Photos could be stolen and lies could be told, but actions always left a trail.
When the truth came out, we'd see who ended up humiliated.
Advisor Chavez arrived at the security office in a hurry, heels clicking sharply, radiating barely contained irritation.
She glanced at me, then at Mr. Pierce still puffed up and furious, and her frown deepened.
After the guard explained the situation, she turned to Mr. Pierce first, her tone pleasant enough.
"Sir, please try to calm down. The university takes these matters very seriously, I assure you."
Then she turned to me, and the warmth vanished. Her expression went flat, impatient.
"Rebecca, what's this about? He's saying you took more than eight thousand dollars from him, and he's got the chat logs and photos right there. Start talking."
I held my ground.
"It wasn't me. I don't have a smartphone. Whoever was chatting with him, it wasn't me."
Advisor Chavez raised a hand and cut me off before I could finish.
"Enough."
"This man came all this way. He's furious. And the longer this drags on, the worse it looks for the university."
She tapped the desk twice. Case closed.