Chapter 3 - The Hallway SiegeThe heavy oak door of Lab 304 didn't just open; it shuddered under the collective weight of a hundred angry teenagers. The lock clicked, the bolt gave way, and the door swung wide open, revealing a human sea of flashing phone screens, recording devices, and righteous fury.
Leading the crowd was Maya Chen, her tablet held high like a shield, displaying the live view count of the video—now sitting at a staggering 1.4 million views.
Mrs. Whitmore staggered backward, tripping over a lab stool. Her perfectly styled hair came loose on one side, and the ruthless authority she had worn like armor a moment ago shattered instantly.
"Get back!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with panic. "All of you, get out of this room! This is a private disciplinary matter! Turn those phones off right now!"
Not a single student moved. Instead, they parted silently to let the principal, Dr. Sterling, push through the corridor. His face was pale, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked from the terrified teacher to Jordan, who was slowly rising from the floor.
"Eleanor," Dr. Sterling whispered, the blood draining completely from his face. "What on earth is going on in here?"
Jordan didn't wait for her to lie. He looked straight at the principal, his voice ringing crystal clear across the silent, smartphone-lit room. "She forced me to kneel, Dr. Sterling. She told me to confess to stealing her son’s scholarship, or she’d make sure I was expelled from every school in the country. But she didn't know the secondary backup camera was recording every single second."
A collective gasp swept through the crowd, followed by a chorus of angry jeers directed at Mrs. Whitmore.
"This... this is an unauthorized setup!" Mrs. Whitmore stammered, pointing a shaking finger at Maya. "They hacked the system! It's a deepfake! My son's future is being destroyed by a pack of lying students!"
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"A deepfake?" Maya stepped forward, tapping her screen. "Mrs. Whitmore, the local police cybercrime division was already tagged in the comments three minutes ago. They're downloading the uncompressed raw telemetry files right now. There's no hiding this."
Dr. Sterling closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. The digital age had caught up with them, and there was no burying the truth anymore. "Eleanor, turn in your keys. You are suspended, effective immediately. And security... escort Mr. Whitmore's mother off the premises."
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