“See you tomorrow, professor!” a student called out as Candace ended her lecture. Pregnant and tired, Candace decided to skip her usual post-lecture work routine and return home.

Her husband, Octavius, was a lawyer, so they were financially secure. But Candace still had a month before her maternity leave started, so here she was, taking classes.

As she arrived home, Candace noticed Octavius’s jacket was out of place and heard a noise from the bedroom. Entering, she found Octavius with her brightest student, Ariadne, who appeared shocked at Candace’s arrival…

“Octavius, what is happening here?” Candace demanded, her eyes on her husband’s slightly unbuttoned shirt.

“Candace, darling, this is not what it seems,” Octavius replied, trying to maintain composure.

Ariadne, speechless, looked between the two, her face showing internal turmoil.

“Explain,” Candace insisted, her breath hitched with emotion.

“I… Candace, this is…” Octavius stuttered, struggling to articulate.

“Darling, I know how this looks, but it’s not like that,” Octavius continued. “Ariadne came for advice. I was changing; she followed me here, and the door closed accidentally.”

“Advice?” Candace asked, visibly confused and distressed.

“Yes, about her future. She wanted your advice, but since you weren’t here, she asked about my career as a lawyer,” Octavius explained.

Candace, still skeptical, turned to Ariadne. “Is that true?”

“I-I, ” Ariadne stuttered, then nodded. “Yes. I wanted advice.”

Candace wasn’t convinced. “Octavius,” she said sternly. “I know something’s wrong, and I want to know what. Now.”

“This is the truth,” Octavius insisted.

“No! That story is insane! I don’t believe it,” Candace countered, her trust in her husband faltering.

Ariadne, looking fearful, began to speak, but Octavius interrupted her. “Ariadne, stop!”

“You need to stop! She looks terrified of you, Octavius!” Candace said sharply.

“No, she’s terrified of you,” Octavius retorted. “And I know I should be understanding. You’re pregnant, and the hormones make women think all sorts of things, but this is not what it looks like!”

“Don’t blame this pregnancy,” Candace warned.

“Did you cheat on me?” Candace cut to the chase, seeking the truth in the charged atmosphere.

“What? Jesus! You’re ridiculous!” exclaimed Octavius, frustrated.

“So you expect me to believe everything you’ve said?” Candace retorted sharply.

“It’s the truth!” he insisted confidently. Their heated exchange was interrupted by Ariadne’s sobbing.

Candace turned to her student. “Ariadne, what aren’t you telling me?”

Octavius tried to interject, but Candace cut him off. “Shut up, Octavius! This isn’t just about us.”

“You don’t have to explain now. You can take your time, alright?” she told Ariadne calmly.

“Candace, let me explain—”

“I said not now, Octavius! It’s time to hear Ariadne’s side of the story.”

“Dr. Rhodes, I didn’t—” was all Ariadne could say.

“Ariadne, it’s alright. Calm down, and tell me everything. I’m listening.”

“Candace, perhaps we should discuss this privately,” Octavius interjected.

“No,” Candace replied firmly. “I’ve heard your side. It’s time for hers. You should leave!”

“I didn’t want this, Dr. Rhodes,” Ariadne whispered.

“What is this?” Candace asked softly, concerned.

Octavius tried to intervene again, and Candace lost her cool. “Get out of here before I do something crazy, Octavius! Just leave!”

After he left, Candace turned to Ariadne. “Just tell me what happened.”

“I know how it must have looked in there,” Ariadne began. “But I—” Her tears didn’t let her continue.

“So, you’re not having an affair with my husband?” Candace asked directly.

“I-no, no, no, no, no, no,” Ariadne replied, horrified. Then the young girl burst into tears again. The college lecturer could only sigh. She knew she would get nothing from this young woman today. She was too shaken up.

“I’m calling you a taxi home, but visit my campus office tomorrow,” she told Ariadne. “We need to discuss this.”

That night, after Octavius returned home, Candace confronted him.

“Is she gone now?” he asked.

“Yes,” Candace replied.

“What did she say?” Octavius asked.

“That girl couldn’t stop crying! You did something to her!” Candace accused him, frustrated with whatever had happened. The baby, and now this…it was all too much for her to take.

“I haven’t touched that girl!” Octavius said defensively.

Haven’t touched that girl… What are you hiding, Octavius? Candace thought suspiciously.

Octavius sighed, moving closer to her. “Trust me; there’s nothing to worry about. She was seeking guidance,” he assured her.

“Why did she need guidance?” Candace probed, seeking to unravel the truth.

“She’s worried about her future in philosophy,” Octavius responded seriously.

“And she cried because of that?” Candace pressed, skeptical.

Octavius shrugged. “Perhaps. And you accusing her didn’t help. Besides, she’s not the only other woman who’s been in this room.”

“What?” Candace asked, trying to sound nonchalant after catching his minor slip.

“Oh well, your mom, your sister. Just your family,” he replied quickly, deflecting suspicion.

Candace wasn’t convinced her lawyer husband was telling her the truth and decided to investigate further. After a restless night, she found Octavius’s laptop open the next morning. She scoured through it, discovering several links to another site known for being for emails.

Candace’s heart sank as she clicked on the site link and read Ariadne’s email, then others from her old students. Octavius had catfished her students, gotten them to send explicit things, and afterward made demands.

Candace knew her lawyer husband could convince a priest to sin, which is how he easily tricked those girls into these insidious actions. She had no idea how he successfully found those students online, but did that really matter now? The damage was done.

