A Fragile Peace

A Fragile Peace
Author's POV

James immediately stood up and walked out of the room, waiting to see the doctor. He knocked on the doctor's office door, and as he was ushered in by the doctor, he sat down across from the doctor. 

"Good afternoon, Doctor. I want to ask about Isabella's health and if she could be discharged immediately."

Then the doctor explained to him that she was fine and everything was also okay. She was out of danger, and yes, she could be discharged, but she still had to take some prescribed medications. The doctor wrote down the prescriptions for James and signed the discharge papers. 

James thanked the doctor and went out of his office. He was very happy that Isabella was being discharged already and that she would be safe if she stayed at her parents' place for now. So he immediately went to see a nurse who helped him pack up Isabella's papers, and everything was completed. Isabella's parents took Isabella home. 

As James was driving home, he received a call from the university. He was being summoned as there was a meeting for professors, and it was a topic he had to attend urgently. So he immediately changed his route and headed for the university. He wondered what was going on. He had been absent from the university because he had been looking after Isabella, so he didn't know what was happening on campus.

Meanwhile, Isabella's parents took her home to their place to stay there temporarily because that was the only place where she could be safe. Alex already knew Trisha's apartment, and they could not afford to take the risk of allowing her to stay in Trisha's place because Alex might do something worse than what he had done before. They had to keep her where she would be safe, and her parents' place was the safest place for her to stay. So she was taken to her mom's place to stay there temporarily.

Everything died down. Meanwhile, rumors were already spreading in the university that James and Rachel were actually in a relationship, and that was why the counselor had called the teachers' meeting to address the matter. James walked into the hall and saw that all the teachers were present already, and all eyes were on him. Some teachers were looking at him disdainfully. 

He wondered what was going on and why all these teachers had this kind of look on their faces towards him. He immediately sat down, and the council began the meeting. 

"We have actually called this meeting here because of you, James. Haven't you heard the rumor that is going on in the campus? How could you, James? You are a lecturer. You are supposed to build these children to become future leaders, yet you are actually engaging one of the students in a relationship with you, which is improper and against the rules of our university," the counselor said as the other teachers also agreed. 

A female teacher even spoke up. "Yes, James, we are really ashamed. We can't even say you are one of us because you are really disgracing us right now. We are supposed to train these children, not engage them in a relationship."

James looked at everybody stunned. "What do you mean? It is a lie! Me and Rachel aren't actually in a relationship. She's just my student, and I'm guiding her. Nothing more, nothing less. We aren't in a relationship at all!"

As James tried to explain himself, the counselor spoke up. "Just stop it already. You don't have to bring up an excuse. There is all of the evidence pointing against you that you and Rachel are actually dating, and you know students wouldn't carry a rumor that is false," he said to James as James just sat down there, stunned. 

Meanwhile, what did he even have to gain by explaining himself to them? They wouldn't believe him anyway. He was actually quitting, so there was no need for him to prove his innocence anymore as none of them was ready to believe him.

"Okay, you can do whatever you want. If you want to believe me, you can believe me, but if you don't want to, just forget about it. Moreover, I'm quitting, so none of this is going to affect me." 

As the counselor and everybody else looked at him stunned, James just stormed out of the meeting room, frustrated. He couldn't believe that all of them didn't even allow him to prove himself as they accused him blatantly. He was very frustrated, and he drove home in a daze to have a hotspot and cool his head a bit due to everything that had happened today. 

He couldn't believe that even the counselor himself, who knew him well, would not believe him. Why would they think he was having something to do with Rachel? He thought to himself, "Let me just forget about it. I'll soon be quitting from that university. What's the stress of proving my innocence if they wouldn't even believe me anyway?" 

He thought to himself as he got home, he immediately took a shower, and changed his clothes. He thought this was the best time to see Isabella and check if she was safe. As he drove to Isabella's parents' house, knowing that was where she would be, he headed straight there. 

Upon getting there, he saw Isabella sitting outside, and as he walked up to her, he said, "How are you doing, Isabella?"

She looked up at him. "James, you're here. Why?" she asked him.

"I just came to check on you," he replied. 

"But we just saw each other at the hospital not long ago." She said,

"Yes, I just wanted to know if you were fine and safe," he said. 

As Isabella shook her head, she replied, "I'm fine, James. You don't have to worry. Let's take a stroll," Isabella suggested as the both of them started walking.

They walked in silence, as neither of them was ready to say anything to break the silence. Finally, James spoke up, breaking the silence. "I was really scared, Isabella. You know when I saw you lying there unconscious in the hospital, no one even told me that you underwent an operation. And immediately I found out, I rushed over to the hospital. I was really scared seeing you lying there lifeless. I thought you wouldn't wake up for a long time, but now here you are standing right in front of me."

"I always believed that you were a strong girl, and you proved me right by waking up soon," James said.

"Thank you, James, for everything that you have ever done for me. Thanks for protecting me and thanks for making me happy," Isabella said to James as he just looked at her, smiling.

They walked on in silence, none of them saying anything, only feeling the emotions growing between them.