Page 115 of Teach Me Your Ways

“I was protecting the department’s interests⁠—”

“By manufacturing a scandal?” another board member said.

“This is outrageous,” she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. “Don’t act like you don’t know what that man does. Look at him!”

I did exactly that. I glanced over at Grady to find him looking somewhat shocked.

“What are we supposed to see?” the old man on the end said.

I would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire. The poor old guy looked genuinely confused. Like he was looking for signs of serial killer.

Dean Carver’s face twisted as she pointed an accusatory finger at Grady. “Look at him! He’s a walking scandal waiting to happen. Do you really think this is the first time he’s crossed the line with a student? He’s a predator, preying on young women who don’t know any better. He’s been doing it for years—I just haven’t been able to prove it until now.”

My stomach churned, but I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn’t going to let her get away with this. “Do you have any proof of that?” I asked, my voice steady despite the anger bubbling inside me. One of us had to remain professional.

She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for support. “I don’t need proof,” she snapped. “It’s common knowledge. Everyone knows what he’s like.”

“Common knowledge isn’t evidence,” I shot back. “If you have proof, show it. Otherwise, you’re just making baseless accusations. I believe you might even be trekking into slander territory.”

Her face flushed with anger, and she turned to the board members. “You can’t seriously believe this man is innocent. He’s a danger to this university and its students. He needs to be removed immediately. I’ve heard the students talking. He flirts with them. He takes them to his bed.”

“I think you might want to actually ask the students who flirts with who,” I said. “Because I can tell you, it’s not him chasing them.”

Seraphina Reese leaned forward, her expression stern. “Joyce, unless you can provide concrete evidence to support your claims, we can’t act on them. This isn’t a court of public opinion. We need facts, and from what I’m hearing, you have one questionable situation. A situation that was mutual and far from scandalous.”

I couldn’t believe Seraphina was suddenly an ally. Lina either. When I decided what I was going to do, I figured I would be the lone defender. But the gallery was filled with people who were supporting Grady.

The dean knew she was screwed. She reminded me of a fish pulled out of the water and left flopping on the dock. Her eyes were wild and she kept opening and closing her mouth. Her hair was falling out of the ridiculous style she had tried to wear it in.

“You had no right to record me!” Her ire was directed back at me.

“I had every right,” I shot back. Adrenaline coursing through me. “You were using me as a pawn in your little game. You didn’t care about the rules or the integrity of the department. You just wanted to destroy him.”

The room erupted into murmurs. It sounded like what I assumed it would be like inside a beehive. Seraphina Reese held up a hand, silencing the room.

Dean Carver looked like a cornered animal, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape.

“I think it’s clear what’s happening here,” Seraphina continued. “This isn’t about protecting the integrity of the university or enforcing rules. This is personal.”

I glanced at Grady, who was staring at me with a mix of shock and admiration. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

“Ms. Monroe,” Seraphina said, turning to me. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Dean Carver,” Seraphina continued, her tone icy. “We’ll need to discuss this further in private.”

Dean Carver’s face went pale, and for a moment, I thought she might faint. She opened her mouth to protest again, but Seraphina cut her off.

“That’s enough,” she said firmly. “We’ll reconvene after we’ve had time to review this new information.”

All the board members stood and filed back out of the room.

Dean Carver paused and shot a dirty look at me, then Grady who was still sitting at the table.

“This isn’t over,” she vowed.

“I think it is,” I said with a smile. “You should go. Sounds like it’s your turn in the hot seat.”