Chapter 413
Caleb's Counterattack
Professor Victoria Lowell frowned.
"You made him do the work, but then you removed his name?"
"Do you really think I care if he's okay with it?" Ashley lifted her chin.
"He's just some poor country boy. But have you considered what happens if he sees others getting awards and gets nothing?"
"What if he discovers the truth and decides to go scorched earth?"
"Impossible." Ashley scoffed. "He's an idiot. He'd help count the money after you sold him out."
Victoria's expression turned serious. "Don't forget, Jude has Caleb backing him."
Ashley snorted coldly. "Don't even get me started on Caleb. It makes me furious."
"He's working part-time off-campus every day now. Leaves early, comes back late."
"Does that even look like a student?"
"Last week I told him to write a paper. He hung up on me!"
"He's getting more arrogant. He doesn't respect you at all."
Victoria's face darkened.
Ashley continued to pour fuel on the fire. "I also heard Caleb has connections with Sophia Sullivan and her friends."
"Who said that?"
"Does it need to be said? If he didn't have connections, why did Sophia send him a personal invitation to her lab's opening?"
"Caleb got an invitation?!"
"Auntie, you didn't know? It's all over the institute."
"Everyone's saying Senior Caleb has serious clout."
"That Caleb!"
A secret smile tugged at Ashley's lips.
"Has Jude made any trouble?"
"Nothing. Probably hiding somewhere crying."
"Good. Don't leave any evidence," Victoria warned.
"Don't worry. He wouldn't dare."
Victoria looked at her. "I can't help you forever. You need to stand on your own."
"Publish more papers. You have the ability. Then it will be easier for me to secure resources for you."
Ashley felt a pang of guilt but nodded. "I understand."
"You're the one I've put all my support behind. Many eyes are watching. Don't make any mistakes."
Victoria paused. "Caleb is an outsider. A dog that can't be tamed."
She only wanted to cultivate her own niece.
Caleb was just a tool to hold a position. She never intended for him to take over.
Once Ashley established herself, Caleb would be useless.
Ashley promised readily. "Don't worry, Auntie. I won't let you down!"
Victoria smiled. "Good. I'll be waiting."
Outside the door, Caleb put away his phone.
His face was expressionless as he walked away.
Three days later, a post exploded on the university's internal forum.
"Real Name Report: Professor Victoria Lowell of MIT's School of Life Sciences! Five Major Crimes!"
The post was ten pages long. The content was explosive.
The whistleblower was none other than Victoria's own protégé, Caleb Watson.
He accused Victoria of academic fraud, favoritism in admissions, bribery, and hiring ghostwriters for her niece.
The post ended with a PDF over thirty pages long.
Each accusation was backed with solid evidence.
Exploiting students, demanding gifts, psychological manipulation.
The most shocking accusation was stealing Caleb's research成果 for years.
Forcing him to be Ashley's ghostwriter.
Pictures and truth were included.
The MIT forum instantly erupted.
"Thirty pages and my heart is pounding. Is this for real?"
"TL;DR: Advisor commits academic misconduct, exploited student fights back."
"Starting from high school? Ashley's college entrance exam bonus points and grad school recommendation were all cheated?"
"What 'genius girl'? More like a fraud witch!"
"A protégé reporting their own advisor? First time seeing this!"
"Either the student is terrible, or the advisor deserves it."
"Every word is written in blood! I feel for the tool. Support Caleb!"
"Senior Caleb has it so rough."
"Making students do house chores? Using them as beasts of burden?"
"Are the lives of beasts of burden not lives?"
"Professor Lowell has high academic output, but it's all stolen from students? Disgusting!"
"Don't spread rumors without confirmation."
"PR teams cleaning up? The evidence is irrefutable!"
It was winter break, but the discussion around the post kept skyrocketing.
Perhaps because everyone was free, they all turned into gossipers, hopping around the melon field.
Inside the Aetheria Lab, Hannah Morse spent the whole morning on her phone.
Her exclamations of surprise never stopped.
"Caleb is this brave?"
"Is Professor Lowell made of coal? So black!"
"My worldview is refreshed."
"There are such vicious advisors? So glad I chose Professor Watson."
Hannah complained while reading.
Sophia Sullivan looked up from the experiment table. "How many pages is the PDF?"
"Thirty-seven."
"He prepared this a long time ago." Sophia sighed softly. "I just didn't expect..."
Hannah blinked. "Didn't expect what?"
"I didn't expect he would choose the hardest path."