Chapter 185

The room settled into a quieter energy after that.

The complaint was still sitting there. The meeting with administration was still hanging over everyone’s head. None of that had changed.

But for the moment, all four of them were together, and somehow that made it feel a little less overwhelming.

Emma was still propped up against the headboard, Abigail sitting beside her while Megan occupied the chair near the window and Ashley had somehow managed to claim the foot of the bed like it belonged to her.

Nobody had told her she could.

She had simply decided.

Ashley was currently scrolling through her phone with the concentration of someone conducting important research.

“Oh my God.”

Abigail immediately regretted whatever was about to come out of her mouth.

“What now?”

Ashley turned the screen around.

“Y’all are viral.”

Emma groaned.

Megan laughed.

Abigail looked like she wanted to throw the phone out the window.

“I’m serious,” Ashley said. “Look.”

She started reading.

“‘Professor Smith really said equal rights equal lefts.'”

Emma immediately buried her face in her hands.

“No.”

“Wait, wait,” Ashley continued.

“‘Professor Smith defending Abigail was not on my bingo card but now they’re my favorite campus couple.'”

Emma looked over at Abigail.

Abigail looked over at Emma.

Then both of them looked away.

Megan noticed.

Immediately.

Of course she did.

The smile she was trying to hide made that very clear.

Ashley kept going.

“‘I don’t support workplace violence but I understand workplace violence.'”

That one got an actual laugh out of Emma.

Even Abigail cracked.

Just a little.

Ashley looked proud of herself.

“See? This is helping.”

“It is absolutely not helping,” Abigail replied.

“It kinda is,” Emma admitted.

Abigail looked at her.

Emma shrugged.

“Some of these are funny.”

“You’re encouraging her.”

“Damn right she is,” Ashley said.

Megan shook her head.

Then Ashley’s expression softened slightly as she scrolled to another post.

This one wasn’t a joke.

“‘Professor Shields has been bothering Abigail for weeks. Somebody should’ve reported her a long time ago.'”

The room got quieter.

Ashley looked up.

“There are a lot of these.”

Abigail looked down at her hands.

Emma noticed immediately.

So did Megan.

The humor disappeared from the room just enough for reality to settle back in.

“That’s good,” Megan said softly.

Everyone looked at her.

“It means people saw it.”

She gestured toward Ashley’s phone.

“It means this wasn’t happening in secret. There are witnesses.”

Ashley nodded immediately.

“A ton.”

Emma leaned back slightly against the pillows.

“Which means if administration actually wants the truth, they’re going to get it.”

Abigail hoped she was right.

But hope and certainty weren’t the same thing.

The closer they got to that meeting, the more the anxiety returned.

Because none of them actually knew what was waiting for them.

Ashley must have noticed the shift because she lowered the phone.

“Hey.”

Abigail looked up.

“We got you.”

The joking was gone again.

This was Ashley being serious.

Rare.

Dangerous.

Unexpected.

“We all got you.”

Megan nodded.

“Absolutely.”

Emma reached over immediately, taking Abigail’s hand.

“Together, remember?”

That word again.

Together.

The same word she’d used earlier.

The same word that somehow made everything feel a little lighter.

Abigail squeezed her hand gently.

Then let out a slow breath.

“Okay.”

Megan stood first.

“Good.”

Everyone looked at her.

She pointed toward the clock.

“Because if we’re doing this, we should probably start getting ready.”

The reality of that hit immediately.

Administration.

The meeting.

Today.

Not later.

Not tomorrow.

Today.

Ashley groaned dramatically.

“Ugh. I was hoping we’d have more time before the stressful part.”

Emma laughed softly.

“You aren’t even going.”

“Emotionally, I’m going.”

“That’s not how meetings work.”

“It should be.”

Megan rolled her eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get moving.”

The room slowly came alive after that.

Ashley disappeared to make coffee.

Megan started gathering information and screenshots she thought might help.

Emma carefully shifted toward the edge of the bed.

