Husband With Benefits-Chapter 34: A Lie

The passage you’ve provided seems well-written for the most part, but I’ve made some minor corrections and suggestions for improvement:

The lecture hall buzzed with chatter as all the students waited for the arrival of the professor. Soon, Professor Thomas strode to the front of the room, his stern expression hinting at the seriousness of the situation. He cleared his throat, commanding attention.

"Good morning, class," he began, his tone dripping with a mixture of authority and frustration. "I’ve just finished grading the derivative assignment, and I must say, I’m not surprised by the results. Like I told you previously, this assignment was only to test your level of aptitude and skill, to understand where you stand in terms of your grasp of mathematics. As expected, most of you have fared badly."

The room quieted as he projected a slide showing the grades. However, most students were surprised. While they seemed to have hardly gotten a question right according to the marks, the professor had given them passing grades. It was unexpected.

While the others looked on, Nora squinted her eyes, trying to find her name on the long list. But it seemed to be curiously missing.

Soon, the professor clicked a button, and the slide changed, this time showing three names. Nora stiffened as she read her name and grade at the bottom of the list with an F grade. Meanwhile, Antonio and Sara seemed to have scored a perfect score.

"Now, all of you must be wondering why I have these three names separated from the rest of the class. Now, Antonio and Sara are already acknowledged math geniuses. So, it was only natural that their grades reflected their perfect scores on this assignment as well." A round of applause broke out in the entire class for the favored couple who stood up and bowed to everyone for their cheering.

Professor Thomas quieted down the class and clenched his jaw as he continued, "The third person on the list also had a perfect score on her assignment. However, she has been given an F. I am sure you are wondering why that is." freёnovelkiss.com

Again, chatter arose in the class as everyone heard this shocking announcement. While no one could guess, the professor continued, "Despite all your pathetic attempts at trying to solve the assignment, I gave you passing grades for your honesty. But Miss Nora Williams here decided that she wanted to get good marks with no regard for integrity and no effort on her end. And so, she cheated on the assignment. This grade is to make an example out of her. I would advise all of you to be wary going forward when submitting assignments in the future. Remember, honesty will be rewarded justly. Now, let’s continue with the class."

"Excuse me, sir? I have a question." A clear voice cut through the quiet of the class as the professor turned back to the students.

With a raised eyebrow, he spoke, "Yes?"

"Sir, do you have any proof that Miss Williams cheated on the assignment?"

Professor Thomas narrowed his eyes at the young girl and instead questioned, "And who might you be?"

"I am Nora Williams, sir."

The professor fixed his gaze on Nora before saying, "Miss Williams, if you have anything to say about your despicable methods, please say so after the class and do not waste the precious time of students who do wish to study."

Nora clenched her hands under the desk as she felt the entire class giving her the stink eye. She reminded herself that she had handled much worse and raised her chin. "No, sir. I have been falsely accused of cheating in front of the entire classroom, so I will be challenging this accusation in front of everyone as well."

This time the professor paused and spoke slowly, "Miss Williams, I understand the need to clear your name, but I have seen your previous grades. I can assure you that with your standards, you cannot even get a single question right in the assignment that I gave you. So, instead of trying to argue with me, why don’t you accept your mistake and apologize for it, and I might give you the benefit of the doubt and a passing grade this time."

"Why should I apologize for something I have not done?" Nora spoke loudly.

The professor sighed angrily and shook his head, "Fine. Have it your way. But let me be very clear, Miss Williams. If you are not able to prove yourself right now, I will not just give you an F, but I will throw you out of my class and bar you from taking this course."

"I am willing to accept this, Sir. So, could you please show me proof of my cheating, sir?"

Professor Thomas interlocked his fingers on the podium and smiled, "Miss Williams, your own past test results are proof of your inability."

"Professor, with all due respect, that is not evidence; simply an assumption. Just because my past scores were not what one would call shining examples, it does not mean that I cannot improve over time with hard work and guidance. Professor, whoever has complained to you may have malicious intent."

Nora watched as the professor cast a glance over the class. This was something Demetri had told her to do – to give the professor an ’out’. By pointing out that someone had filed a complaint, it gave the professor a way to save himself from humiliation.

Professor Thomas was also a smart man. Since the girl had already guessed that he was acting based on a complaint and she seemed confident, he gave a nod. "There is a simple way of proving that you have not cheated, Miss Williams."

Turning around, he walked to the board and wrote down a question, "This question is almost on the same level as the ones in your assignment. You can come here and solve this. If you are able to do it, then I will believe you. But, if not..."

"Then you won’t ever see me in your class again, Professor," Nora spoke quietly.

As the professor invited her to the front to solve the question, he ordered, "The rest of you can try this too. If any of you are able to solve this, I will give you all an easier assignment next time."

Immediately, the sounds of pages rustling could be heard, and the professor started to walk between the rows. Meanwhile, Nora stood in front of the board with her eyes closed. These last few days, Demetri had taken the time to explain everything from the basics, and she had been fairly confident about her understanding of the subject. The man had made her even dream of derivatives as he’d given her question after question to solve. However, as she stared at the question in front of her, why did this seem so difficult again?

When five minutes had passed and everyone continued to scribble in their books, Professor Thomas sighed in disappointment. The girl’s confidence had actually given him hope that she was not a cheater. "Miss Williams, if you are unable to solve it, you are free to pack your books and leave. Please do not waste the time of the entire class."