Chapter 13: Thirteen

BETTY

I hadn't expected to see Adam when I entered the crimson.

I didn't even know why I agreed to meet up. Maybe because I thought it would be quick, civil, the one-eyed man I’d expected to meet would tell me why he was doing this and I would negotiate, or maybe call Dwight right after the meeting. But the moment my gaze landed on Adam, the way he sat down there looking up at me, a smirk tugging at his lips, old wounds began to reopen.

I had brief flashbacks making me freeze.

“Hello, it is such a pleasure to see you again,” he began, his tone laced with false softness, then he motioned to the chair across from him, “Please…sit.”

I purse my lips, my gaze darting across the almost empty restaurant, I’m hesitant, I might just walk away but my legs don’t move. Maybe it’s the shock of seeing him again after so many years, or maybe a tiny part of me wants to hear him out. So slowly, almost as if I were hypnotized, I sat.

“Get straight to the point!” I said coldly locking eyes with him, my gaze filled with so much fierceness.

“Yeah of course,” he adjusted his black suit and took a sip of the coffee; still black with no sugar, he hadn’t changed, I shouldn’t care but I couldn’t help but notice how much older he looked now. “ I’m sure you must be wondering why I asked to meet up.”

I straightened in my seat, irritation already building up inside of me, His voice was slow like he was deliberately dragging it to annoy me, or maybe he thought it sounded sexy when to me he sounds like the strained moo of a castrated cow.

“I’m here to tell you personally that I am coming back to Crestwood College.” He announced.

“Oh,” I gasped, I could feel my throat tightening and my head spinning all of a sudden, was this a joke or was he being serious? “Back?”

“Yes, B. Thought you should hear it straight from the horse’s mouth before the emails start flying.” He grinned at me. But nothing was funny. His words rattled in my brain, increasing my anger but that wasn’t why I was here, I needed to address the messages I got earlier. Those were more important to me.

“You still haven't told me why you had to attach my nudes to the message you sent asking to meet up!” I said, my voice cracked slightly, it always does this whenever I get nervous about something. I didn’t like talking and hated even seeing them but since he had brought it up, he was going to see the monster in me.

He arched his bushy eyebrows and I wondered what I’d seen in him, sure, he wasn’t bad looking but nowhere near Michael. Or was this because he is older now? Or has my taste improved? Shit! Why was I even thinking about Michael?

“Believe me, I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Please, spare me the bullshit,” I griped, “ And why do you still have them? That’s just… weird.”

He smirked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table. “ I didn’t do that, I only asked my assistant to reach you. I’m sure you must know my right-hand man, he…”

“The one-eyed stalker?”I cut him off.

“Yeah, he can be persistent, sometimes extreme, I had no idea he would go this far, he tried to reach you at the club but…”

“Harassed you mean?” I cut him off again.

“If you had listened to him, at least he would have done this, he knew you wouldn't agree to meet without something… convincing.” His tone dropped like he just realized he sounded stupid and insensitive.

“Did you just say convincing?” I sat up, my voice rising, “ Are you hearing yourself correctly? You think blackmailing me is cool? I see you haven’t changed one bit.”

“Like I said, I had no idea he would go this extreme,” he responded leaning back against his chair, he seemed calm and relaxed almost like he enjoyed seeing me in so much distress. I should have recognized the pattern when we were still dating. “And for the record, I never gave him my permission to use anything like that, I know how that can make you feel.”

I scoffed, “Make me feel? Says the man who couldn’t handle rejection so he had to tarnish my reputation, you’re no saint and I wouldn’t believe a word you say.”

“I see that you are so bent on being hateful,” he said, reaching into his leather bag and pulling out a hardcover book. He clasped it so close to my face that I could smell the fresh pages. “It was never my wish to return or leave, while you were away, I also took a leave to write this.”

The title shone in golden brown lettering. The clandestine Moment.

A tight knot twisted in my stomach.