Immediately—

Abigail was there.

“You need help?”

Emma looked up at her.

The answer was obvious.

The concern in Abigail’s face hadn’t gone anywhere.

Probably wouldn’t for a while.

So instead of arguing, Emma smiled softly.

“Yeah.”

Abigail offered her hand.

Emma took it.

And together they got ready for whatever came next.

Across town, in a very different apartment, Professor Shields sat alone at her kitchen table.

Her coffee had gone cold almost an hour ago.

She hadn’t touched it.

Instead, she stared at her phone.

And the posts.

And the comments.

And the support.

Support for Emma.

Support for Abigail.

Support for everyone except her.

Her jaw tightened.

Another post.

Another comment.

Another student calling her inappropriate.

Obsessive.

Creepy.

The phone hit the table harder than intended.

The sound echoed through the room.

“This is ridiculous.”

But even as she said it, she knew the problem.

The narrative wasn’t going the way she expected.

People weren’t talking about Emma hitting her.

People were talking about why.

And that made her angrier than anything.

She picked up her phone again.

Opened the complaint.

Read through it one more time.

Then reached for her laptop.

If administration wanted a story—

She was going to make sure they heard hers first.

And for the first time since filing the complaint, a small smile appeared on her face.

It wasn’t a pleasant one.

Not even close.

Meanwhile, across town, Abigail helped Emma into the car while Megan and Ashley followed behind.

The university was getting closer.

And none of them knew that the real fight hadn’t happened yet.

It was about to start now. 

The drive to campus felt longer than usual.

Nobody was particularly talkative.

Even Ashley, who normally filled silence with whatever thought entered her head first, seemed to understand that today was different.

The closer they got to the university, the tighter Abigail’s grip became on the steering wheel.

Emma noticed.

Of course she did.

Without saying anything, she reached across the center console and rested her hand on Abigail’s arm.

The gesture was small.

Simple.

But it worked.

Abigail glanced over briefly.

Emma offered a faint smile.

“I’m okay.”

The words were clearly meant to reassure her.

Abigail shook her head.

“I know.”

But she still wasn’t convinced.

Not completely.

By the time they arrived, the campus was already buzzing.

Students were walking between buildings, gathering outside classrooms, sitting on benches.

Normal.

At least it looked normal.

Until people started noticing them.

Emma saw it first.

Heads turning.

Whispers.

A few students immediately looking away when they realized they’d been caught staring.

Ashley noticed too.

“Oh yeah.”

Abigail sighed.

“What?”

Ashley looked out the window.

“They definitely know.”

“Thank you, Ashley.”

“Just trying to keep everybody informed.”

Megan smacked her lightly on the arm.

The four of them walked across campus together.

Almost immediately, Abigail noticed something strange.

People weren’t looking at Emma negatively.

Quite the opposite.

Several students smiled at her.

One even gave her a subtle thumbs-up while passing.

Emma looked horrified.

Ashley looked delighted.

“Oh my God.”

“Don’t.”

“They love you.”

“Please stop.”

Ashley was practically vibrating with excitement.

As they approached the administration building, the mood shifted again.

Reality returning.

The meeting.

The complaint.

The uncertainty.

Everything waiting behind those doors.

Emma’s smile faded.

Abigail’s shoulders tensed.

Megan and Ashley both noticed immediately.

“Hey,” Megan said quietly.

Everyone looked at her.

“No matter what happens in there, tell the truth.”

Ashley nodded.

“The actual truth.”

Emma looked between them.

Then at Abigail.

Then nodded.

“Okay.”

Inside, the building felt cold.

Professional.

The kind of place where every sound seemed louder than it should.

A receptionist greeted them before directing Abigail and Emma toward a conference room.

Ashley immediately tried to follow.

The receptionist stopped her.

Ashley looked offended.

“What do you mean I can’t come?”

Megan grabbed her arm.

“We talked about this.”

“I know. I still don’t like it.”

