All Chapters of SUBMISSION 101: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Five weeks.I went five, miserable, painfully long weeks without Harlan. He is the only person on the face of the planet that I cared about seeing. My bones ached for his touch every minute I was away. And now, I've practically forgone a reunion altogether.Days pass, and I haven't heard a word from Harlan.I've checked my phone more times than I care to admit, sometimes tricked by phantom buzzes, and sometimes, I check without hearing anything at all. By Wednesday, I start to think that maybe I shouldn't have told him not to bother speaking to me without apologizing first, because it is beginning to look like the two of us will never speak again.And I know that is an overreaction. If I have a dollar for every time Harlan has ignored me for days at a time, I'd be significantly richer than I've been before. But that is part of the problem. The thought alone depresses me beyond belief, but perhaps if Harlan has no trouble ignoring me, I shouldn't be waiting for him at

The ruffling of fabric makes me pull away and open my eyes. Harlan is furiously shrugging off his suit jacket, tossing it to the side with the regard one might pay a piece of garbage. His hands dive for my hips, lips searching for mine again."Harlan," I whimper, pulling my head away, and moaning when his mouth finds the curve of my neck instead. "Harlan, not here. Please. Someone could walk in.""Good. Then they'll know exactly who you belong to," he warns darkly, taking my face into his broad hands before kissing me again.I kiss him back. I try to fight it, but it is a fruitless effort. Still, the tugging at the back of my mind is still there, alive and well. A million scenarios flash through my mind: a janitor sent to clean up after class, a student coming back for a forgotten sweater, the professor teaching the next lecture showing up early to set up for class. I whimper in fear at the same moment I moan in pleasure when Harlan's hands find my neck, squeezing lightly. The result

Before I can inhale my next breath, Harlan has lunged, tenderlessly flipping me onto my back and pinning my wrists down on either side of my head. I gasp, eyes going wide as they find Harlan's own, staring down at me."I believe I've made it perfectly clear," he spits. "That you're mine."I gulp, but say nothing. His eyes narrow, and silently, he drinks me in.The silence passes. So does my fear. Gathering my breath, I steady myself. "Then you're mine, too."For a moment, Harlan doesn't flinch. It would have been just as well if it was a statue on top of me, pinning me in place. But then, he softens, eyes falling to my lips. And then, delicately, he nods.I wake up the next morning, alone in bed, as is always the case. I’m not sure that Harlan ever really sleeps, so it is no surprise that he always wakes up before I do. I stretch, groaning in pain as my sore muscles scream. Kicking off the covers, I step into the bathroom, examining my bare skin.Bruises pepp

It is my senior prom dress, which I brought to college to wear to homecoming. Tonight, it will serve me for a third time. It is a soft, light-blue, floor-length gown with a plunging neckline but a modestly shaped, understated ball-gown skirt. Soft ruffles rise and fall like gentle waves up to my waist, where thin strips of satin cinch my frame. I've done my hair up in a loose up-do to frame my décolletage, where I don the only nice piece of jewellery I own, a necklace with a single, small diamond pendant – a high school graduation gift from my family that I save for special occasions. Staring at myself in the mirror when I am dressed and pampered, I wish I have something slightly more mature. I look good enough, but hope that I won't look too out of place: like I should be at the prom while everyone else enjoys the Met Gala. Rhea beams at me when I step into the living room. "Beautiful," she says, her kind face alit with warmth. Hopefully, she has enough confidence for the both o

I briskly enter the apartment under Harlan's arm without even having to duck. He is unbothered. But I’m not as unconvinced as he is."I just don't understand," I tell him, marching into the foyer without even turning to look at him. "He practically threatened to tell the Board. He'd have to have definite proof if that was the case."For a short amount of time, I'd considered keeping my conversation with Vance a secret from Harlan, just long enough for him to enjoy the pride that comes along with his award. I hadn't been in his car for two minutes, on our way home, before he flagged that something was bothering me.Of course, little does he know, there is more than just Vance on my mind. I had two extremely discouraging conversations at the gala, though I keep the one I have with Harlan's apparent ex-girlfriend to myself... for now.One crisis at a time."He doesn't have proof," Harlan says blankly, irritated. "He can't. We've been too careful."I scoff, whipp