I knew that title, I recognised it instantly because it was mine. It was an idea I’d shared with him years ago back when he was mentoring me, when I still admired him and saw him as a supreme being, someone too good to ever harm me, but I was wrong, and by the time I learned the truth, it was too late for me. He had already stolen so much from me, tried to tear me apart shred by shred all because he was so jealous, jealous of who I was, of my talent. And the best thing he could do in his mind was to steal from me.

“You’re so evil, you know that right?” I jeered, “ You stole my idea, Adam. “

“Oh, no, you are getting it all wrong, I developed it, “ he corrected me with a smug smile plastered on his face. I was tempted to punch it right off now. “ It was just an idea like you said, and if I hadn’t done anything with it, that’s all it would have been, an idea with potential, but today it’s a bestseller, three volumes, I gave it life, you should be thankful.”

I swallowed hard as I stared at him hard, I was fondling the golden bracelet on my hand under the table forcing myself to remain calm, he wasn’t worth my anger, he was nothing but my past and that’s what made him so mad.

“Tell me the real reason for this meeting,” I commented.

He smiled with his eyes, before it used to make me go insane but now I felt nothing but disgust, “ It was a special request from the university, I couldn’t turn it down. They needed someone to cover a position in the course you’re taking…”

I blinked twice, confusion seeping into my skin. “ I don’t understand, I’m still taking the course.”

“Yes you are,” he said calmly, I'm sure he was enjoying my confusion, or my obliviousness. “It’s been approved by the principal, he will meet you soon, or probably send an email informing you about it.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“It doesn’t make sense, why did they send a request?”

“I don’t know all the details but a parent thinks you’re incapable of teaching his son, he says you’re rude and uncouth, and if they aren’t going to sack you then they should at least assign you an assistant professor.”

My heart skipped a beat for a second, a parent, he‘d said. Instantly, Mr Bolton came to mind, he was the only parent I had ever gotten into a heated argument with recently due to his son's lack of respect. I thought we had resolved things but I guess his egoistic self couldn’t let it go so he decided to teach me a lesson by digging into my past and of all the people he requested Adam Lewandowski.

I went quiet instantly and he smiled tilting his head backward. “So… what do you want to drink?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, do you still like red wine?”

“I said I want nothing. I didn't drink all the way here from work to dine with you.”

He chortled, “ Still fiesty, huh?” He teased his gaze drifting over me like he was devouring me with it. “I heard you got promoted, we’re both professors now, that’s nice.”

“It’s not my fault you are so stagnant!” I retorted.

He smiled and I rolled my eyes satisfied that I had sis those words to him.

“At least I am excelling with your idea, who would’ve thought? That young Betty had potential, maybe if you hadn’t doubted yourself so much you’d be more than a broken professor.” He snarled.

“You are nothing but a foolish predator,” I said calmly. “Stay away from me, don’t ever in your wretched life contact me again!”

He grinned again, “ I guess that’s impossible now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Maybe if you’d answered my right-hand man earlier at the club, I could’ve refused the offer right away, making things easier for both of us. But now?” An evil smile crept on his face, “It’s too late, and honestly… The pay is tempting.”

I smiled back, not out of happiness but out of anger and hatred for him, I got up from the chair scraping against the floor. “ I’m not scared of you anymore, I’m no longer the woman who looked up to you, who was so insecure you could feed on her, I know you for what you are. The fucking devil, so if you don’t back off, I will make sure you hear from my lawyer.”

“But I haven’t done anything wrong.” He said faking innocence.

I pointed a finger at him, “You almost ruined my life, you destroyed my writing career!” I yelled that everyone in the restaurant was now glancing in our direction but I didn’t care.

“Oh! I was hoping we could be friends. You know, put everything in the past but I can see you aren’t happy to see me.”

My lips turned up, “ I wish you’d rot in hell and crawl back into whatever hole you came from.”

With that I stormed out, I could barely breathe.

Outside it was cold, I walked a few distances and stopped at a cafe leaning against the wall trying to calm the rising panic attack.

My vision was beginning to blur when I felt someone tap my shoulder softly.

“Professor, Betty? Are you okay?”

I looked up, still struggling to breathe.

Guess who it was,

Michael!

My student.

What were the odds?