Xaviera blinked, then burst into tears. “Professor Laird, Heidi insists this lab belongs only to her and none of us are worthy to use it! She even poisoned my Sissy!”
I was stunned by her blatant lie and rushed to defend myself. “That’s not true!”
But Professor Laird waved me off impatiently. “Enough! I’m not here to hear excuses. I don’t care about your grudges. Heidi, apologize to Xaviera. Right now.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “She turned my lab into a funeral hall for a rat! Why should I apologize to her?”
Professor Laird sneered. “I heard you’ve already applied to suspend your experiments. I’ve seen people like you before. And you still dare to ask why? Someone like you, contributing nothing to the institute, living idly while waiting for death, what right do you have to demand answers?”
I clenched my fists. I had suspended my experiments only to pursue new research and I had already planned to leave.
If the dean hadn’t begged me three times a day to stay on as an honorary professor—even at his advanced age—I would never have remained here.
As for contributions… no one in this institute had given more than I had.