Candace realized the gravity of her husband’s deceit. Octavius hadn’t just crossed moral boundaries; he had shattered them. The evidence on his laptop painted a grim picture of manipulation and exploitation, far beyond any simple affair.

Candace, overwhelmed by nausea and the weight of her discoveries, ran to the bathroom and vomited, feeling betrayed and sickened. Octavius, who was in the living room until now, appeared outside the bathroom door and asked if she needed a doctor.

“No, I’ll call the faculty. I can’t work today,” Candace replied, masking her turmoil.

After Octavius left, she reread the emails on her phone, her heart sinking. She’d sent them to her email and deleted them from his sent folder. “Why? Why would he do this to these girls?” she pondered, her mind racing with questions.

Reading the emails made her realize Octavius had used his charm to manipulate and silence young women, exploiting their vulnerabilities. Candace knew her marriage had crumbled, and she felt terrible. But she couldn’t sit and cry. She felt responsible for Ariadne and her other students.

Her phone rang; it was Ariadne. “Dr. Rhodes, I’m at your office,” the student said timidly.

“I’m at home,” Candace replied, “and I know everything. I found his emails.”

Ariadne was distraught, but Candace urged her to stay composed and save any evidence. She promised to fix things and asked if Ariadne would give a statement to the police.

“Yes,” Ariadne agreed, showing a quiet resolve.

Candace then called Dr. Cyprus, the university dean, and told her everything. The dean warned Candace that she could lose her job. “I know it wasn’t your fault, but your students were targets. It seems… intentional.” Candace didn’t care. She wanted the girls to get justice.

***

Days later, Candace met Ariadne at the campus cafeteria. “How have you been feeling?” she asked with concern.

Ariadne admitted her struggle with the traumatic experience. Candace reassured her, “Remember, you’re stronger than you think, and you’re not alone in this.”

Candace revealed their next step: going to the police station to make a statement, along with other victims. Ariadne agreed.

On the way to the police station, Candace battled her own feelings of horror and regret. Ariadne, visibly nervous, shared her fears and doubts, revealing her family was conservative and might disown her if they learned what happened.

Candace comforted her. “You were tricked. It’s not your fault.”

“But I fell for it,” Ariadne lamented. “I believed him.”

Candace reassured her, “Octavius knew how to exploit vulnerabilities. It doesn’t make you weak.”

In the police station, Detective Reynolds listened intently as Ariadne recounted her ordeal. “He threatened me, said he’d ruin everything. My career, my life,” she explained, her voice trembling.

Candace supported her. “He wanted to coerce her into doing more…sleeping with her.”

“Do you have evidence?” Reynolds asked.

Candace presented her phone, showing emails and screenshots. “These are the emails and screenshots. It’s all there.”

“Others are coming forward,” Candace added, hinting at the broader scope of Octavius’s manipulations.

Detective Reynolds offered a compassionate nod. “We’ll thoroughly investigate this matter. You’ve shown immense bravery by coming forward.”

After submitting the evidence, they left the station. Back home, Candace confronted Octavius. “I went to the police station with Ariadne today,” she told him.

“Ariadne? Why would you take her to the police?”

“Because she spoke up about what you did to her. How you manipulated and blackmailed her,” Candace revealed, her tone firm.

Octavius’s face contorted with disbelief, his mask of calm cracking. “You can’t be serious. You’re making this up.”

“I wish I were,” Candace retorted, tired. “But I saw the evidence, the messages, everything you did to coerce her. And she’s not the only one.”

Octavius stood frozen, his expression a mixture of fury and panic. “You have no idea what you’ve done. You think you can ruin me with these lies?”

“They’re not lies!” Candace’s voice rose, her frustration boiling over. “You preyed on her vulnerability, on her trust, and I won’t let you get away with it.”

Octavius lunged forward, grabbing Candace’s arm, his grip tight. “You will regret this. You think you can destroy everything we have because of some ridiculous allegations? We’re having a baby!”

Candace, resolute, pulled away from Octavius’s grip. “I’m done, Octavius. I won’t watch you destroy others’ lives. I should’ve known sooner,” she declared, beginning to pack her things.

Octavius followed her, pleading, “Candace, listen. Ariadne is manipulating you. She’s trying to destroy our marriage.”

“I saw the evidence, Octavius. I saw what you did,” Candace retorted, ignoring his attempts to sway her. “You call preying on a vulnerable woman a mistake?”

“That’s not what it was!” Octavius protested, reaching out to her. But she stepped away.

“I understand that you think you can charm your way out of this. But trust me, it’s over, Octavius,” Candace said firmly, leaving the house with her bag.

***

In court, Octavius defended a client with his usual eloquence. Candace watched from the back, hidden in the sea of spectators, observing the man she once believed in.

“Your Honor, the evidence is circumstantial,” Octavius argued confidently.

Amid his argument, officers entered the courtroom. “Mr. Rhodes, you’re under arrest,” one officer declared, causing a stir.

“Arrest? This is absurd! On what grounds?” Octavius protested, his composure breaking.

Detective Reynolds stepped in. “We have a warrant for your arrest, Mr. Rhodes. You need to come with us.”

Octavius, a mix of anger and confusion, tried to protest. “This is a mistake! You have no right to—”

“Save it for the station,” Detective Reynolds cut him off.

After watching the scene unfold, Candace silently slipped out of the courtroom. Her thoughts turned to rebuilding her life and future, now free from the shadow of Octavius’s deceit, thanks to Detective Reynolds for ensuring Octavius’s arrest.

Candace knew her baby would miss out on a father’s love after everything that happened, but once that child grew up, he’d be proud of how she had saved so many girls from an awful man like Octavius.

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