Noah’s Science Project Was Smashed Before Class — Then the Security Camera Showed Who Entered the Lab
Chapter 6 — The Winning Tower
Ms. Carter had been bothered by something all semester.
Tyler’s tower was impressive.
Too impressive.
The joints were professionally cut.
The measurements were advanced.
Some structural calculations were beyond anything students had been taught.
She had asked Tyler about them.
He said his father had “explained a few things.”
Now she asked a different question.
“Tyler, how much of your project did you actually build?”
Richard immediately interrupted.
“Don’t answer that.”
Principal Reynolds looked at him.
“Why not?”
Tyler’s eyes filled with tears.
“Dad built most of it.”
Richard stared at him.
“Tyler.”
The boy continued.
“I wanted to build a wind turbine.”
He wiped his face.
“Dad said it wasn’t good enough.”
Noah listened silently.
Tyler explained that Richard had redesigned the entire project.
Employees from his engineering firm cut the materials.
One technician assembled most of the structural frame.
Tyler mainly painted it.
“Why?” Jennifer asked.
Tyler looked at his father.
“He said a Grant couldn’t lose a school competition.”
Richard stood.
“We’re done here.”
Principal Reynolds blocked the doorway.
“No. We’re not.”
The science fair wasn’t simply a school event.
The winner received a $5,000 summer STEM scholarship donated by Richard’s own company.
If Tyler won with a professionally built project, Richard would effectively be awarding his company’s scholarship to his own son.
And now another student’s project had been deliberately destroyed.
Principal Reynolds picked up his phone.
“I’m contacting the school board.”
