Chapter 457 Imposition
Brad spent nine years at the Northern Institute of the Arts, making a bunch of close friends who were quick to defend him.
But, man, there were just too many people in that alumni group. Back in the day, Brad was a total standout, and his brilliance made a lot of folks jealous.
Now, Brad was finally getting slammed by the public and was on the brink of a major downfall. Whether the accusations were true or not didn't matter to anyone. Those who once admired him jumped at the chance to tear him down, twisting the facts and launching personal attacks that seriously questioned his character.
After graduation, Brad's amazing achievements in the industry were the pride of the Northern Institute of the Arts, which only fueled more resentment and jealousy!
They accused Brad of betraying those who helped him, being morally corrupt, and bringing shame to the Northern Institute of the Arts. Some even suggested revoking his combined master's and doctoral degrees and kicking him out, worried that the art department would struggle to attract top students if he stayed.
Many were eager to see Brad crash and burn. Some even twisted the facts and spread false comments and attacks to ruin his reputation.
Brad was labeled a hypocrite, a bad person, and other nasty terms, ultimately blaming everything on a moral decline.
In any industry, someone without integrity is bound to face disdain.
Plus, Brad was now a teacher. How could a morally corrupt teacher effectively mentor students?
Compared to the nasty voices, those supporting us seemed insignificant.
The power of the internet was huge. It didn't take long before someone screenshotted everything that had happened and shared it all over other platforms, adding embellishments to create a story that was totally opposite to the truth. This swayed public opinion to place Brad at the center of the storm and subjected him to even more intense and vile attacks and insults.
Honestly, I didn't care what they said, and neither did Brad, because it was all made up. We hadn't done any of it, and the truth would eventually come out.
Jenny was out of her mind to slander Brad like that. How could she be so disgusting?
The scary part was that this could seriously damage our reputation.
National Capital University was a world-renowned institution. Brad, as a teacher there, had not only exceptional professional skills but also impeccable moral character.
However, as a rising star in the painting industry, I independently completed the FutureVision Group project. I had other career plans, and none of them allowed me to engage in anything unethical.
Moreover, our negative news directly affected the reputation of our partner companies and caused irreparable damage to my future career.
This lengthy article came out, and it didn't take long before our negative news spread like wildfire.
Brad was forced to fall from grace, turning from an outstanding young artist into a negative moral example of repaying kindness with enmity.How others saw this mess didn't really matter, but National Capital University definitely had to respond.
In a worst-case scenario, our former partner companies were hit hard, and we faced hefty financial penalties.
Would Brad keep his teaching job? Could I still graduate on time? Would we even get to keep painting in the future?
The answers seemed pretty obvious.
Jenny's actions were meant to wreck our future!
Was this her twisted "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it" mentality? If so, Jenny's obsession was downright scary.
How could Jenny be so heartless? What did we do to make her hate us so much that she wanted to ruin us? Wasn't she the one who refused to see reason? Wasn't she the one who forced herself into our lives? Wasn't she the one who schemed against us?
Now, she wanted to pin the blame on us. How could she do that?!
Jenny was a lunatic, beyond redemption!
I was so mad I was shaking, almost dropping my phone. The half-eaten bread fell to the ground, just like our painting career that was about to be cut short. Even if I picked it up again, the bread would be covered in dust, never the same as before.
I held the phone in my left hand and anxiously rubbed my stiff face with my right, not knowing what to do.
Elliot was standing next to me and noticed my distress. He came over and asked what was wrong. I snapped back to reality but didn't know how to answer his question.
I quickly apologized to everyone and ran behind a large rock to call Brad.
I had never been so flustered before. I felt helpless and scared of the unknown outcome.
The phone rang over ten times before Brad finally picked up.
"Brad, have you seen the Northern Institute of the Arts alumni group?" I asked urgently.
"I've seen it. Don't worry. I'll handle it. Stay calm over there and don't use your phone for the next few days," Brad said, his voice tense with suppressed anger.
"Brad, don't worry. I'll find a way to come back. No matter what we face, we'll face it together," I said firmly.
No one could predict how things would turn out. The only thing I could do was stay with Brad. No matter the obstacles, I would be with Brad. Even if the whole world abandoned us, we still had each other, and that was enough.
This exploration trip didn't really need me, but I insisted on coming just to be closer to Brad.
If I had known everything that would happen today, I wouldn't have come into the mountains, no way.
The transportation here was a nightmare. The minibus that brought us safely had already left. Now, I wanted to go back but had no idea how.
I regretted it. I shouldn't have come.
"No, Jane, listen to me. Stay in the mountains and work peacefully. Don't worry about it. I'll handle everything," Brad said in a deep voice.
I replied, "Brad, I want to go back. I want to be with you."
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