Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 585

No, she couldn't let this happen.

Like a bolt of lightning, a desperate thought slammed into her mind: she had to stop the experiment. As long as the test was aborted, no one would have the final proof.

Taking a deep breath, Vivienne forced her chaotic mind to focus, lowering her eyelashes as she rapidly brainstormed an excuse to pull the plug.

Given her years of experience manipulating situations, she quickly formulated a plan.

Once she decided on her strategy, she purposely slowed her breathing, letting her shoulders slump. She reached out to grip the edge of the lab table, allowing her body to sway, perfectly simulating physical exhaustion.

This subtle shift was immediately caught by the people in the front row.

"Look at Ms. Sinclair. Something's wrong. She looks like she's about to fall over."

At those words, the rest of the room immediately looked her way. "Is she just nervous? The pressure of this challenge is astronomical, after all."

"Probably. I thought she looked off earlier. She's pale as a ghost and has been pushing herself to the brink. Her body is probably giving out."

The chatter instantly pivoted, shifting everyone's focus from the blatant gap in their skills to Vivienne's deteriorating health.

Just as the crowd buzzed with concern and all eyes locked onto her, Vivienne went limp. Without warning, her knees buckled, and she collapsed hard onto the floor.

With a heavy thud, she lay sprawled on the ground, her eyes shut tight, completely motionless.

The entire hall plunged into dead silence.

A second later, absolute chaos erupted.

"Exactly. It's just an academic debate. Winning or losing isn't worth dying over. What if something happens to her?"

In the blink of an eye, the narrative violently flipped. The same people who had just been doubting her skills and praising Willow suddenly changed their tune, overflowing with sympathy and blame.

One female researcher looked fiercely at Willow, who was still standing calmly by her station. Her tone was laced with harsh judgment. "Was it really necessary to be so vicious and aggressive?"

Another person immediately chimed in, their voice dripping with condemnation. "Does a flashy title or accurate data matter more than a person's life and health?"

The crushing weight of public opinion instantly slammed down entirely on Willow.

Willow stood quietly by her equipment, her fingers still hovering over the controls. A flicker of genuine surprise finally crossed her clear eyes.

She hadn't expected Vivienne to pull a fainting spell. It was such a cheap, desperate tactic.