Chapter 3

“Don’t you know how to knock before entering a room?” Glancing at the door, he furrowed his brows.

“I’m sorry,” I said in almost a whisper. I turned my back to leave, but he clutched my arm, looking straight into my eyes.

I quickly pulled my hand away as I felt a tremor of jitters run through my veins. His hand was warm on my skin, but his eyes were cold as ice.

“Turning your back when someone is talking to you is plain rude.” He took a step back, giving me enough space. Was he aware of my agitation? “Your name?”

I composed myself and gripped my skirt, trying not to run to the door.

“I’m…” I trailed off and glanced at the folders on the floor before looking at him again. “Amity Escobar.”

He turned his eyes to his desk before spinning himself around to face the floor-to-ceiling window.

“The famous teacher,” he stated. “I was thinking of you, Ms. Escobar.”

My hands started to get sweaty.

“What you look like…and how beautiful you are to be the talk of the town,” he continued.

Shifting my eyes from the floor to him, I cleared my throat. “I have to go, sir—”

“We’re not yet done talking,” he cut me off, expressing his power through his tone.

He spun around and looked at me, his face showing no emotions.

“How old are you?” he asked.

I swallowed. “Twenty-two.”

“And your major?”

“English.”

He walked toward his desk and sat in his swivel chair. “Please pick up the folders, Ms. Escobar.”

I bent down. My hands trembled as I picked up the folders and put them on his table.

There was a long silence between us. Lifting my face to look at him, I saw him watching me intensely like I was some movie that piqued his curiosity.

“You’re too young. Did you enjoy being my father’s mistress?” he asked with a blatant tone.

I felt dismayed at his accusation. He was no different from the people in this school.

“You ruined my family.”

“Rumors indeed spread like wildfire,” I commented, unable to hide the resentment in my voice.

“You should stop acting like a victim, Ms. Escobar.”

I stared him in the eye, wanting to explain myself, but I knew it would be no use. When the rumors started circulating in this school, I did not keep quiet. I explained myself and even tried not to cry in front of my colleagues in the meeting room where I first heard them talking about the late Agrezor and me, but still, they did not believe me. And now, my colleagues continued looking at me in disgust, treating me with scorn.

“You judged me easily, sir,” I said, forcing a smile.

Shifting his eyes to the penholder on his table, he took a pen and spun it around his fingers. “You slept with him for money. How much did he pay you?”

He rose from his seat and walked toward me. Taking a few steps backward as he continued coming nearer, I hit the back of my legs against the sofa and fell on it.

He reached out to tilt my chin up, and his eyes bore into mine, making me nervous. “Sleep with me. I’ll double or triple the price.”

Feeling degraded, I fought with my thoughts and tried to look fearless. “Are you sure you’re better than him?”

His eyes turned darker, showing intense anger for me. “Of course, I am. We can do it here if you want.”

After holding his gaze for a minute or two, I gathered my strength and pushed him off of me. I stood up and tugged at my skirt as it wrinkled when I fell on the sofa.

“You disrespected your father,” I said sternly. “You are his child, but you judged him easily. It’s a shame that you believed other people over him.”

If looks could kill, I would be dead right now.

I stepped back, utterly disappointed with how he thought of his father.

“You’re fearless,” he commented. “Don’t you know whom you are talking to?”

“Are you talking about respect, Mr. President?” I asked as a reply to his question. “I know how to respect others; how about you?”

He did not answer.

Turning my back, I walked towards the door. I turned the door handle and was about to leave when I heard him call my name. “Amity…”

I waited for what he was going to say.

“I despise homewreckers.”

“Good night, sir,” I said as a reply and went out of his office. I walked along the hallway, and the cool, light wind blew in my face as I stared into nothingness.

I sat in my chair in the faculty room and looked at the picture on my desk.

“I’ll make sure to clear your name no matter what,” I whispered, staring at the late president’s face.