Emma laughed softly despite herself.

“Wait here.”

Ashley pointed dramatically.

“If they make y’all cry, text me.”

“That’s not how meetings work.”

“I know, but I need you to know your options.”

A few minutes later, Abigail and Emma stepped into the conference room.

And immediately stopped.

Because Professor Shields was already there.

Sitting comfortably at the far end of the table.

Like she belonged there.

Like nothing had happened.

Like she hadn’t spent weeks following Abigail around campus.

Like she hadn’t taken her phone.

Like she hadn’t cornered her in a private practice room.

The second her eyes landed on Abigail, something flashed across her face.

Not guilt.

Not regret.

Something else.

Something that made Abigail uncomfortable.

Emma noticed too.

Instantly.

Her entire posture changed.

Not aggressive.

Protective.

“Professor Smith. Abigail.”

One of the administrators stood.

“Thank you for coming.”

Two other administrators sat nearby, folders spread across the table.

Serious expressions.

Prepared expressions.

The kind that gave absolutely nothing away.

“Please have a seat.”

Abigail and Emma sat beside each other.

Neither said a word.

The administrator folded their hands.

“Before we begin, I want everyone to understand that our goal today is to establish exactly what occurred.”

Abigail nodded.

Emma nodded.

Professor Shields remained silent.

The administrator opened a folder.

“We have received a formal complaint alleging physical assault.”

The words hung in the room.

Heavy.

Official.

Real.

Then the administrator looked up.

“However…”

That one word changed everything.

Abigail noticed immediately.

So did Emma.

The administrator glanced down at another folder.

A thicker one.

Much thicker.

“We have also received multiple witness statements.”

Professor Shields stiffened.

Just slightly.

But everyone saw it.

The administrator continued.

“Several students independently reported observing interactions between Professor Shields and Abigail over the past several weeks.”

Silence.

Another page turned.

“We have statements describing repeated unwanted attention.”

Another page.

“Repeated attempts to initiate personal relationships.”

Another page.

“Repeated appearances in locations where Abigail was present.”

Emma slowly looked toward Shields.

The expression on her face said everything.

The administrator looked directly at Abigail.

“Abigail, we’d like to hear your account of what happened.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The administrator’s question hung in the air while every eye in the room shifted toward Abigail.

She took a slow breath.

Then another.

And finally began.

“Professor Shields has been making me uncomfortable for a while.”

The room stayed quiet.

One of the administrators picked up a pen.

“Can you explain?”

Abigail nodded.

“At first I thought maybe I was overthinking it. She’s a professor. I see professors all over campus. Running into people happens.”

She glanced briefly toward Shields.

“But after a while it stopped feeling accidental.”

Across the table, Shields immediately shifted in her seat.

“I object to that characterization—”

“Professor Shields,” the administrator interrupted firmly. “You will have an opportunity to respond.”

Shields pressed her lips together.

Abigail continued.

“She started showing up everywhere. The grocery store. The student center. Events. Places I normally went.”

The administrator nodded.

“Did you ever tell her you weren’t interested in a personal relationship?”

“Yes.”

The answer came immediately.

“Multiple times.”

“Did her behavior stop?”

“No.”

Another note was written down.

Abigail swallowed before continuing.

“Yesterday I was practicing guitar in one of the music rooms for an upcoming performance.”

The administrators listened carefully.

“I was alone.”

“And then?” one asked.

“I heard a knock. When I opened the door, Professor Shields was standing there.”

The administrator nodded.

“What happened next?”

Abigail’s jaw tightened.

“I tried to call Emma.”

The room grew noticeably quieter.

One administrator looked up.

“You attempted to make a phone call?”

“Yes.”

“And what happened?”

Abigail met their eyes.

“Professor Shields took my phone.”

That got an immediate reaction.

One administrator stopped writing.

Another looked directly at Shields.

“You took a student’s phone?”

“It wasn’t like that—”

“Then explain how it was.”

For the first time, Shields seemed caught off guard.

