Chapter 2 - The Ambush
Selena felt the air completely vanish from her lungs.
Hunter stepped into the harsh fluorescent light with a look of perfect concern.
Barbara stood slightly behind him, holding a dramatic bandage over her forehead.
The injury was completely fake, but it looked incredibly convincing.
Professor Evans stared at Selena in absolute disbelief.
He asked her if there was any truth to these horrific accusations.
Selena tightened her grip on her laptop bag.
She firmly stated that her husband and mother-in-law were blatantly lying.
She explained that they were the ones who had attacked her.
She even pointed to her newly chopped hair as physical proof of their cruelty.
Hunter immediately let out a loud, theatrical sigh of pity.
He turned to the academic committee and apologized for his wife's mental state.
He claimed that the pressure of the doctorate had triggered a severe psychotic break.
He lied beautifully, saying Selena had hacked off her own hair in a manic episode.
Barbara managed to squeeze out a few fake tears to complete the performance.
The campus security officers slowly began to approach Selena.
They told her she needed to come down to the station for a psychological evaluation.
Everything she had worked for over the past eight years was crumbling in seconds.
She refused to move from her spot in the center of the room.
She demanded the right to load her presentation and prove her original research.
The department dean shook his head and ordered the projector to be shut down.
He declared that the defense was officially canceled until the police investigation concluded.
Hunter reached out and tried to grab Selena by the arm.
He whispered maliciously that she should have just stayed home like a good wife.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the back of the auditorium slammed open.
The loud sound echoed like a gunshot through the massive room.
Everyone froze in place and turned to look at the entrance.
A tall, imposing man in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit stepped over the threshold.
It was Arthur, Selena's fiercely private and incredibly powerful father.
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He slowly removed his leather gloves and stared directly at Hunter.
"Take your hands off my daughter, or I will ensure you never use them again," Arthur warned quietly.
