Chapter 9
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Chapter 9
The presentation hall was packed.
I followed the NYU professor backstage to set up my presentation.
Backstage, I saw Ethan and Ashley again.
They were standing together, also waiting to upload their presentation.
When he saw me, Ethan instinctively let go of Ashley’s hand and looked at me, wanting to
say something.
I ignored him and went to the computer to upload my presentation.
Meanwhile, Ashley seemed to be arguing with him.
They were even fighting over uploading a presentation.
I was getting annoyed, so I took the opportunity to step out into the hallway for some fresh
air.
John came over and glanced at the people backstage, chuckling. “Well, well, well. Isn’t this
awkward?”
“How are you feeling? Pressure getting to you?”
I frowned, thinking about their proposal. “How did they even get this approved?”
John shrugged. “I have no idea.”
The presentations began.
I went on stage and gave a brief introduction.
Ashley was sitting in the front row. When she saw me, her brow furrowed.
It was the same look I had endured for so many years.
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Shattered Promises
IN 9%–
Chapter 9
“Sarah?” The professor next to Ashley asked her, “Do you know her? This girl is very
talented, and her advisor is a leading expert in this field. You should learn from her if you want to delve deeper into this area.‘
Another guy from Ethan’s team scoffed. “That’s his ex–girlfriend.”
The professor was surprised. “She’s his ex? With all that talent? She dumped him?”
“He dumped her.”
“What a shame…”
Ethan looked at me with a complicated expression, his gaze lingering.
I pretended not to notice and delivered my presentation clearly and concisely, presenting
the latest research findings of our team.
The audience applauded.
“I’ve heard about Professor Chen’s brilliant student. Seeing her today, I’m impressed. The
future is bright.”
I stepped off the stage to a chorus of praise and took my seat among the judges.
It was Ethan’s turn to present.
Surprisingly, all three members of his team looked disheveled.
They made countless mistakes during their presentation, and their slides were riddled with
errors, as if they had been hastily put together.
I listened with a frown.
Ashley stood on stage silently, her lips pressed together.
The audience murmured their disapproval.
“She’s so beautiful, but she can’t even make a decent presentation.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
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Shattered Promises
Chapist a
“Probably spent all her time on dating.
The microphone was handed to me, I commented sharply, “Insufficient work. Before offering any constructive criticism, I suggest the team focus on the basics.”
“Leaving aside the content, even the formatting, the most basic aspect, was neglected. Not to mention the lack of detail in the content itself.”
Unlike her usual arrogant self, Ashley, as the presenter, hung her head, her face flushed
With shame.
John came over and whispered, “I just heard some gossip. Apparently, this girl was two–timing two guys on the same team, and she got caught.”
“The international student community is small. News travels fast. Apparently, she only seduced those two core members to get the first authorship on this project. Your ex–boyfriend was probably fooled by her too.”
Come to think of it, the guy I saw with Ashley at the mall must have been her boyfriend.
“Oh, and her other boyfriend isn’t taking it well. Rumor has it she was also involved with a professor at NYU, as his mistress.”
“Maybe she really thought her beauty was enough to manipulate all those men.”
John continued to chatter, “I don’t see what’s so special about her. There are plenty of girls more beautiful than her.”
“You’re being a bit loud, John.”
“What?”
“I said you’re being a bit loud.” I interrupted him.
“Oh, getting sassy with your senior, are we?”
