Tessa jerked awake instantly. Faking data was a serious crime. It was a devastating accusation to anyone involved in research. If she were convicted of faking data, she would not be able to graduate. Even her placement to study overseas would be canceled.

However, she could not understand why someone would report her data was faked when she had worked hard through the night for a month to produce the data. Who could have reported her?

"Mr. Werner, you know that I got my data through experiments. I would never plagiarize."

Lawrence sighed heavily. "It's not enough that I believe you. But we need evidence. It's just that there's only less than half a month before you graduate. Even if you manage to submit the timeline of your experiment, you won't be in time to make it for your graduation review.

"The only way is to explain things to the person who made the report and get them to rescind it."

Tessa quickly asked, "Who reported me?"

"Serene Chord."

Tessa instantly felt helpless when she heard the name. Why did Serence insist on giving her trouble?

She had already convinced Henry to mess with Tessa's feelings, but that was not enough. Serene was even going as far as to ruin her academic life.

The other half of the bed beside her had turned cold. Henry was gone.

Tessa had no idea how to contact Serene. She did not even know where to find Serene.

She had no choice but to search for Chord Group's address online. Tessa quickly put on her clothes and rushed there in hopes of meeting Serence.

Tessa waited from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. It had been four hours, and she had not drunk a single drop of water. Her body had not recovered from the kidney removal. She could not withstand the long hours of standing and the hunger.

Just as she was about to collapse, two familiar figures appeared at the door. It was Serene and Henry.

Tessa clenched her teeth and pressed her hand down on her wound while stopping them.

Henry did not expect to see her there, and he became flustered. "Tessa, what are you doing here?"

All Tessa could think about was getting Serence to rescind the report. She did not care about anything else.

"Ms. Chord, I produced my data by working through the night in the laboratory. I didn't fake them. Please rescind your report."

Henry had no idea about this. "What's going on—"

Serene interrupted him with a smile, "Well, what can you do if I suspect you, Tessa? The university will investigate and dig out the truth."

It would take at least half a month for the university to investigate this. There would not be enough time for Tessa.

"Ms. Chord, tell me what I should do to convince you to rescind the report."

Tessa knew that Serene was doing this on purpose. It would be better to confront her rather than go in circles.

Serene played with her long nails nonchalantly. She did not even look at Tessa. "You disturbed my fun yesterday while shopping. How about this? Stand here and apologize to me loudly until I forgive you. I'll rescind the report after that. Sounds good?"

Henry frowned subtly. His hands, which were hanging by his sides, moved slightly, but he said nothing.

Tessa took a deep breath. She tried to suppress the wave of emotions within her.

As crowds of people walked in and out of the office entrance, Tessa began apologizing clearly and loudly. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

People from every corner of the building turned to look at her.

Tessa had never experienced such humiliation before. It felt like she was being stripped naked and thrown out into the streets while everyone jeered and sneered at her. However, she had no choice.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Serene laughed softly. "Why is your voice so soft?"

Tessa closed her eyes. She tried her best to hold back the discomfort coming from her stomach. She raised her voice to repeat her words robotically, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Tessa did not remember how many times she apologized while everyone around her sneered and Serene looked at her tauntingly. However, Serene stayed silent throughout.

All of a sudden, a group of people appeared with eggs and rotten vegetables. They flung them at Tessa. They shouted vulgarities while flinging things at her.

"Die, you plagiarizer!"

"Bitch!"

"Shameless woman!"

Tessa wanted to hide, but more and more people surrounded her. She could not move at all. Those people got even more brazen. Tessa felt the pain from getting her hair pulled. She wanted to call for help, but her voice was buried in the crowd's yells.

Someone reached a leg out to trip Tessa. Numerous feet stepped on her calf and arms, and multiple slaps landed on her face.

Tessa's surgery wound had not healed, and blood began to flow out of it. It was extremely painful.

