Chapter 37

Betty.

“I helped Adam Lewandowski steal your book. I even edited it to make  it seem like his.”Natalie confesses, her voice breaking as she stares at the ground, unable to meet my gaze.

I said nothing, I was still trying to process what she had just said. I wasn’t shocked; my jaw should have gone slack, but it didn’t. My heart didn’t even skip a beat; it only felt exhausted. Maybe I was dumbfounded, but not surprised.

The text from ten years ago already told me everything I needed to know. The one he sent after crawling back to me when all of his lovers rejected him. I accepted him believing his lies. Not only did I clothe him, but I let him make love to me only for me to later scroll through his phone and discover the harsh truth. He hasn’t returned because he realised his mistakes, he was homeless and the divorce papers were fake.

‘I won’t be doing the editing because the book isn’t yours anyway.’

Those were the exact words Natalie had sent him and with the chain of events that followed told me everything I needed to know. But that was the past now, it was far too late to cry over spilled milk.

But my question was, why now? You let so many years slip by. You let Adam make billions off my ideas and now you just came back with some foolish resolution thinking my forgiveness will wash you clean of your dirty sins overnight? That’s some crazy work.

I pressed my lips together in a thin line as I  sat straight in my chair. “You knew all these years that it wasn’t his yet you handed it to him on a silver platter?” I asked, my voice calm but inside of me I was raging with anger and contempt.

Natalie nodded, her hands clasped together in front of her as if in prayer. Around her neck hung a silver rosary, the pendant of Mary resting on her chest.

“Please, forgive me, Betty, I know what I did was wrong… no, it was terrible. Every year that passes I look back and regret it. You have to understand that everyone makes silly mistakes. Also, I was young and naive, he took advantage of my innocence, he….”

“ Will you stop already!” I cut her off and suddenly my phone chimed on the table. I glanced at the screen. It was a message from Ethan, he must have been outside waiting for me.

I let the chiming end before clearing my throat, I wasn’t ready to meet with  Ethan right now, not with everything going on between Natalie and me.

“I’m sure you have no idea what that did to my career.” I sneered tapping my pen on the mahogany. All of a sudden I began to yell and this forced her to look up at me. “Ten years of being sued in court, being called a liar, being suspended because I stole my colleague's book, you watched him destroy me and you are here blaming it on your foolishness?”

Natalie blinked twice, her eyes glassy with tears. “I know it’s hard to believe but I was  in love ...I thought.”

My laughter interrupted her, it wasn’t filled with joy but bitterness. I know Adam was a manipulator. I was a victim of him too but I won’t watch him destroy another woman.

“You watched as he ruined me because you were too in love? No, you are just as evil as he is!”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s too late for that Natalie.” I stood pointing to the door. “ I’m about to go home now so I’ll suggest you leave,”

“But the resolution…”

“I don’t care about your stupid resolution, get the fuck out of my office right now!” I barked.

She gasped but didn’t say a word. She just nodded and mouthed an ‘ I'm sorry’ and with that, she left.

As soon as I hear the door shut. I fell into the chair and my palm clasped against my chest, it felt like I was having a panic attack.

“Calm down Betty! You’ve got this!” I told myself as I managed to get up on my feet, I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the office locking the door behind me.

Ethan must have been so furious after waiting so long.

But what greeted me wasn’t him in the car, it was a fight. I squinted and there he was slamming his fist into  Michael’s face like it was his punching bag.

I swallowed hard, my eyes wide in shock.

Mkchael was lying on the ground defenseless, his face bloodied and bruised as Ethan kept hurling blows his way.  The sight was just so gruesome and people had already gathered taking pictures and videos.

I rushed forward to the scene yelling at the top of my voice. “ Stop it, Ethan!” I pushed him away from Michael as I held his wounded face checking his pulse. “ Are you okay ?”

In that moment I realized I cared for him more than I care to admit and just seeing him hurt made my blood boil in anger and agitation.

I stared back at Ethan, my eyes filled with rage. I'm about to ask what’s going on when I hear a familiar voice.  “Betty, Michael. Both of you to my office. Now!”

I helped Michael up and turned to Ethan. “ Please leave, you’ve already caused more harm!”  He parted his lips but said nothing. Instead, I watched him scurry towards Porsche.

Michael and I   stood before Principal Charles, he sipped his tea slowly, his gaze shifting from me to  Michael then back again to me. I  already knew what was about to leave his mouth; judgments, even though  I had nothing to do with any of this.

“Both of you, please sit!” He said his tone was sharp enough to make anyone tense. I hated being in this office. It always reminded me of the troubles with Adam that  I’d faced over the years.

We sat across from him, and I avoided eye contact with Michael who couldn’t seem to stop staring at me.

“ I was in my office going about my business when I was informed of a fight outside.  Will anyone care to explain why one of my teachers and students is are participant in it?”

Neither of us spoke for a few seconds. My gaze shifted to Michael, he was the one being beaten up, he should be the one to speak not me, I cleared my throat, my hands resting on my lap. “I don’t know what happened, I just came out and saw them fighting.

Michael pressed a bag of ice against his swollen eye dabbing at his nose with tissues that were already soaked with blood. Ethan was really a monster for doing this. And that scared me.

The principal fixed his gaze on him. “Since Professor Betty is so oblivious, Michael, why are you involved in a fight? That’s against the school rules! This isn’t your first warning. I should be dialing your father's line right now!”

Michael let out a brief sarcastic laugh. “I don’t care, you can do whatever you want Mr. Charles I just  want to go to a fucking hospital to get proper treatment!”

I rolled my eyes, of course Michael always goes untouched, rich kid immunity, just a one call from his father and he is off the case.

The principal rubbed his temple carefully, frustration creeping into the lines on his forehead before his gaze landed back on me. “Professor Betty, Adam tells me this has something to do with you. The man who beat Michael to a pulp is your boyfriend. What I don’t understand is how Michael is tied to this. You know I don’t care what goes on in your personal  life, I just don’t want this school  involved, is that clear?”

Boyfriend? Oh, now I know he was the one behind those horrible texts. He has been stalking my life and now he is playing informant, reporting me to the principal? That was vile.

“Yes, Mr Charles!” I said.

“I don’t want to have this conversation again, both of you are dismissed!”

~

I walked into the evening sun, my body trembling from anger and fury. Michael kept calling my name but I didn’t respond.

Ethan was still there sitting in his vehicle, his head resting on the steering wheel.

The second he heard my footsteps he lifted his head, jumped out of the car, and walked towards me.

“What  happened  Betty?” he asked

“Nothing!” I said coldly, crossing my arms on my chest.

“Why weren’t you on my side earlier ?”

I looked up at him, my vision blurry with tears.

“Watching you beat up Michael just made me question whether   I  even know you at all!”

He froze, blinking twice. “What does that even mean? I was just angry he  walked up to me saying shit about you ....”

“That’s enough!” I cut him off. “It’s over! I can’t do this anymore, I almost lost my job because you couldn’t control your anger, I’m done!”