I laughed despite myself.
Then I asked a question.
“Ingrid, do you know whether anyone contacted Wexford about my academic status before I signed?”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Can you check?”
“I can ask legal.”
She called back two hours later.
Her tone had changed.
“Sylvie.”
“Yes.”
“Someone did.”
I stood.
“Who?”
“A man identifying himself as your father contacted our general corporate office eight days before your graduation.”
My stomach dropped.
“What did he ask?”
“He wanted to know whether Wexford Lane had any educational partnership with your university.”
“Why?”
“He claimed you had been using the company name in academic work without permission.”
I gripped the kitchen counter.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“He asked whether an employee could be disqualified from recruitment for academic misconduct.”
I stopped breathing.
My own father.
Before my graduation.
Before my job offer.
Trying to poison something he did not even know existed.
Ingrid continued.
“There’s more.”
