Mag-log inThat morning, the campus café they usually went to felt colder than usual. Not because of the air conditioning, but because of the uneasy tension hanging thick in the air. Selly sat at a corner table by the window, her back straight but her shoulders tight, one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long since lost its warmth. She had deliberately chosen a quieter spot—far enough from the crowd, yet still within view of others.For safety.So there would be witnesses if Cedric decided to lose control.Cedric arrived right on time, as always. He looked worn down, his eyes red and sunken, as if he hadn’t slept at all the night before. He took the seat across from Selly and offered the familiar faint smile that used to melt her heart every time. But now she knew better—that smile was hollow, stripped of sincerity.“Hey, Sel,” he greeted softly, reaching out as if to take her hand across the table. “Are you okay? I was really worried last night when you just walked away like that.”
That morning, Selly couldn’t wait any longer.She woke with red, swollen eyes from lack of sleep. Her body was exhausted, but her resolve was firm. After what had happened the night before—the lipstick stain on Cedric’s shirt, the familiar scent of Renata’s perfume clinging to him, and the lies that had been far too obvious—Selly knew she needed the truth. And she needed it directly from Renata.She didn’t text.She didn’t call.She showered quickly, changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and ordered a ride to Renata’s apartment. It was barely eight in the morning, but Selly didn’t care.When she reached Renata’s door, Selly knocked softly but firmly.No answer.She knocked again, louder this time.“Ren… I know you’re inside. Open the door. We need to talk.”A few seconds later, the door opened slowly.Renata stood there with a face drained of color, her eyes badly swollen, her hair a mess. She was still wearing the same loose clothes as yesterday. The marks on her neck were even clear
Selly sat in the passenger seat of Cedric’s car, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the dark road stretching ahead. The car rolled slowly toward their favorite twenty-four-hour café, but something had shifted since the last red light. The air between them felt heavier, as if an invisible wall had suddenly risen, quietly but unmistakably, dividing the space they once shared so easily.The smear of red lipstick on Cedric’s shirt collar lingered in Selly’s mind. Not her shade. Not a color Cedric ever wore when he met Aunt Helena or his mother. And that perfume—too familiar, far too similar to the one Renata had been wearing lately. Selly remembered it clearly. Renata had just bought a new bottle last week, a sweet but sharp scent she’d said made her feel confident.Selly drew a slow breath, trying to steady herself. But suspicion had already taken root, a small spark beginning to grow, quietly scorching every tender memory she had with Cedric.Cedric turned the radio o
That night, true to his word, Dominic showed up at Renata’s apartment again. But what stopped him dead in his tracks wasn’t the sight of her opening the door—it was the faint, unmistakable sound of a woman crying softly behind the bathroom door. He knew exactly who it was. Who else could it be but Renata?She stood there in the doorway, face pale, eyes swollen and red, wearing an oversized shirt that hung loosely on her frame. The moment she saw him, she reached back and quickly pulled the bathroom door shut behind her, as if trying to hide something. Dominic didn’t speak right away. He just looked at her for a long moment, his chest tightening at how fragile she seemed—the girl who had been unraveling his heart for far too long.“Ren,” he said softly, voice low and thick with worry. He stepped inside and closed the apartment door carefully behind him. “I heard you crying.”Renata dropped her gaze, fists clenched at her sides, shoulders still trembling. “I’m… I’m fine, Daddy,” she lie
Cedric sat in his car, parked in the darkest corner of the underground lot, heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. His phone screen glowed in the dim light—the tracking app he’d secretly installed on his father’s car weeks ago, after that first shattering discovery of Renata and Alex.He’d never told a soul. Not even Selly.Tonight, the app was live again. The hidden camera and tiny microphone he’d planted picked up everything—the choked gasps from Renata, her small cries, Alex’s satisfied groans, the rhythmic creak of the seats as the car rocked.Cedric didn’t watch the video. He only listened to the audio. And that was more than enough to set his blood on fire.He stared at the screen, watching the dot that marked his father’s car stop in Renata’s apartment garage. Then the door opened. Renata stumbled out, legs unsteady, face ashen under the harsh yellow lights.Alex dropped her off with his usual thin smile, then the black sedan glided away.Cedric drew a long, shaky breath,
Renata cried softly, her body still trembling on the cramped back seat. The bitter taste lingered on her tongue, her breath coming in ragged gasps, tears streaming silently down her face.Alex yanked her back onto his lap with rough hands, fingers immediately going to her waist, popping the button on her skirt in one swift motion. The fabric parted, and he shoved it up to her waist, exposing her shaking thighs.“B-but Professor—” Renata tried to protest again, voice cracking, her hands weakly pushing against his chest.“No buts,” Alex cut her off coldly, his green eyes flashing with feral hunger. “You know I don’t like protests, don’t you?”He pushed her flat onto the seat, skirt bunched around her stomach, panties dragged roughly down to her ankles. Renata let out a small scream, legs kicking feebly, but Alex pinned her with his weight—knees forcing her thighs wide open, leaving her completely exposed to him.“Professor… not here… please…” she sobbed, hands shoving at his shoulders,







