The university administrative auditorium buzzed with an unusual energy. Word of the new campus news article and the Venmo screenshot had spread like wildfire. Every seat was filled, not just by faculty and staff, but by curious students and even local media.
Dean Holbrook reconvened the hearing from the main stage. Beside her sat the university’s legal representative, a stern woman in a dark suit, and the head of campus security, his arms crossed over his chest.
Harish strode in minutes later, flanked by not one, but two high-priced estate attorneys, their faces grim. He still carried himself with an air of absolute confidence, as if this was merely a minor inconvenience. He seemed oblivious to the whispers and pointed glances.
He took his seat at the counsel table, directly opposite Dean Holbrook. His lead attorney immediately began to speak.
“Dean Holbrook, members of the advisory board,” the attorney began, his voice smooth and practiced. “My client, Mr. Harish Patel, is here today solely to ensure the safety and well-being of his daughter. As her sole legal guardian, under traditional family protection covenants, he demands that Maya be handed over to his care.”
The attorney then launched into a detailed explanation of “cultural norms” and parental authority, painting Harish as a devoted father trying to protect his “frail” daughter. He presented a stack of new, albeit still unverified, doctor’s notes, all carefully backdated to make it seem as though my health had been deteriorating for months.
Harish sat confidently, his chin held high. He believed the lack of certified, recent medical records from *my* side, coupled with his narrative of cultural authority, would force the university to defer to his parental rights. He was counting on bureaucracy and tradition to win. He thought my silence, my inability to present proof of my *non-illness*, would be his victory.
He couldn’t have been more wrong. The room, filled with people who had now seen Jaxson Reid’s confession and the financial proof of Harish’s manipulation, watched him with a mixture of skepticism and outright disdain. The bait had been taken, the misunderstanding was now understood.
All eyes were on Dean Holbrook, waiting for her response.
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