Chapter 3

Director Morgan's smile froze.

"Sophia, don't be ungrateful. For the sake of team harmony and national honor, this matter must end here."

"Letting a drug-using athlete represent the country in competition—is that your so-called national honor?"

"You!" Director Morgan was left speechless.

He hadn't expected that I, who had always been docile and obedient in front of him, would become so sharp-tongued today.

"Sophia!" Harrison started yelling. "How dare you speak to Director Morgan like that! So disrespectful!"

I was too lazy to deal with them anymore. Birds of a feather, these people had banded together to crush me in my past life.

Director Morgan was an old friend of Lily's father. Harrison had received substantial benefits from Lily's family. They were grasshoppers tied to the same string.

Today, I was going to burn that string in front of the entire nation's audience.

Time passed minute by minute. Outside the lounge, media reporters waited anxiously with various speculations.

Inside the lounge, Lily sat restlessly, her face growing worse and worse.

Harrison and Director Morgan were quietly discussing something in the corner.

I knew what they were thinking. They were wondering, if Lily really tested positive, how to suppress the matter, how to throw all the dirt onto me.

Too bad I wouldn't give them that chance again.

After about an hour, the testing room door finally opened.

The head judge and officials from the anti-doping center walked in, holding two freshly printed reports.

Everyone's eyes focused on those two thin sheets of paper.

The head judge's expression was serious. He first looked at me, then at Lily.

"The preliminary test results for the A samples are out."

"Athlete Sophia, test result: negative."

As his words fell, I saw Harrison and Director Morgan visibly relax.

They thought that as long as I was clear, Lily would probably be fine too, and this matter could be minimized.

A stiff smile appeared on Lily's face: "That's great, Sophia. I knew you were innocent..."

Before she could finish, the head judge's next sentence cut her off.

"Athlete Lily tested positive for two banned substances. First, furosemide, a diuretic, S5 class prohibited drug. Second, propranolol, a beta-blocker, P1 class prohibited drug."

The entire lounge fell silent.

In an instant, all color drained from Lily's face.

"No... impossible..."

She murmured, her body swaying, almost unable to stand.

Harrison and Director Morgan's expressions looked worse than if they'd eaten excrement.

Dr. Smith covered her mouth, her eyes showing shock but also understanding.

"No! This isn't true! You must have made a mistake!"

Lily suddenly screamed, looking deranged.

"It's her! It's Sophia framing me! She switched my sample!"

Like a mad dog, she lunged at me. Dr. Smith quickly blocked her.

"Lily! Calm down!"

"How can I calm down!" Lily struggled, her face twisted. "I didn't use drugs! I never did! It's her! She's jealous of me! She wants to destroy me!"

Everyone watched this spectacle.

Director Morgan and Harrison finally snapped out of it and rushed forward to hold her down.

"Lily, don't get excited. There must be a misunderstanding!" Director Morgan tried to calm her while giving the head judge meaningful looks. "Head judge, could there be a problem with the equipment? Or maybe the samples got mixed up?"

The head judge looked at him.

"Our procedures and equipment are world-class. There's absolutely no possibility of error. From extraction to testing, the samples were under surveillance the entire time. There's no possibility of switching."

His words blocked all escape routes.

Lily completely despaired. She collapsed on the floor, wailing.

"I didn't... I really didn't..."

Her performance was enough to make anyone who didn't know the truth feel sympathy, but unfortunately, everyone present was shrewd.

Who was right and who was wrong—the results made it crystal clear.

Harrison's expression kept changing. He looked at Lily, then at me, his eyes extremely complex.

He was probably regretting why he'd chosen to believe Lily instead of me.

I walked up to Lily and looked down at her.

"Now, do you have anything else to say?"