family’s house to sleep, and at the first light of day, she was gone again. She barely interacted with anyone there.

She had thought she could quietly ride out the remaining two months this way. But, of course, things were never that simple.

That morning, just as she sat down in class, a male student approached her—most likely the class representative.

“The department chair wants to see you in his office.”

He didn’t even call her by name. Just threw out the message and left. Sierra thought for a moment, then got up and headed for the office.

“Have a seat, Sierra,” the department chair said when she entered. His tone was warm, but what he said next caught her off guard.

“It’s like this, Sierra. After careful consideration, the school has decided that you should transfer back to your original major.”

Sierra’s fingers twitched slightly. She forced herself to stay calm and asked, “What’s the reason?” “Can you tell me why?”