As another foot was about to stomp on the surgery wound on her abdomen, Tessa closed her eyes in dejection.

"Get out of the way!"

A pair of big hands pushed away the crowd.

Tessa used the last of her strength to look up. There was a frightening look on Henry's face. When he saw the disheveled Tessa on the ground, panic and fear appeared in Henry's eyes.

The increasing pain in Tessa's abdomen was too intense. She could no longer take it and passed out.

…

When Tessa regained consciousness, all she could see was white. She could vaguely hear talking outside her ward.

"Who told you to arrange those people to be there?" Henry sounded furious.

"We just thought she was getting away too easily after only apologizing in public. She deserves something more serious. She needs to be punished anyway. Wasn't it good to arrange for those people? Two years is almost up. We won't have another opportunity to get her again after this."

"Don't you know someone might die from all that stomping? Her life would've been in danger if I hadn't saved her in time."

There was silence. Everyone was shocked by Henry's anger, and they spoke carefully.

"Why do you care if that woman is in danger, Henry? You aren't… in love with her, are you?"

Henry had been furious but froze at the question. He reacted to it reflexively. "Impossible!"

He could never have fallen for Tessa. It was easier to punish her and play tricks on her if he got into a relationship with her.

Henry loved only Serene. She was his fiancée.

He must have been playing the role of Tessa's wonderful boyfriend for too long, which was why he felt the need to protect her. That had to be it.

Henry kept repeating this to himself while wiping away any feelings he harbored for Tessa.

Everyone resumed their sniggering and jeering.

"I knew it. You'd never fall for anyone who's from the working class."

"Your engagement party with Serene is coming soon. There won't be much time left for us to punish her. I'm going to miss this."

The voices got further and further away until there was only silence left. A tear fell down Tessa's cheek as she lay in bed.

When Henry entered the ward and saw the empty look in her eyes, his heart thumped with fear. His hand trembled as he caressed her cheek. There was pain hidden deep inside his eyes.

"It's not that I didn't want to speak up for you, Tessa. You know I can go against my boss' daughter's wishes. That's why I…"

The first words he spoke were still lies.

Tessa pursed her lips. She felt nothing inside. They had been together for two years. Tessa did not believe that Henry was unaware of what kind of person she really was.

When she was bullied and humiliated by Serene, Henry stood and watched without saying a word. When she was beaten up by the crowd, he stood at the side and watched.

Tessa knew that the man who had once protected her two years ago no longer existed.

"How do you feel now? Does it hurt anywhere?"

The doctor walked in right after he asked the questions. He looked grim as he held the medical report in his hand.

"Tessa Shoreman, the results indicate that you—"

"I know my condition well, doctor. Please don't say anything more." Tessa quickly interrupted the doctor.

The doctor looked at the two people in the ward and sighed before leaving.

Henry suddenly felt panicked. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick, Tessa?"

He did not realize that his voice was trembling.

Tessa's lips tightened. "I'm fine. I just have low blood sugar and some physical wounds. Nothing serious."

Henry knew about her low blood sugar, so he sighed with relief when he heard that it was just that. He looked at Tessa lying in bed. Her face was pale and covered with scratches. He spoke up with great difficulty.

"Tessa, I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you today, and you got hurt. I wanted to pull you out of the crowd, but there were too many people. It wasn't easy for me to squeeze into the crowd to get you out."

He looked in another direction while he spoke. He was afraid to look into her emotionless eyes.

It did not matter if he knew about her thesis being reported. It did not change the fact that he had chosen to take Serene's side today.

Tessa suppressed the sharp pain in her heart. She pulled the blanket over her head. "I understand. You should go. Don't let your work get affected."

Henry felt guilty when he saw how Tessa was still thinking of him when she was so weak. He stood where he was and looked at her for a long time. In the end, he placed his warm palm on the blanket where her head was hidden underneath.

"I promise you'll never get hurt again, Tessa."