“I was trying to calm her down.”

“By taking her property?” the administrator asked.

Shields didn’t answer right away.

The silence spoke for itself.

Abigail continued.

“After that, she started talking about us.”

“Us?”

“Her and me.”

The room became even quieter.

“I told her I wasn’t interested.”

Another note.

“I told her I was already in a relationship.”

Emma remained silent beside her, but Abigail could feel her attention shift.

“I told her she was my professor and that what she was doing wasn’t okay.”

The administrator nodded.

“And then?”

Abigail looked down briefly.

“I told her I should probably report her.”

Across the table, Shields looked away.

That didn’t go unnoticed.

The administrator turned toward Emma.

“Professor Smith.”

Emma sat up slightly.

“We understand you became involved after receiving a phone call?”

Emma nodded.

“Abigail had already hit the call button before Professor Shields took the phone.”

The administrators immediately focused on her.

“You’re saying you overheard the interaction?”

“Most of it.”

“What did you hear?”

Emma’s expression hardened.

“I heard Abigail repeatedly tell Professor Shields she wasn’t interested.”

The administrator wrote quickly.

“I heard her say she was already in a relationship.”

More notes.

“I heard her ask to be left alone.”

The room remained silent.

“And then?”

Emma exhaled slowly.

“I heard fear in her voice.”

Abigail looked down at the table.

Even now, hearing it said out loud made her stomach twist.

“I got there as fast as I could.”

The administrator nodded.

“And when you arrived?”

Emma was quiet for a second.

Then—

“I saw Professor Shields reaching toward Abigail.”

Immediately, Shields sat forward.

“That’s not what happened.”

Three administrators looked at her at once.

She sat back again.

Emma continued.

“At that point, I reacted.”

A long silence followed.

One administrator glanced at the complaint before looking back at Emma.

“That appears to be an understatement.”

For the first time all morning, a small smile tugged at Abigail’s lips.

Gone almost immediately.

But Emma saw it.

Then the conference room door opened.

Another administrator entered carrying a large folder.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

The administrator placed it on the table.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

Everyone looked at the folder.

Including Shields.

“Additional witness statements have been submitted.”

The room went silent.

The administrator opened the folder.

“Twenty-three student statements.”

Abigail blinked.

Twenty-three?

Pages flipped.

“Several students reported witnessing Professor Shields repeatedly approaching Abigail throughout the semester.”

Another page.

“Multiple students reported hearing Abigail reject those advances.”

Another page.

“We also received security footage showing Abigail entering the practice room alone and Professor Shields entering several minutes later.”

Across the table, Shields visibly paled.

Nobody missed it.

The administrator folded his hands and looked directly at her.

“Professor Shields.”

For the first time all morning—

She looked nervous.

Very nervous.

“Would you like to revise any part of your original statement before we continue?”

The room went completely silent.

Professor Shields stared at the folder sitting on the table like it had personally betrayed her.

Twenty-three student statements.

Security footage.

Witness accounts.

Everything she clearly hadn’t expected.

The administrator gave her a moment to answer.

“Professor Shields?” he repeated.

Shields straightened slightly in her chair.

“I stand by my statement.”

The words sounded confident.

But not nearly as confident as they had ten minutes ago.

One of the administrators nodded slowly.

“Very well.”

He opened the folder again.

“Several students reported observing you approach Abigail on numerous occasions throughout the semester.”

Page.

“Several students reported witnessing interactions where Abigail appeared uncomfortable.”

Page.

“Three students specifically reported hearing Abigail tell you she was not interested in a personal relationship.”

Page.

“And one student reported hearing Abigail tell you that your attention was making her uncomfortable.”

Abigail felt Emma’s hand tighten slightly beside her.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

Just enough.

Across the table, Shields shifted again.

The administrator continued.

“Do you dispute these accounts?”

Shields hesitated.

And that hesitation was all anyone needed to see.

“I think students are misinterpreting normal interactions.”

