Chapter 2

The nightmare was always the same. I was lecturing, standing in front of my architecture students at the university, and suddenly the projector screen behind me flickered. Instead of blueprints and building designs, an intimate photo of me appeared, large and undeniable. The students would gasp, then whisper, then laugh. I would wake up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding.

I splashed cold water on my face, pushing the dream away. It was just a dream.

I put on my professionally tailored suit, a shield of normalcy. I had to face the day. I had to face her.

Sarah Miller sat in the front row of my lecture hall, her phone propped up on her desk. Even from the front of the room, I could see she was texting, a smug little smile on her face. She was one of my most promising students, once. Now she was a constant, painful reminder of Mark' s betrayal.

I heard snippets of conversation from the students around her before class started.

"Sarah, is that a new bag? It looks expensive!"

"Oh, this?" Sarah said, her voice loud enough for me to hear. "Mark got it for me. He's just so generous. He says as long as I'm happy, he'll give me anything I want."

The words were a calculated barb, aimed directly at me. I ignored them, turning on the projector and starting my lecture on sustainable urban design. I kept my voice even and professional, focusing on the schematics on the screen.

Sarah wasn't paying attention. She was too busy taking selfies and texting, the screen of her phone glowing brightly. It was disrespectful, but I chose not to call her out. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a confrontation.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the back of the lecture hall. Students started gasping and pointing at the main screen.

My blood ran cold.

I turned around. My nightmare had come to life.

An intimate photo of me, one I had sent to Mark in confidence long ago, was displayed on the projector for the entire class to see. It was connected to Sarah's phone. She had projected it from her device.

The room filled with shocked murmurs and muffled laughter. My face burned with humiliation.

Sarah shot up from her seat, her face a mask of fake horror. "Professor Reed! How could you have something like this on your computer? This is a university! That's disgusting!"

She was twisting it, making it seem like it was my fault.

"That's not from my computer," I said, my voice shaking. "It's from your phone, Sarah."

"You're lying!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're just trying to blame me because you got caught!"

No one believed me. They saw a flustered professor and a crying, victimized student. The damage was done. My reputation was in tatters.

My phone rang. It was Mark.

"Come home. Now," he snarled, and hung up.

I packed my things in a daze and left the university, the whispers and stares of my students following me out the door.

When I got to the villa-our villa-Mark was waiting for me by the pool. Sarah was with him, wrapped in his arms, sobbing.

"I tried to explain," I started, but Sarah suddenly broke away from Mark and ran towards me.

"Professor Reed, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!" she cried, looking genuinely hysterical. Then, as she got close, she stumbled, grabbing my arm and pulling me forward with surprising strength.

I lost my balance and fell into the cold water of the swimming pool with a splash.

The shock of the cold was instant. I came up sputtering, my clothes heavy, my hair plastered to my face. I struggled to stay afloat, my formal suit weighing me down.

"Mark, what is wrong with you?" I yelled, my voice raw with anger and disbelief. "Do you see what she just did?"

Mark looked down at me, his face a cold, hard mask. "All I see is you humiliating Sarah. She's just a kid, Olivia. She looks up to you."

"She projected my private photo in front of my entire class!" I screamed, treading water. "She pulled me into the pool! Are you blind?"

"Stop making things up," he said, his voice dangerously low. "You're just jealous. I told you, I'll make it up to you later. Stop causing trouble."

He refused to believe me. He refused to see the truth right in front of him.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Mark," I said, my teeth chattering from the cold and the rage. "It's over."

I had to end this. I had to use the one weapon Liam had given me.

"I'm married," I said, the words cutting through the air.

Mark froze. For a second, a flicker of panic crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed. "Who would you marry? Stop playing games, Olivia. It's not cute."

He reached down, grabbing my arm and yanking me towards the edge of the pool. His grip was like iron.

"Let go of me!" I struggled, but he was too strong.

"You're mine," he hissed, his face close to mine. "You don't get to decide when we're over." He squeezed my arm harder, and a sharp pain shot through it.

I cried out, tears of pain and frustration mixing with the pool water on my face. In the cold water, I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. It was the chilling realization of the man I had loved for a decade.

He finally let go, pushing me back into the water.

He turned to Sarah, his expression softening instantly. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Are you okay, baby? Don't cry. That mean woman can't hurt you."

Sarah sniffled, pressing her face into his chest. "Mark, I think we should just let it go. Professor Reed is upset. Maybe I was wrong to come here." Her voice was soft and full of fake concern, a performance for an audience of one.

"No," Mark said firmly, stroking her hair. "You did nothing wrong. I'll handle the university. They won't bother you about this again."

They turned and walked away, leaving me shivering and alone in the water.