Chapter 43 43

Chapter 43 43
Chapter 43
Clarissa’s POV
The Secret That Could End Us
Everything was going normal. Everything was going fine, at least that was what I thought. Even though I had risked my dreams for Damien, I wanted it to be so, and I had made my peace with that.
Life, at that moment, felt like something I could control if I just stayed careful.
But to my greatest surprise, Damien started explaining every line of my book to the professor. At first, I thought it was going to lead to something small, maybe something less serious, something I could still handle without it blowing up in my face.
I was wrong.
I was shocked to the marrow when he said to the teacher, when she asked him how he knew what was on my paper—and Damien replied that it was because he was there when I wrote it. He said he saw me do the project himself.
My mouth went dry, I felt dizzy, and my head spun. I didn’t even know if I was breathing properly. And the worst thing? The thing that nearly dragged my soul out of my body was the next words that came from his lips.
In front of everyone, without hesitation, he said, “Because Clarissa… She's my girlfriend.”
The word hung in the air and to me was like dropping a bombshell.
Girlfriend?
I just stare at his pretty face blankly. My brain didn’t even process it right away. It took a full second before my body reacted, and when it did, I realized I was shouting in front of the entire class.
“What!? Girlfriend!?”
I didn’t even realize that I shouted until all eyes turned to me. My pulse was beating so violently that I thought everyone could hear it. My throat tightened, but Damien didn’t even flinch.
But I quickly told myself that it wasn’t real and that he might have said it to save me.
He stole a glance at me; it was half a smirk playing on his lips… and then turned back to the professor with a calmness that made my skin crawl; my emotions were mixed with fear and admiration.
“Yes, Professor,” he said, his voice steady, firm. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Even Mrs. Agnes, as strict as she was, gasped slightly, her brows lifted at him. She looked genuinely surprised, like the kind of surprise that comes with both curiosity and disapproval.
“Love between a professor and a student?” She murmured under her breath, almost as if speaking to herself. Then her eyes snapped back to us, cold and sharp. “Interesting.”
My heart sank straight to my stomach.
The only thing that kept screaming in my mind was, what if my brother finds out about this? What if this goes viral, the way everything else in this stupid school always does? He would see it, he would know, and then everything would come crashing down.
As much as I was shocked, so was everyone else. Students’ jaws hung open, whispers cut through the silence, and faces twisted with disbelief.
And then my eyes shifted to Gladys.
Her face was also in shock, even though she tried to cover up and look normal, and just as expected… Her voice was high-pitched and laced with venom, slicing through the murmurs. “Girlfriend? So, you finally admitted it. She’s your girlfriend.”
Her smirk was triumphant, her tone dripping with mockery.
Mrs. Agnes’s face hardened, her voice slicing through the tension. “You know you shouldn’t say such a thing in front of everyone, Mr. Damien. You know this is inappropriate. A professor dating a student is against the rules. Why are you breaking it?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “This is going to go viral.”
Gladys seized the chance like a snake striking prey. “Not only that, Madame,” she said, her voice rising with fake righteousness. “I also think he might be the one who wrote the papers for Clarissa. He gave her those marks. That’s the only explanation.”
I froze instantly at her words, my heart beat faster, and God, I hate this lady so much! The nerve of her.
My body stiffened, and my chest tightened like a rope was being pulled around it. I had expected her to say something like that.
That was the exact reason I had been terrified of our secret getting out, because it would be used against him, against us, like a weapon sharpened to cut us both down.
My blood boiled, and before I even realized it, I was on my feet.
“Professor!” I said, my voice louder than I meant, trembling but fierce. “The paper… the paper also goes ahead to say that upholding business ethics in law helps prevent corruption and exploitation!”
I said confidently with every ounce of strength I had left.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damien’s lips twitch into the smallest smile, his eyes softening for a brief second as if silently telling me, “Well done.” I’m proud of you.
I didn’t care. At least not yet. All I wanted was to prove myself, to prove him innocent, and to show that we weren’t lying.
I stepped closer to Professor Agnes, clutching my notebook tightly against my chest. “Tell me, Professor, why would I cheat on a business ethics paper? That’s the one thing I need to understand fully if I want to become a lawyer. That’s my dream. Why would I steal when this is exactly what I need?”
My voice came with emotion, and I think it touched the professor somehow because the look on her face softened.
But I didn’t stop. My eyes locked with hers, searching desperately for a flicker of belief.
Professor Agnes’s face twitched slightly. She looked like she wanted to believe me, but I could still see her eyes filled with doubts.
Before she could respond, Gladys’s voice pierced the moment like broken glass. “Don’t believe her! She’s lying. That’s my paper!”
Her words were desperate, her tone shrill. But this time, Agnes didn’t immediately side with her. Instead, the professor turned her sharp gaze toward Gladys.
“I’ve heard what you said, Clarissa. And you, Damien.” She paused, then shifted her gaze like a blade to Gladys. “As for you, if you claim this is your paper, then explain it to us. Explain exactly what it says.”
The air in the room was tense. My stomach jumped with joy; it was like the universe had finally thrown me a lifeline.
Gladys’s face paled instantly. She bent her head toward her desk, her hands fidgeting nervously. Finally, she muttered in a shaky voice, “Uhmmm… okay. Business ethics is like… it’s super important because… if someone is caught stealing, the business could, like, punish them.”
Her voice was unstable, her eyes darting everywhere except at the professor. It was a disaster. And guess what? She's saying rubbish!!
Laughter broke out in the classroom; the sound of it echoed like knives stabbing her pride. She lowered her head in shame.
Professor Agnes slammed her hand against the desk, silencing the class. Her voice was sharp and unforgiving. “Gladys. Gather your things and report to the dean’s office immediately. For me, it is clear; you are the one cheating here, not Clarissa. You can’t even explain your supposed paper. How the hell did you get an A grade?”
Gladys froze, her face draining of all color. Slowly, she covered her face with both hands, and then she broke. She cried bitterly, the sound raw and humiliating, but when she raised her head to look at me, her eyes were deadly. She glared at me with hatred that sent a chill down my spine.
But I didn’t care. After all, she had brought this on herself. She had started this war.
Mrs. Agnes’s voice suddenly cut through, colder than ice. “As for you two, Mr. Damien and Clarissa…”
My heart lurched violently. My pulse shot up, racing, each beat louder than the last. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I could barely breathe.
Her face was hard and unreadable, and her tone was stern as a gavel. “See me after class.”
The words sent shivers through me.

The rest of the lesson barely mattered. It wasn’t even a lesson, more like a revision class. But I couldn’t focus. My mind wasn’t here anymore—it was lost in a storm of what-ifs.
What if she reported us? What if she announced it to the whole faculty? What if the dean heard? What if the news spread and my brother saw it? The thought alone made my chest tighten with fear.
By the time the class ended, I felt like I was floating in a nightmare.
I dragged myself to her office; every step felt so heavy, my throat tight with dread. When I walked in, Damien was already there, seated calmly like nothing could touch him.
His posture was confident, almost protective, but his jaw was clenched; I knew he was tense too.
Mrs. Agnes was glaring at me the moment I entered. Her eyes were sharp and piercing, as if they could strip me off.
You hesitated slowly as I sat down. My palms were sweating, and my legs were trembling beneath the desk.
Her voice was low, cold, and dangerous. “Okay. Now you two. Why don’t you tell me more about yourselves… and your relationship?”
Fuck! I trembled.