Professor's Dark Desire

Chapter 8 ۵ Birthday

YARA'S POV

The lecture hall was cold, the air thick with anticipation as students filtered in, taking their seats. I could feel the tension mounting within me as I entered the room, the familiar weight of Mr Moreno's presence settling on my shoulders like an icy burden. It was my first lecture back since the chaos with my dad, and though I had spent countless hours catching up on everything I missed, nothing prepared me for the searing gaze that I felt burning into my soul. I sat down.

He didn't ask me a single question during the lecture, but I could feel his eyes on me, every look he cast my way dripping with disdain. I could sense that he loathed me, perhaps even more now than he had before I'd gone missing for a few weeks. The usual rhythm of his voice seemed to harden, every word a sharp rebuke that wasn't directed at me but somehow still found its mark. My mind was racing, barely able to focus on the complex equations and theorems he was scrawling on the board. I knew I should be paying attention, but the weight of his unspoken judgment kept dragging me back into my own thoughts. I couldn't help but replay every missed email that must have fueled his anger towards me. The guilt gnawed at me, and the frustration of not being able to explain myself properly only made it worse.

As the lecture ended, I packed up my things and left the hall like I always did, my thoughts elsewhere. It wasn't until I was halfway across campus that I remembered the question I needed to ask him about one of my assignments. The one part of the coursework that had tripped me up even after all my late-night study sessions.

I stopped dead in my tracks, debating whether to just leave it, but I knew I couldn't afford to let this slide. My grades were already on shaky ground, and if I didn't get this right, it would only get worse. With a heavy sigh, I turned on my heel and made my way back to the lecture hall, my heart pounding louder with every step.

When I reached the door, it was still slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I saw Mr. Moreno at the front of the room, packing up his things. The room felt even colder now that it was empty, the silence only amplifying my nerves. I forced myself to walk down to him, each step feeling like a mile until I was finally standing in front of him.

"Mr. Moreno" I began, my voice barely above a whisper "I have a question about the assignment. There's a part I don't quite understand" He looked up at me, his dark blue eyes tightened as they met mine. For a moment, I thought he might ignore me altogether, but then he set down the papers in his hand and folded his arms across his chest. The room seemed to grow even colder as he spoke.

"You missed so many lectures, and now you have the audacity to come here and ask for help?" he said, his tone dripping with contempt "What do you expect me to do? Hold your hand and guide you through every single problem you've caused yourself" he mocked.

If only he'd known the full truth "I-I had to take care of my dad" I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady "He's been really sick, and I couldn't just leave him" I spoke looking down at the ground. For a brief moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes, but whatever it was, it vanished as quickly as it came. His expression hardened again, the sympathy I'd been hoping for was nowhere to be found.

"We all have our problems, Malik" he said coldly "But that doesn't give you an excuse to abandon your responsibilities. If you think I'm going to make exceptions for you, think again"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt the tears threaten to spill over. I wanted to shout at him, to tell him how unfair he was being, but I couldn't find the words. The anger and hurt twisted inside me, and all I could do was stand there, trembling as I fought to keep myself together.

"Are you going to stand there crying, or are you going to listen to the explanation you asked for" he snapped, his voice cutting through the silence like a whip. I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears as I nodded "I'll listen" I managed to say, my voice barely audible.