What a touching declaration. Unfortunately, it was a lie.

After settling the issue of her data being faked, Tessa managed to get her graduation certificate and arrange her studies overseas without a hitch.

Despite the doctor advising her to stay a few more days in the hospital, Tessa insisted on being discharged.

When she returned to her rental home, everything looked exactly as when she left. Henry had not been home for the past few days.

A notification appeared on her cell. It was a piece of news. Tessa clicked in to read it.

"Shocking news! The Jennings and Chords have announced their marriage alliance. The engagement party will be held in seven days."

Tessa held her breath.

Henry must have been busy preparing for his engagement.

She remembered hearing that her punishment would end when Henry and Serene got engaged, which was seven days later.

Tessa tapped on a ticketing app to check her plane tickets. Only six more days until she left. She would leave before their so-called punishment would end.

She sighed gently. She got up to pack up every matching item in the house—brushing cups, towels, keychains… Henry and she would not be needing those any longer. After packing everything into a box, she took it downstairs to be thrown.

She did not expect to see Henry at the door. He looked at the box filled with the various items they had picked out together and took a sharp breath. His voice trembled slightly. "Why are you throwing them away?"

"We don't need them anymore. Besides, these things can be bought again."

Henry and Serene would buy new ones once they got married.

After she was done throwing the box away, Tessa headed back upstairs. She heard Henry speaking in a low voice.

"Don't worry, Serene. I'll make sure she attends our engagement party."

Serene, on the other end of the call, sounded coquettish. "Hmph. I'd like to see the look on her face when she sees the man she has loved for two years become my fiancé. Doesn't she love the spotlight? I'll let her enjoy it as much as she wants on that day."

Tessa's nails dug into her palms. It took a long time for her to relax her hands. A forced smile appeared on her face. Too bad they were about to be disappointed because their plan was bound to fail.

Just as Tessa expected, Henry gave her an invitation card the moment she pushed the door open.

"There's an event seven days later that I'd like you to come with me, Tessa. You must come."

Tessa stared at him for a long time before she took the card from him. She said softly, "Alright."

Even if she could not attend his engagement party, she would remember to give them an engagement gift.

Henry had lied to her for two years. She had endured 108 punishments, and Tessa wanted to repay them with a memorable gift.

The next few days, Henry was always away from home with the excuse of work. Tessa used the opportunity to pack up her things.

On the second-to-last day before her departure, her university held a graduation party.

Even though Tessa moved out of the dorms very early at the start of her university days, she still had a close relationship with her roommates and classmates. She would be away from the country for at least two years, and she wanted to bid them proper goodbyes during their graduation party.

Tessa did not expect to see Serene and Henry at the party. Serene was holding onto Henry's arm with an innocent smile on her face.

"I gave your boyfriend a special day off to congratulate you at the university because I knew you were graduating today, Tessa."

Tessa knew that behind that beautiful, friendly face was a woman with cruel, malevolent intentions for her. She backed away slightly to distance herself from Serene.

Serene pretended not to notice this and came closer to Tessa.

Tessa did not know that a tower of champagne glasses stood on the table behind her.

A look flashed in Serene's eyes. She suddenly exclaimed loudly and lunged at Tessa.

Tessa instinctively moved back even more and ended up knocking into the tower of glasses. They came crashing down on the two women, spilling champagne everywhere.

Henry did not even think twice as he quickly pulled Serene into his arms to protect her.

Tessa fell heavily to the ground. Numerous shards of glass pierced her flesh. There was blood and champagne all over the ground. Her wound, which had yet to heal, was drenched in alcohol and started bleeding again.

Tessa's face became even paler than before. She watched as Henry carefully checked Serene for any wounds.

All of a sudden, she seemed to see that figure from two years ago. Her trembling hands, which were covered in blood, reached out. She wanted to grab the only moment of warmth she had experienced.

However, she was no longer able to, and her arm fell heavily to the ground.