“The file, yes. Butyou’dalready done all the work of finding the similarities,” Hayden says, pinning me with a look. “While I was putting it together, Professor Bell convinced the dean to let her run the sound system and media for Ralston’s award ceremony. Which gave me access to set all of this up.”
My eyes dance between them in disbelief before falling on Naya. “And you? What made you change your mind?”
“I didn’t.” She huffs a breath. “Well, I mean, seeing all the stories made me feel…something, I guess.” She sticks out her tongue, pretending to gag. “But mostly you needed me because I have a large following on my socials. Hayden convinced me to livestream the event. Once she told me what she was doing, I couldn’t deny the fact that it would go viral. If it brings Ralston down in the process—and that’s a big if—it’s just the cherry on top.”
“You all worked together to do this in one afternoon? Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped.” It’s as if I’m standing on thin glass, every step fragile, every breath shaky as I try to cling onto this reality, praying it won’t slip out of my grasp.
“You already did.” Bell’s eyes gleam proudly. “Without you, we wouldn’t have had all of the proof. We wanted to do this for you. To thank you. And we wanted to keep you safe while we did.”
“We also didn’t know if we could trust you not to blast it all over the website,” Naya adds, looking away. “We had to wait for the right moment, and well, you don’t have the best track record for that.”
Hayden and Jade exchange a glance.
The heat in my cheeks surges again. She’s not wrong. “But…why would you want to… I mean, I’m grateful, but…you weren’t… I thought you didn’t?—”
“Because you reminded us why we fought back initially,” Jade says. “You reminded us that sometimes truth can be messy, but that doesn’t make it less worth telling.”
“Your site is shit, by the way, but we’re going to fix it,” Hayden says. “And then we’re going to blow it all up.”
“If you’re with us,” Bell says.
I nod, trying not to cry. “Of course I?—”
ScreeEEEEeeeeEEEEee.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I slam my hands over my ears. Everyone around me does the same, and Hayden squeezes her eyes shut. At once, the scattered, chaotic conversations and pattering of footsteps all around the auditorium dies down. The room falls silent as everyone searches for the source of the sound.
The piercing shriek of microphone feedback ends abruptly.
“Sorry. Sorry.” A voice cuts through silence. It’s sharp, clear, and loud—impossible to ignore.
When I look back toward the stage, the screen has gone dark, and she’s standing behind the lectern, dressed in a plum suit.
No.
“Look…um, she’s a powerful woman, right?” Standing alone on the stage, Dani looks more certain, calmer, than I’ve ever seen her. “Professor Ralston has always been a force to reckon with. That’s why we love her. People have tried to tear her down for years. Why? Because she won. Because she refused to be quiet.”
My stomach tightens, and I feel Hayden tense beside me.What is happening?
“You might call me biased because I’ve been lucky enough to know her better than some of you,” Dani continues, her voice steady and with an edge I haven’t heard before. She soundsangry. “She gave me chances when no one else would. When I was nothing, Professor Ralston made me someone. I know what you just saw, and I know how you must feel, but as someone close to the situation—close to her—I feel like I can tell you the truth.”
She takes a deep breath. “The truth is Professor Ralston is everything you want her to be. Exactly what she presents herself to be. She’s been nothing but kind to me, nothing but supportive. I have grown so much with her guidance. She doesn’t deserve this.”
She gestures toward the projector screen. “This is the work of someone jealous and cruel. We know who Professor Ralston is. She’s never hidden herself from us, and she deserves our support now more than ever.” She bounces on her heels, looking around, begging for applause she’s not getting. “I can’t be the only one who feels that way.”
A soft, slow murmur snakes its way through the crowd—disbelief, maybe. Confusion. Or support.
I risk a glance over at Hayden and Professor Bell. Hayden’s jaw tightens. Bell’s eyes flash with something fierce. Naya takes a small step back, but Jade is there to prevent her from bolting.
Another woman joins Dani on the stage. “Professor Ralston is the only reason I got accepted for the scholarship I needed to stay at Havenport. She saw something in me, even when I didn’t see it yet.”
Then another woman. “Professor Ralston saw me when I first started teaching at Havenport. I was nervous and far from home, worried about whether or not I deserved to be here. Althea made sure I found my place. She was warm. Kind. She’s the one who made sure I felt secure here. She’s been a good friend to me.”
Soon enough, others join them. Students, faculty, alumni. They share stories of Ralston’s mentorship and her unwaveringcommitment to bettering the world for women. The doors she’s opened, the battles she fought.
It’s all so cinematic it could’ve been scripted, like they’ve all just been waiting in the wings for their moment in the spotlight.
