The silence that followed my revelation was deafening. Mrs. Johnson's fingers trembled as she held my business card, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"You? You're Dr. Emma Bella?" Liam's voice cracked, his jaw slack.
I met his gaze steadily. "In the flesh."
Imogen laughed, the sound sharp and brittle. "That's impossible. You barely graduated high school."
"I graduated top of our class, Imogen. Despite your best efforts to sabotage me." I kept my voice calm, even as old wounds threatened to reopen.
Mrs. Johnson stared at me, her complexion paling by the second. "Juliana, is this true?"
"Yes, Mrs. Johnson." I softened my voice for her sake. "I've been working in energy research for years now."
She pressed a hand to her chest, her breathing becoming labored. "But... how? When?"
"After I left home, I put myself through college and then doctoral studies. I've been publishing under a pseudonym to maintain my privacy."
