6
Nathan was shocked that I would offer to switch rooms. He replied almost instantly, agreeing enthusiastical
ly, and we quickly arranged to swap key cards discreetly on the stairwell.
While Ivy was still downstairs chatting with other students, we quickly moved our luggage.
That evening, the salon had arranged for a casual tea party and board games.
Marcus and I took some sobriety pills beforehand and, during the games, deliberately lost a few rounds, “rel
uctantly” downing a few glasses of wine.
Around ten o’clock, the party wound down, and everyone headed back to their rooms.
I stood up first and found Ivy, who was laughing with a few classmates.
“Ivy, I’m feeling a little dizzy, I’m going to head up. Can I have your key card? I’ll get your pajamas out for you I said, rubbing my temples wearily.
A flash of irrepressible excitement and anticipation crossed Ivy’s eyes. She fought to keep her lips from smil
ing as she quickly handed me her key card, her gaze shifting to Marcus, who was leaning on me with hi
eyes closed, pretending to be tipsy.
“Marcus… is he okay? It looks like he had too much to drink?” she asked tentatively, her voice laced with a hint of glee.
I gave her a helpless smile. “Yeah, he’s a lightweight. I’ll get him back to the room to rest.”
Ivy nodded obediently and turned back to her friends, but I could feel her eyes following us all the way up the
stairs.
Once we were in the room, Marcus immediately stood up straight, sighing in relief. “Pretending to be drunk is exhausting.”
I pulled him to a chair. “Rest up. The show… is about to begin.”
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Sure enough, less than an hour later, a shrill, terrified scream pierced the silent hallway, tearing through the
night.
I was “startled” awake. I threw on a robe and opened the door alone.
The hallway was already filling up with other students and professors, all heading toward the source of the
noise.
Ivy was crumpled by a doorway, her clothes in disarray, a thin blanket wrapped haphazardly around her. She
was sobbing hysterically, her shoulders shaking violently.
The sexy lingerie she had so carefully chosen was peeking out from under the blanket.
A girl was kneeling beside her, trying to comfort her.
Professor Albright had also arrived, his face grim. “What is going on?!”
The moment Ivy saw me, she looked utterly ashamed, her tears flowing even harder as she cried out, “Mary.. sniff… I’m so sorry… I can’t face you anymore…”
I immediately pushed through the crowd, my face a mask of shock and concern, and knelt beside her. “Ivy’
What’s wrong? What happened? Why are you… here?” I deliberately glanced at the half-open door.
The girl comforting her looked up, her voice filled with righteous anger. “Can’t you see what happened? Ivy..
she was assaulted!”
“What?!” I gasped.
“I can’t believe Professor Thorne is that kind of person! He always seemed so respectable!”
“And Ivy is the student you sponsor, Mary! This… this is a travesty!”
I immediately cut off their excited chatter, my face urgent and disbelieving. I took a step forward, my eyes
locked on the girl who had first made the accusation. “What are you all talking about?”
“Professor Thorne? Are you talking about my husband, Marcus?”
I paused for effect, looking around at the indignant crowd, and shook my head firmly. “This is a misunderst- anding! A huge misunderstanding! My husband would never do something like this!”
“He’s in his room right now…” I started to explain.
The girl beside Ivy grew even angrier, glaring at me. “Mary! What are you trying to say? Are you covering for him just because he’s your husband?”
“What he did was sexual harassment! It’s a serious breach of ethics! We should report this to the university immediately!”
“He did it, and he has to take responsibility! You and Professor Thorne owe Ivy an explanation!”
Ivy played her part perfectly, breaking into loud sobs. She wiped at her tears, her shoulders heaving, looking
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fragile and pitiful.
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“I… I didn’t want to believe Marcus would do this either… but he… he pushed me against the wall… I couldn’t
get away…”
“He said… just one hug… that no one would know… sniff…”
The crowd rushed to comfort her, their gazes turning accusatory toward me.
But I, as if finally provoked beyond reason, turned on Ivy, my voice rising. “Ivy! Don’t you dare make fals
accusations! The person in that room is not my husband!”
“Mary, you of all people should know how damaging something like this is for a woman!” one of the girls sai angrily, then turned to Ivy. “Ivy, we should just tell Professor Albright! Let the university handle this!”
Watching this unfold, I suddenly laughed, crossing my arms and leaning back against the wall.
“Fine by me. Let’s get Professor Albright over here to watch this little drama.”
“Because whatever happened has absolutely nothing to do with my husband or me. The person in tha
room… is not Marcus Thorne.”
The girl beside Ivy shot me a death glare. “Still trying to deny it! Everyone knows this room was assigned to
Professor Thorne!”
“If it’s not him in there, then who is it?”
I was about to retort when a familiar voice came from the other end of the hall.
“What’s going on? Why is it so loud?”
It was my husband, Marcus, dressed neatly in his pajamas and a robe, striding quickly toward us.
His appearance stunned everyone into silence.
Ivy’s sobs died in her throat. Her eyes widened, her face instantly draining of all color.
The girl who had been her staunchest defender stood with her mouth agape, in total disbelief.
Everyone looked from Marcus to the closed door and back again, their faces a canvas of confusion.
Marcus came to my side, naturally putting an arm around my shoulder. “What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked with concern.
I looked at him and shook my head slightly. “Someone is claiming you were in that room, doing inappropriate things to Ivy.”
Marcus’s face hardened instantly, his eyes sweeping over the crowd. “That is absolutely ridiculous!”
Just then, the door that had been shut tight creaked open a crack.
A chubby, sleepy head poked out. “What’s all the racket?” he grumbled. “Are you trying to wake the dead?
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What’s with all the noise outside my door in the middle of the night?”
It was Nathan.
He was rubbing his eyes, completely oblivious to the fact that he was the star of the show.
In that moment, every expression in the hallway froze.
Ivy’s face went from white to a sickly green. Her entire body was trembling.
The girl who had been her champion was speechless, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Whispers broke out among the others.
Professor Albright finally arrived, demanding sternly, “What in the world is going on here?”
