Erica stood there, startled by the person standing in front of her. Mark smiled, staring into Erica’s eyes.“You know, we haven’t had the time to talk about what happened.”She rolled her eyes and then looked at him with a cold face. “There’s nothing to talk about, Mark. You cheated, and that’s it.”“I know I cheated, Erica, but you didn't give me the chance to explain,” he said, standing in front of her.“Look, Erica, I messed up big time, and I’m really sorry. I was going through some tough stuff, and I allowed it to cloud my judgment. It’s not an excuse, but I want you to understand where I was coming from.”She scoffed, "Where were you coming from? You cheated on me, Mark. We dated for 4 years, Mark. I thought you loved me, but it was all a bloody lie. You cheating bastard!”She tried to walk past him, but he held her hand. She tried to pull her hand away, but Mark held on tighter. “Let go of me, Mark. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”His face was angry. “What about

He sat at his office desk, deeply involved in preparing for an upcoming lecture. Suddenly, a concern struck him.“Is she alright?” He wondered if Erica was somewhere, perhaps crying over her situation. The thought that she might have chosen the wrong person, much like he had in the past, crossed his mind.Shaking off these thoughts, he tried to focus on his work. However, memories of the night he spent with Erica surfaced. Recollecting her story of heartbreak and the fact that she turned to him in her vulnerable state made him question if he was just a rebound.Feeling uneasy about this possibility, he pushed away his research material in frustration.“My wife left me for my friend, and now a student slept with me to get over her cheating ex. You really are something, Sebastian,” he muttered, rappling with the complex emotions affecting his personal and professional life.But then the wild night they shared suddenly popped into his mind. He began to reminisce about how he admired her

Mark returned to his apartment to see a girl in it. He thought it was Erica who had come back to reconcile with him because the place was dark.“Erica, I knew you would come back to me,” he said, and then switched on the light in his apartment to see her, but was disappointed when he realized she wasn’t the one.The countenance on his face changed. “Oh, Mia, what are you doing here?”Mia looked up from where she was sitting, unfazed by Mark’s disappointment. “I heard about your breakup with Erica, and I thought you could use some company,” she said with a sly smile.Mark sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Look, Mia, I appreciate the thought, but I’m not really in the mood for company right now. I need some time to figure things out.”Mia leaned forward, her tone suggestive. “Maybe….I can help you take your mind off things, Mark. I’ve always been here for you.”Mark took a step back, realizing Mia’s intentions. “No, Mia, I can’t. I need time alone.”Mia stood up, walking to

While in the library, Erica was busy studying when she noticed that someone was staring at her.Erica looked up from her textbook and caught a glimpse of a tall, dark-haired boy with piercing blue eyes. He was looking at her with a strange expression, and it made her feel uncomfortable.She tried to ignore him and focus on her studies, but she could feel his eyes on her.After a few minutes, Erica couldn’t take it anymore. She got up from her chair and walked over to the boy.“Can I help you with something?” her voice firm.The boy blinked and looked a little surprised. “Uh, I'm sorry,” he said, his voice soft.“I didn’t mean to stare. I just... I was thinking about something, and I lost myself in thought.”“Mmm-hmm.”I am not sure whether to believe him.“Seriously, I was thinking about something, and so I didn’t know I was staring at you.”“That’s okay.” trying to be polite.“Just don’t let it happen again.”He nodded, his expression apologetic.“I’ll try,” he said. “My name is Conn

Chapter 29: Unspoken Boundaries.Erica woke up excited and yawning. She stretched and scratched her belly. Today was going to be a great day.She quickly got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, where she poured herself a bowl of cereal. While she was eating her breakfast, she giggled. Lisa knew something fishy was going on with her friend, so she decided to ask Erica what was wrong.“Hey Erica.” Lisa said, “You seem like you’re in a good mood this morning. What’s got you so happy?”Erica blushed and looked down at her cereal bowl. “Well, I’ve got a secret,” she said with a mischievous smile.“But I can’t tell you what it is!”Lisa was intrigued. “C’mon, you know you can tell me anything! I’m your best friend!”Erica sighed and looked up at Lisa. “Okay, fine. But you have to promise not to tell anyone else!”Lisa nodded eagerly.“Okay.” Erica said, leaning close so that other girls in the cafeteria wouldn’t hear them.“The secret is... Professor Sebastian and I kissed!”“OMG!”