He Chose Her Over Me So I Chose Myself Chapter 29
I muted my microphone and sat quietly in front of the projector.
Eli set a cup of hot tea beside me without looking at the argument on the screen.
“Want to step outside for some air?”
I shook my head.
“It’s not over.”
Sure enough, Camille soon turned to the board.
“My research has nothing to do with this family conflict. The project results are real, and so is the academic award.”
“I’ve never questioned your research.”
I turned my microphone back on.
“What I’m questioning is why a project that has nothing to do with me still needs to use my face to raise money.”
Camille went still.
The oldest board member closed the folder in front of him.
“Until the image authorization issue is resolved, the foundation will suspend fundraising for this project. Mr. and Mrs. Mercer will also temporarily step back from related decision-making.”
My adoptive mother nearly lost control.
“You can’t suspend this just because of one thing she said!”
“It’s not because of one thing she said,” my lawyer reminded her evenly. “It’s because of the delivery confirmation and the public page.”
The meeting was forced to adjourn.
Half an hour later, Camille sent an email to the board emphasizing that the relaunch of the page had been her parents’ decision and had nothing to do with her.
Ten minutes after that, Grant submitted a written statement of his own.
He didn’t defend himself.
He simply attached the original wedding schedule from the shared folder, the deleted video segment, and the version history of the document titled *Vows for Camille*.
Mr. and Mrs. Mercer had wanted to keep this inside the family.
But this time, the first people to shut the door on them were the two children they had always favored most.