Page 183 of The Professor's Wife

“For any specific reason?”

“He likes to dress me up.”

Her cheeks reddened. “Man, your husband is the best. Where do I find a guy like that?”

I laughed. “I found mine at the University.”

“Educated, good looking, and loves to dress his wife?” She sighed dreamily. “You’re living the dream, girl.”

She looked down at the list, and like before she didn’t blink twice about the ambiguous request for “distilled water.”

“I’ll be back in the afternoon,” she said. “I’ll ring the doorbell to let you know the groceries are out here.”

“Great, thank you, Louise.”

She left, looking relieved that she had work today. I would get Oliver to tip her. Nothing made him feel better than being recognized as a charitable man, especially if it helped a single mother whose side gig was drying up.

After my morning duties were completed, I went to the nook area on the upper level and sat down in my white leather armchair. I pulled out my latest read from my bookshelf and continued it, getting lost in the classic fiction Oliver approved of to escape the reminder I was never too far out of his reach.

I hadn’t been engrossed long when I heard a commotion coming from Oliver’s office. It was unusual he would ever raise his voice, but the more I listened, the more I realized it wasn’t his voice at all. The hairs along my arm raised. I’d never heard someone lose it at my husband in all the years I’d been with him.

Unable to stop myself, I stood up and slowly crept down the hall and to his office at the very end. My heart picked up along the way, catching the sobs and screams coming from a female voice, and Oliver responded in his calm and smooth tone. He didn’t sound rattled. Not at all.

“Professor Black, don’t do this!”

“I’m sorry, Lucy,” he returned. “But your paper has already been reported to the Dean—”

“NO! Please, you can reverse this, can’t you? I’ll be kicked out of my program, Professor, please.”

“If you want to discuss leniency, you will need to do that with the dean, Lucy—”

“After everything, Professor Black, you’re just going to let this happen to me?”

Silence.

I held my breath. Utterly aware he could be watching me standing outside his office door, I still didn’t move. However, I had a feeling I wasn’t on Oliver’s mind right now. His entire focus was on Lucy and her suddenly quiet yet steely voice.

“What are you going to do if I don’t try to reverse this, Lucy?” Oliver asked, his tone matching hers.

“You keep thinking I’ll take it,” she responded, coldly. “I keep telling you, Professor Black, I’m not that kind of girl. I did this purposely to see if you noticed. I wanted your attention. I know things that you wouldn’t want let out to the public.”

You could hear a pin drop, that was how quiet it got. I knew I ought to be moving. To be backing away and minding my own business, but whatever punishment that awaited me from being caught out like this seemed worth it.

Oliver, who seemed to be in control of every facet of his life, couldn’t get a young student in control. What did she have on him? How did she one-up him? It felt like such an impossible feat.

“Come to my office, Lucy,” Oliver suddenly said. “I’ll be stopping in at three.”

“To reverse this?”

“To discuss this.”

There was a triumphant edge in her tone. “I’ll see you at three, Professor.”

The chair suddenly screeched back, and I backed away quickly, but I wasn’t fast enough. Within moments, the office door whipped open, and Oliver stood before me. He had his keys in hand when he found me and jolted. His face was pale; his lips parted in surprise. He hadn’t known I was there.

All at once, his face darkened. I braced myself, unable to stop the question from flying out. “What did you do, Oliver?”

In response, he gripped my bare arm and dragged me down the hallway. It was to be expected. I barely flinched whenhe shook me, his rage centered now on me. I continued my questions, knowing there was no point trying to please him. This had never happened before. I’d never seen someone speak to him like that.