The administrators exchanged a look.

Not a good look.

A look that said they had heard that answer before.

The administrator flipped another page.

“Then perhaps you can explain why multiple students independently described the same pattern of behavior.”

No answer.

Just silence.

The administrator continued.

“Can you explain why you entered the practice room?”

“I wanted to talk.”

“About what?”

Shields paused.

“Personal matters.”

The administrator’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Personal matters involving a student?”

That landed.

Hard.

For the first time, Shields seemed to realize how bad that sounded out loud.

Emma sat perfectly still beside Abigail.

But Abigail knew her well enough now to see the tension in her jaw.

The effort it was taking not to say something.

Not to react.

Not to make things worse.

The administrator looked back toward Abigail.

“Did you invite Professor Shields to meet with you privately?”

“No.”

“Did you ask for a personal relationship with Professor Shields?”

“No.”

“Did you encourage her attention in any way?”

“No.”

The answers came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Because they were true.

The administrator nodded and made another note.

Then he turned toward Emma.

“Professor Smith, we’d like to discuss your actions.”

The room shifted.

Immediately.

Emma sat up slightly straighter.

“Okay.”

“You acknowledge striking Professor Shields?”

Emma looked directly at him.

“Yes.”

Abigail closed her eyes briefly.

At least she wasn’t trying to deny it.

The administrator nodded.

“We appreciate your honesty.”

Emma glanced toward Abigail before looking back.

“I shouldn’t have handled it that way.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Including Abigail’s.

Emma continued.

“But when I arrived, Abigail was scared. Her phone had been taken. She had repeatedly told Professor Shields to leave her alone.”

The room remained quiet.

“I reacted.”

The administrator folded his hands.

“Do you regret your actions?”

Emma paused.

A long pause.

Too long.

Abigail already knew what was coming.

Emma finally answered.

“…I regret how I handled it.”

The administrator nodded.

“But?” he asked.

Emma sighed.

“But I don’t regret protecting her.”

Abigail looked down immediately.

Across the table, Shields looked furious.

Emma continued before anyone could respond.

“Honestly, how would you react if someone was doing this same thing to your fiancée?”

The room went quiet again.

Very quiet.

Emma’s voice wasn’t angry.

It was honest.

Controlled.

“How would you react if someone kept following her around? Showing up everywhere she went? Ignoring her when she said no? Taking her phone? Cornering her when she was alone?”

No one interrupted.

No one rushed to answer.

Because the question didn’t really have an easy answer.

Emma shook her head slightly.

“I’m not saying I handled it correctly. I didn’t. But I walked into that room and saw someone I love scared and trapped. I wasn’t thinking about policy. I wasn’t thinking about consequences.”

Her eyes briefly found Abigail’s.

“I was thinking about her.”

Abigail felt her throat tighten.

One administrator actually had to clear his throat before continuing.

“Thank you for your honesty.”

Then he looked at both of them.

“At this time, based on the statements, footage, and testimony provided, it appears there is substantial evidence supporting Abigail’s account.”

For the first time all morning, Abigail felt some of the weight leave her chest.

Not all of it.

But enough.

The administrator continued.

“Professor Shields will be placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.”

Shields’ head snapped up.

“What?”

The administrator didn’t flinch.

“We are also opening a formal inquiry regarding your interactions with students.”

The color drained from her face.

“What?”

This time it came out weaker.

Less certain.

The room stayed silent.

Because suddenly—

The complaint she had filed wasn’t the biggest problem in the room anymore.

Not even close.

Beside Abigail, Emma slowly exhaled.

For the first time since entering the building.

And outside the conference room, completely unaware that the meeting was turning in their favor, Ashley was pacing the hallway dramatically while Megan sat calmly in a chair.

Ashley checked her phone for the fifteenth time.

“Why is this taking so long?”

Megan didn’t even look up.

“Because real life isn’t a TikTok.”

Ashley sighed dramatically.

“That’s unfortunate.”