---- Chapter 18 Jake didn't watch the live broadcast. He had no interest in what happened to Ryann and her parents. Instead, he was on the phone, inquiring about whether all the people who had been bullied by Ryann had been found. A moment later, more than ten classmates stood outside Ryann's apartment building. After a long time, they finally saw Ryann come downstairs. Her face was bruised and swollen. They surrounded her and accused, questioned, and cursed her. At the same time, a lengthy exposé running into thousands of words went viral online. It detailed Ryann's misdeeds from childhood. In an instant, she became a target of public scorn and condemnation. However, the topic that sparked the most widespread discussion was the evaluation report signed by the renowned psychologist, Vernon. Some people commented that Vernon had clearly retired and no longer saw patients. But he had made an exception for such a notorious woman. Then someone explained below. ---- "He did it because one of Vernon's students asked him to." "Vernon stopped teaching students ten years ago. What genius could make him break his rule?" It took a while before the reply came. "She's not a genius, just an ordinary individual working hard for someone she secretly loves. While others partied and enjoyed college life. She came from a wealthy family and could have easily coasted through life, but she worried that the one she loved would be deceived by Ryann. For three years, she devoted each day to the study of weighty psychology texts. She renounced all distractions- social life, entertainment, shopping, and dramas--living a monastic existence. In the end, she managed to publish a few articles that caught Vernon's attention, and he made an exception to take her as a student." That message quickly gained popularity but was soon deleted by the original poster. Nonetheless, the screenshot continued to circulate. After Jake read it, he immediately sent someone to find that poster. After they met, Jake realized it was Eva's roommate and was not close to Eva. "How did you know she did everything for the guy she loved secretly?" Ivy Campbell hesitated before answering, "I read her diary." Jake's heart trembled. He lowered his eyes and stirred the ---- coffee in his hands to mask his inner excitement and panic. "Tell me about how she lived in those years." Ivy fell into thought. Then she said, "Actually, Eva was lively and adorable when the semester started. The four of us in the dorm quickly became friends. But she suddenly started reading psychology books. Even though our course load was already heavy, she would use every spare moment to study psychology. She often stayed up late reading, and she visibly lost weight within just a month. We asked her to have dinner or hang out with us, but she always refused and never explained why. So one day, we looked through her diary. It recorded every moment with her brother since childhood. We realized that he wasn't related to her brother by blood and that she had feelings for him. She had gotten into that university for him, and she was now studying psychology for him. She suspected that her brother's girlfriend was claiming depression and that her brother was being deceived. Later, the three of us rarely disturbed her. Watching her study so relentlessly was heartbreaking. She seemed to be possessed. She kept doing it for three years." "One day, she was suddenly very happy and told us that Vernon wanted to accept her as a student. He is the top psychologist in the world. Such an opportunity requires not just hard work but extraordinary talent. We all thought she would study abroad and make significant contributions to psychology. But unexpectedly, she gave up such a great opportunity to marry you. And you don't even love her." Ivy stopped speaking. She knew that the rest of the story was ---- clearer to Jake than to her. Jake slumped back in his chair, depressed. He and Eva hardly saw each other during those years. When they did, he only noticed that she had lost a lot of weight. But Ryann had told him that young women were blindly dieting and advised him not to interfere or question Eva. Ryann suggested that he'd better give Eva enough space and respect. He followed Ryann's advice. He shouldn't have. For the same three years, Eva had been working so hard for him, while he was misled by Ryann and ignored and distanced himself from Eva. He missed the time when she loved him the most. He suddenly opened his eyes wide. Professor Vernon Ward? Was Eva studying under him abroad?