Chapter 44 44

Chapter 44 44
Chapter 44
Clarissa’s POV
A Truth Too Heavy to Hide
Should I tell her? Was it good for me to tell her now that the both of us were already in trouble? My chest rose and fell heavily, a weight pressing down on me as I thought about the chain of consequences that could come crashing down at any moment.
It wasn’t that Damien wasn’t capable of getting a girlfriend…he was more than that—handsome, brilliant, and deeply admired—but the issue was the school itself. The rules were clear: a professor was not allowed to date a student. If it ever leaked, if it ever got announced, he wouldn’t just lose his job; he would lose his career.
And worse, the school’s reputation would be dragged through the mud.
That was why, sitting there, my heart trembling against my ribs, I felt like this was all my fault. I shouldn’t have dated him. I shouldn’t have let things go this far. Maybe I shouldn’t have even let him touch me.
And definitely… definitely I shouldn’t have let myself fall so deep in love with him.
But the one thing that knocked me off balance and left me in awe was the fact that Damien himself had called me his girlfriend.
The word echoed in my head over and over like a song I didn’t know whether to dance to or cry at. Girlfriend. I almost didn’t believe it when I heard it leave his lips, bold and unshaken. He didn’t stutter. He didn’t hesitate. He had said it like he meant it, like he was proud of me. Proud of us.
Now here I was, seated in the office of Professor Agnes, every nerve in my body stretched thin. Damien sat beside me, his hand brushing mine, yet I couldn’t even focus on the comfort of his touch. All I could think was, what if she fires him?
The ticking of the clock on the professor’s wall felt like thunder. Every second dragged louder than the one before it. And then her voice cut through the silence like a knife.
“So,” Professor Agnes began, her eyes sharp as glass behind her thin-framed spectacles. “Tell me, Mr. Damien, Clarissa… What’s going on between you two?”
The words settled heavily in the air. My throat tightened immediately; I could feel sweat building up on my palms.
I swallowed hard. My fingers fumbled, nervously fondling Damien’s hand, desperate for an anchor. Anxiety rolled over me in waves, the kind that left my stomach hollow and my tongue dry.
I couldn’t speak at all, not even a single word. Instead, my eyes darted up at Damien, silently begging him to say something, anything.
He cleared his throat, his jaw tightening as though he was looking for the right word to use. “Professor,” he started, his voice steady but his eyes carrying a flicker of unease, “let me just start by saying that I don’t condone cheating… or favoritism.”
My head whipped toward him in disbelief. My eyes widened, brows knitting together. Cheating? That wasn’t the point of this at all. Why was he going in that direction?
Professor Agnes frowned immediately, her brows arched with irritation. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she leaned forward, cutting through his explanation.
“What the hell are you talking about?” she snapped, her voice sharp enough to make me flinch. “That’s not what I asked you. What I said was, why didn’t you inform me about this relationship from the very first day of class? At least then, we would have known how to manage it. How to control it before it spills into something… public.”
Her eyes narrowed, drilling into him. “Do you understand the consequences of what happened today? Are you comfortable with that, Mr. Damien? Because you know this is entirely inappropriate.”
Her words pierced the air with finality, and my heart dropped lower with each one.
My mind scrambled, searching desperately for something, anything, to ease the tension. And then, like a spark of light in darkness, an idea flashed through me.
“I didn’t let him,” I blurted suddenly.
Professor Agnes blinked, tilting her head slightly, confusion flashing across her stern face.
I took the chance to push forward, my voice trembling at first but slowly gaining strength. “What I’m trying to say is… I know how much Damien wants to work for you. How much he’s been dreaming of becoming your assistant in this department. And I didn’t want to jeopardize him. That’s why we… kept it quiet. Because I didn’t want my presence, or our feelings, to ruin his chances.”
For a moment, there was total silence such that if a pin were dropped, it could be heard. The professor’s eyes softened, just slightly, the rigid lines on her face melting as she studied me. I held her gaze; I immediately forced tears out of my eyes, rolling down my cheeks to prove my sincerity.
“Mrs. Agnes,” I whispered, almost pleading, “I’m telling you the truth. And besides… your class was one of the main reasons why I even applied for admission into this university.”
Before I could catch my breath, Damien leaned forward, his voice adding weight to mine. “You need to understand, Professor. Clarissa didn’t do anything wrong. If not for what happened today, you wouldn’t even have known. It’s not like we wanted to flaunt it. But I’ll be frank with you.”
He paused, his hand squeezing mine tightly, his eyes locked firmly on the professor’s. “I really care about Clarissa.”
The moment those words left his lips, my heart skipped a beat so violently I thought it might stop. I turned to him quickly, my eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat. Did he really just say that?
Did Damien just tell her, tell the world, that he cared about me?
Joy bubbled in my chest, warmth spreading through my veins even as fear clawed at me. I wanted to smile, to cry, to lean into him. But before I could, he shocked me even more.
He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder, firm and protective, pulling me closer to him. My breath hitched as the warmth of his touch grounded me, steadying the storm inside. He said with a protective voice.
“I like Clarissa, Professor,” Damien said. “And I could do anything for her. As you can see—she’s my entire life.”
The sincerity in his voice left me frozen, staring at him in utter confusion and disbelief. My lips parted, but no words came out. Did he really just say that I was his entire life?
Professor Agnes exhaled slowly, her expression softening for just a second before she shook her head. “It is normal for young people to like each other,” she said, her tone gentler but still firm. “But you must understand that this is highly unethical within this campus. You’re both playing with fire.”
Damien straightened, his eyes unwavering as he spoke again. “Professor, I can still remember when I was in business school. When I applied for the boutique management program, we were taught one principle above all—transparency. Being open about everything. That was how conflicts were minimized.”
He leaned forward, passion blazing in his eyes. “And in the business world, relationships between two partners are acceptable, so long as they’re managed well, balanced, and don’t create unfairness. That’s the same logic I’m applying here.”
I stared at him in awe, my lips parting slightly. I had never seen Damien like this before…so brilliant, so articulate, and unshakably confident.
He spoke without even glancing at a book or note, his words flowing flawlessly, like he had rehearsed them a hundred times in his mind.
My heart swelled with pride. My eyes brightened instantly as I turned to the professor. “Exactly,” I added quickly, my voice rising with excitement. “If we align with ethical principles, it’s also possible to manage any potential conflict of interest. For example… ensuring that I don’t receive preferential treatment just because of our relationship. Right, Professor?”
I caught Damien’s proud glance at me, his eyes shining like I had just passed a test only he knew I was taking. My chest expanded with warmth. This was what I lived for: making people proud, proving myself, and standing out even when the odds were against me.
Professor Agnes studied me for a long moment; she breathed out deeply, and her face was just so stern and somehow neutral that I don't know if she accepted or not.
Then Damien spoke again, his tone calm but firm. “Professor Agnes, if you handle this situation with the same accountability expected in any professional relationship, I believe this could be justified as ethical. Don’t you agree?”
Her lips twitched, the barest hint of a smile forming as she folded her arms. Slowly, she leaned closer, resting her chin on her palm as her sharp eyes bored into us.
“So…” she said, her voice low and deliberate. “You’re telling me you just used what I taught you… to justify your relationship?”
The air in the room thickened instantly. My heart pounded violently. My eyes snapped to Damien, panic flooding through me.
I prayed silently that he would say something to save us and cover this up again. Professor Agnes, she’s too smart and tactical.