ALL THAT GLITTERS...

25.

I wasn't prepared for the wave of different emotions that hit me when we drove into Jacksontown. Nothing ever changed in the big town, it felt like I had never left. Even when my world had crumbled after the death of my parents, the rest of the world didn't stop. Life goes on.

"It's been too long, my friend."

Some man dressed in a navy blue suit greeted us at the entrance of the university. He didn't look familiar, which was a bit odd because I knew most of the staff there. My dad and I made regular visits to the university whenever they called him in to be a stand-in lecturer for History majors.

"It's good to see you again, wearing your big boy pants." Seth spoke and laughed at the end.

The familiarity between them was clear from the way they both smiled and laughed with each other. It was refreshing to see Seth with his mask down around other people besides myself and his family.

"This must be Lisa." The man picked up my hand and placed a light kiss on it.

"Call me Dominic, the new Dean of students."

He looked a bit young to be in such a position but I didn't comment. I just smiled and discreetly rubbed my hand behind my back.

Dominic led us across campus to his office at the main building. There weren't many people walking around, I was thankful for that, I didn't want to bump into anyone I knew. The University of JT was one of the universities my friends and I had applied to, in different circumstances, there was a chance I would have ended up here.

"So tell me again how you ended up Dean at such a big college?" Seth asked with a mocking tone. I was curious too.

"In here. We can talk privately." We were ushered into a huge office.

"Old man Griffiths and his scrawny secretary were fired. Turns out they had been accepting bribes from parents with children on waiting lists and those who were unqualified for decades. It really did a number on the university's reputation."

I didn't know Mr Griffiths that well but he always seemed like a strict uptight man. To think he was busy accepting students who were unqualified into the university when there were more hardworking people out there who deserved it was a bit upsetting.

"So they hire a person with no experience to run the affairs?"

"Ah, but they hired someone who owns a publicist company to clean up their reputation." Dominic smirked at Seth, who just rolled his eyes.

"Now to why you two are here."

A huge file was placed in front of us.

"Inside is a bunch of documents. Mona and Lorraine Carter's birth certificates, academic records, applications and all that." Dominic said throwing himself on the large chair behind his desk.

"Did you find anything else?" Seth asked reaching out to the file.

"Mmm not much. Seems Mona was one of the people responsible for Griffiths losing his job."

My back straightened at that, giving Dominic my full attention.

He clearly didn't mean that...

"Oh yes, your mother paid her way into the university. Huge sums for that matter." He spoke his eyes sternly in my direction.

"How...how can you be sure?" I asked.

"She had a late application, there was no way the university would have even considered it. I even went through her application letter myself, there is a bunch of information missing."