Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter 72: Meet Mollie Again
“Ms. Easton, this is a matter of great importance. Why don’t you ask around to know the truth? After all, there are still a few days before the competition,” Raymond suggested, his hesitation evident.
Although Raymond was the principal, he knew the board’s influence outweighed his.
“I understand, Mr. Ford,” Ainsley replied, her expression serious. The Baldry family had pushed her to the edge, and she had no choice but to move forward.
After leaving the principal’s office, Ainsley went to the Psychological Counseling Room where Serina was waiting.
“Ainsley, I know everything. What should we do now?” Serina asked, concern evident in her voice.
Ainsley smiled bitterly. “I can only contact Mollie again.”
Her paper, which she had submitted to Mollie, was about Mollie’s latest research topic. But what if Mollie hadn’t read it?
At 3:00 p.m., Kaitlin sat back, satisfied as she watched the intense discussions unfold on the forum. Using a few accounts, she had stirred the pot, ensuring everyone believed Mollie would attend the competition.
Meanwhile, Kaliyah, in her room, carefully retrieved a phone from under her pillow. She tried entering Cason’s birthday as the password. It was wrong. Then she tried Ainsley’s birthday, but still, no luck. She tried Manuel’s birthday, and once again, the password failed.
Frustrated, Kaliyah muttered to herself, “What is the password?” She angrily tossed the phone onto the bed, recalling Ainsley’s visit earlier that day to search for her lost phone.
Kaliyah had found the phone the night before and decided to keep it, not telling anyone. She had tried every password combination she could think of but had been locked out after too many failed attempts. If she could just unlock the phone, she would be able to uncover Ainsley’s secrets.
On the other side of town, Ainsley stood in the lobby of the Fog Isle Hotel, waiting. She had seen Mollie’s schedule and knew that Mollie had an event that evening, making now her only chance.
But two hours passed, and Mollie had yet to appear. It was now 7:00 p.m., and Ainsley hadn’t eaten all day.
“Ainsley, where have you been? Why aren’t you at home?” Serina’s voice crackled through the phone, bringing Ainsley back to reality.
“Serina, I’m busy right now. What’s the matter?” Ainsley responded, trying to mask her exhaustion.
“I’m fine. Just asking,” Serina quickly hung up.
Ainsley continued waiting, but fatigue soon caught up with her. She fell asleep, exhausted, not knowing if Mollie had returned.
When Ainsley awoke, it was pitch dark outside, and the clock read 10:00 p.m. She had been asleep for three hours. Desperate, she stood, ready to leave when suddenly, two people entered through the revolving door.
The woman in front, elegant in a long dress, caught Ainsley’s attention immediately. It was Mollie.
Ainsley, still groggy from her nap, stumbled slightly as she stood up, her legs weak from sitting for too long. Mollie noticed her and walked over quickly.
“Are you alright?” Mollie asked, her voice soft.
“Ms. Randall, it’s me!” Ainsley smiled weakly, relieved to see her.
A strange expression flashed across Mollie’s face, but her assistant quickly helped Ainsley up.
“Ms. Easton, are you waiting for me?” Mollie asked.
Ainsley nodded earnestly. “Ms. Randall, I still want you to be the judge for the competition.”
Mollie smiled, though there was an air of helplessness. “Ms. Easton, I think I’ve made it clear. I don’t have time, and I won’t be able to attend the competition.”
The assistant stepped forward, speaking seriously. “Ms. Randall won’t stay in the U.S. for long. All her events are pre-arranged. There’s no way to change her schedule now.”
Ainsley, disheartened, pressed on. “Ms. Randall, did you read the documents I gave you?”
Mollie, surprised by Ainsley’s persistence, nodded. “I did. And I must admit, the students at the University of Washington are brilliant. They’ve come up with some very interesting ideas.”
She paused for a moment, then added, “But I don’t think those documents can change my schedule. I’ve come back to Seattle for a meeting with psychological experts. We’re discussing critical psychological issues, and the solutions we propose could be incredibly helpful to patients. I’m racing against time, not for money, but for the patients. Do you think what I’m doing is less important than your competition?”
Ainsley, taken aback by Mollie’s words, stood frozen for a moment. She had never considered the weight of Mollie’s work like that before.
“Then why?” Ainsley asked, still not understanding.
Mollie, sensing Ainsley’s confusion, spoke softly, “You’re probably wondering why I attended Ms. Baldry’s birthday party. The answer is simple: Mr. Baldry made promises. You know, researching psychology takes a lot of manpower and resources. The funds Mr. Baldry promised were far more than what I would earn from judging your competition. Although I don’t need the money, the funds are critical for the psychologists in Seattle.”
Ainsley’s shoulders sagged. She hadn’t fully realized how much the financial aspect of research could influence decisions. She felt naïve and childish.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Ms. Randall,” she said, stepping back. Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Mollie watched her go, a little surprised by Ainsley’s straightforwardness.
Turning to her assistant, Mollie asked, “Where are the documents she gave me yesterday?”
“They’re in the drawer of the bedside table in your room,” the assistant replied.
Mollie nodded, then returned to the hotel, exhausted. After resting, she remembered the documents Ainsley had given her and retrieved them from the drawer. As she skimmed through the papers, she was impressed by their originality. Ainsley had based much of it on Mollie’s own theories, but there were new ideas and bold suggestions too.
When she turned to the next page, Mollie’s heart skipped a beat. The paper wasn’t just inspired by her work—it contained ideas for the next step in her research.
Mollie couldn’t help but feel a thrill as she read on. It was Ainsley’s name at the end of the paper.
Could Ainsley be onto something groundbreaking?
