He smelled like my shower gel, which I liked.
Somehow, in my foggy state, I ended up underneath him.
He called my name, "Viola," in that low, raspy voice.
As the pain started to hit, I thought I heard someone whisper in my ear, "He betrayed you. Let me help you get back at him… sister."
It was an absurd thing to say, with no real basis, but at that moment, I was lost in the sound of him calling me "sister."
He was young, rough, and unrefined, with no real technique.
The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache, and as the memories of the previous night came rushing back, I was paralyzed with shock.
Did I really… sleep with my best friend’s brother?
He’s in college, so he must be… an adult now, right?
I grabbed my hair in frustration, overwhelmed with self-recrimination.
I couldn’t face my best friend, and I definitely didn’t dare to face Eason.
I strained to listen for any sign of Eason, and once I was sure he wasn’t in the room, I cautiously peeked through the door crack.
After quickly gathering my things, I made a hasty exit to work.
“Sister.”
As I walked onto campus, the sudden call made my skin crawl.
In the next moment, I saw the brother and sister walking to school, and the younger brother greeted me politely, “Good morning, Miss Green.”
It wasn’t Eason.
I took a deep breath. “You, you guys, good morning.”
The whole day, except for teaching my classes, I was distracted.
While serving coffee to the Dean, I even accidentally burned her hand.
The usually stern Dean, who had somehow heard about my troubles, surprised me by not expressing any displeasure. Instead, she comforted me, saying, “Young girl, there’s nothing you can’t overcome. If you’re not feeling well, take a couple of days off to rest and adjust your emotions.”
Take a couple of days off?
My eyelid twitched. “No, no, Principal, I’m fine. I don’t want personal issues to affect my work. I’m okay.”
After two years on the job, it was the first time I saw genuine approval in the principal’s eyes.
As school let out, I was at the door, organizing students to line up and leave.
Just as most had gone, I looked up and saw Eason among the parents picking up their kids.
My heart skipped a beat. The moment I’d dreaded had finally come.
We returned home in silence, and eventually, I couldn’t bear the inner guilt any longer. I decided to speak up.
“About last night…”