Chapter 262 - 261: Uncle, I’m Back.

When Lynn White presented the evidence to Principal Hawthorne, none of her fears materialized.

Principal Hawthorne was clearly very concerned about the case of identity theft for university admission. After hearing Lynn White’s account and seeing the irrefutable evidence, he immediately had the relevant school departments report the matter and requested a joint investigation with the Bureau of Education.

But what angered him even more was that ’Ethan Bishop’ had murdered his wife for insurance money to start a business.

Having been an educator for so many years, his greatest concern had never been grades, but a student’s moral character.

He believed that a person could be ordinary, even untalented, but under no circumstances should they ever do anything that violates the law or social morality.

Even though this ’Ethan Bishop’ was an impostor, he had, in fact, been ’Ethan Bishop’s’ teacher.

’Ethan Bishop’ had spent eight years just on his undergraduate degree. Even though he had always been mediocre and envious of the talented, the principal had never given up on him.

But this horrifying, irrefutable evidence told him that he had indeed taught a murderer. How could he not be heartbroken?

He flew into a rage and immediately called Director Hawthorne, telling him to come and collect the evidence for investigation and to bring the deceased the justice they deserved.

As it turned out, even before receiving the call, Director Hawthorne had already obtained a more complete chain of evidence from Yvonne Lowell and was on his way to Kingsland University.

However, applying for an arrest warrant would take time, so he could only take Kevin Clark into custody under the pretext of ’assisting with an investigation’ for now.

Regardless, the very fact that Kevin Clark was taken away from the Kingsland University campus by officers from headquarters caused a massive uproar.

Even as he was being arrested, Kevin Clark had no idea what he had done, and he never saw his wife, Lynn White, who had supposedly gone to the restroom.

Some onlookers, who had just witnessed the entire drama unfold in the auditorium, assumed the Grant and Lowell Families were behind it. ’Having connections in high places really gets things done,’ they thought to themselves. ’Leave it to the people at the top of the pyramid to act so quickly.’

Elder Hawthorne looked at the young woman before him, only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with no trace of contempt or disdain—only compassion and sympathy.

His lips parted a few times, but in the end, he simply patted her shoulder.

"You’ve done the right thing, child. I promise you, once everything is verified, we will get your uncle the justice he deserves and restore the admission letter and enrollment spot that were rightfully his."

"Thank you."

Lynn White’s eyes welled with tears, but her face broke into a smile of relief.

After giving him a deep bow, she left the office.

Lynn White sat alone on a bench downstairs, waiting for the officers to come and find her.

Gazing at the century-old, prestigious university, which was steeped in culture and history, she felt an unprecedented sense of joy.

’This is wonderful,’ she thought. ’This is where Uncle will be studying from now on.’

Glancing down at her phone, which showed no new notifications, Lynn White knew Yvonne Lowell hadn’t made her move against the company yet.

It was all thanks to Kevin Clark’s incompetence and unpopularity. In the year or so since their marriage, she had managed to win over nearly all the company’s employees.

Whenever anything happened, the employees would notify her first, not Kevin Clark.

Furthermore, he was obsessed with saving face, always biting off more than he could chew.

As a result, when he founded the company, he didn’t seek any investment or sponsorship, opting for full ownership. This turned the company into his personal fiefdom.

This also made things convenient for Lynn White, as she didn’t need to discuss any decisions with other shareholders.

After a moment of thought, Lynn White called her finance director.

"Lily, it’s me."

"I need your department to work overtime today and settle all employee wages. On top of the standard ’N+1’ severance package, give everyone an additional six months’ salary as compensation. I’ll handle your cut separately."

"That’s right, it’s all over. And because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and offended the wrong people just now, the company is completely finished."

"Thanks for all your help these past two years. Once I’m done here, we’ll grab a meal. Gotta go."

After hanging up, Lynn White let out a long, heavy sigh.

Lily had been her best friend since middle school. They went to the same high school and university, and she was the only one who knew Lynn’s secret.

When Lily first learned that Lynn White was planning to put herself on the line, she didn’t try to talk her out of it. Instead, she stood firmly by her side and, the very next day, applied for a job in the finance department at Kevin Clark’s company.

Lynn White later promoted her. While their close relationship was a factor, the promotion was mainly due to Lily’s own capabilities, so no one in the department challenged her authority.

Besides, before Lynn White married Kevin Clark, his management style led to high turnover, meaning there was hardly anyone in the department with more seniority than Lily.

"Hello, are you Ms. Lynn White?" A male and a female police officer approached her.

"You’re here." Hearing the voice, Lynn White stood up. "Yes, I’m Lynn White."

"You are a key witness in the case against Kevin Clark for murdering his wife for insurance money. We need you to come with us," the female officer said gently.

Having seen the complete chain of evidence, the female officer felt a mix of pity and admiration for the young woman before her—a woman young enough to be her own daughter.

’Such a good kid,’ she thought. ’How did she get tangled up in something like this?’

"I understand. Let’s go."

Lynn White willingly walked between the two of them, making sure to hand the USB flash drive to the female officer first.

...

Nestled in the great mountains of the Southwest were several quaint, rustic villages.

The winding mountain roads, though rugged, were now paved with concrete, but the village paths remained as muddy as ever.

The villagers lived the same agrarian life they had for decades, working from sunrise to sunset, but now their leisure time was accompanied by smartphones and the internet.

The surrounding countryside still had only a single Hope Primary School, but its campus now boasted multimedia classrooms and a rubber running track.

And one thing remained constant: the young and able-bodied who left to find work elsewhere, leaving behind the elderly and the children...

It was as if everything told the same story: that the currents of progress only remembered this place in passing.

On an ordinary, yet not-so-ordinary, Saturday, Lynn White returned to her hometown bearing countless gifts.

She stopped in the county town to purchase all kinds of groceries, including two freshly slaughtered pigs, and even hired a truck to deliver everything back home.

By the time she reached the village where she had grown up, it was already midday, and wisps of smoke were rising from every kitchen chimney.

Still, the arrival of a luxury sedan and a delivery truck drew the attention of many villagers and children.

After all, while such vehicles were a common sight on their phones, they rarely ever appeared in the village itself.

Lynn White parked the car in front of the house and took a moment to brace herself before pushing the door open.

When she saw the middle-aged man sitting at the wooden table eating lunch—his skin tanned by the sun, but still carrying a scholarly air—a smile of deep affection and respect involuntarily graced her lips.

"Uncle, I’m back."

The real Ethan Bishop was stunned for a moment when he heard the familiar voice.

He looked up at her, then glanced self-consciously at the single, large bowl of humble cabbage and pork stew on the table.

"Sweetheart, what brings you back so suddenly?"

When Lynn White had video-chatted with him last night, she hadn’t mentioned anything about coming home.

He usually ate with the students at the school, so today, like any other weekend, he had just planned on making a simple meal for himself.

He never expected his niece to see him eating so simply.