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Thank you,
Professor Noah Mills
I grab my laptop bag,and go upstairs to lock the lecture hall’s doors. Things are going downhill fast, but with a threat like that, they most definitely don’t want me to teach today. The director wants me off her campus as soon as possible. I have information that could portray their administration as unethical and that’s the last thing they want coming out.
Sulikowski meets me at the coffee shop on campus and I explain to him that the situation has changed, and now they are using my relationship with Leslie as grounds for blackmail. His advice is candid, but he doesn’t think I should let them use that information. It’s not a fireable offense on its own, but coupled with five complaints on your record, they could use it to get rid of me. So, since they want me out of here so badly, I want one hell of a severance package.
My phone vibrates.
Leslie: Where are you? Office is locked and so is the lecture hall. ??????
With everything going on, I forgot to even tell her.
Me: Come to the coffee shop.
Sulikowski dismisses himself and tells me to call him if I end up needing anything, and I try to drown myself in caffeine.
“What the hell is going on?” she says loudly, and then lowers her voice as students start to stare.
“Well, someone turned in photos of us at Landry’s. The board knows and wants me to quit.”
Her head flies back. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault, Noah. We should have just stayed away from each other.”
“Don’t you dare. Someone was following us, Les. How else would they know where we were? I think the school hired someone. They are worried that I’ll tell someone about the donations.”
“So, what are you going to do?” she asks, sitting her bag down on the table.
“Get one hell of a severance package and try to see if Dallas University could use another teacher up there. I’ve got savings put away, but I can’t go too long without something.”
Here’s the thing, if they come after me, then they will be coming after her, too.
“Watch your six. They might try to use you to get me leave. Threatening you with suspension or something stupid.”
“Honestly, I can go to college anywhere. There is an online college that will let me finish my degree in two months. It’s an accelerated program, but totally manageable now that I don’t work at the department. I say fuck him, let’s go!”
Right as she takes my hand, my email notification goes off, and I open it from Director Allwood.
Professor Mills,
Attached is the best severance package we can offer after your time at the University. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
Thank you,
Director Allwood
I openup the attachment to see. They are offering me sixty thousand dollars. I can afford to take a year off with that amount of money. I almost jumped for joy.
“It’s official. I am no longer employed at this university. Let’s get the fuck out of here. That cabin in Arkansas sounds like the perfect escape.”
We walk off campus, holding hands, and not giving a fuck who sees.
25
NOAH
THREE MONTHS LATER…
The steam from my coffee is visible as I overlook the woods. There is nothing like waking up to the wilderness and sitting outside. Leslie coming into my life and showing me I’m able to love someone else again, is exactly what I needed. Teaching has always been my strong suit and passion, but I couldn’t let the University treat me that way. After only two days, they announced that I was terminated, and that’s when my lawyer reached out to them. See, after examining their faculty handbook, we found nothing in there related to fraternizing with students, and therefore my termination as they called it, was unwarranted. After months of going back and forth, my lawyer got them to settle outside of court, and ended up getting me an additional four-hundred-thousand dollars for wrongful termination. It was a good way to say fuck you to the University and get what I was owed after all my time there.
