Disobedience

Chapter 56: Petitions

Kimberly Jane

"It's been a while since I have been here." I said to Dean Briana Robinson as I sat on the visitor's chair just right in front of her wooden table. Her leather swivel chair creaked a little when she adjusted her posture. Just like me, she was dressed in a lighter color pantsuit. Her thick, curly hair was loose and shiny—it was so perfect that it looked like one of those hair product commercials. "Can I also say how awkward this is considering the last time I was here was when you asked me to help Elijah.." Dagdag ko. My finger fidgeting with Elijah's promise ring on my finger—finally ay pwede ko na iyon na isuot in public.

She took a deep breath, her expression still neutral. I couldn't read her round brown eyes or the way her full lips are in a fine line.

"Why don't we go here, Kim?" She gestured to the small couch set that was tucked on the corner of her office. When she stood up, she opened a drawer from her table and pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Do you casually have alcohol in your office?"

"If you're the head of a top Phillipine university full of early twenty something year olds with rich parents, emailing me to make sure that Carlson will get an excused absence days so he could 'winter' in Switzerland, or the son of a business mogul telling me that he couldn't make it to school because daddy's private jet is under maintenance so he is stuck in Saint Tropez France, and that he couldn't  fly a 'normal' plane because it is 'too small', somehow that is my problem, and oh, three parents are on the phone line waiting to speak with me because they could not accept John and James' A-minus, like I could do something about it-—-what would you suggest I should have instead, Kim?"

"Shît, something stronger than that." I pointed at the bottle. "I have a bunch of Johnnie Walker Red Labels, if you want."

She chuckled softly and shook her head.

"And make that just one glass, please." I pointed to my stomach.

Sandaling nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata.

"Four weeks." I said.

She nodded before she walked with me to the couch and we both took seats. After she poured herself some red, she then placed the bottle on the side table.

"Attorney and Doctor Kimberly Jane Wencezlao." She said before she took a sip of wine from her glass. "Dåmn and both your parents are lawyers and Judges in two countries."

"Everytime I think about it, I feel sorry for my baby because ain't no way they could ever get away with anything. Probably with their dad, yes." I replied, it felt good to finally say that I have someone special outloud, to not have him in hiding anymore.

She chuckled.

"Look," She sighed softly. "You and Dr. Everleigh Palma-Viglianco are the two most liked professors in this entire school. For years, I have not heard a single bad review for you or from any parent, you have a sterling reputation. The only big news that I would ever hear about you is whenever you handle a big case, until the article which involved Elijah."

Napalunok naman ako.

"I would understand if it no longer makes you comfortable to be friends with me after the fact." I said.

"Kim, ano ba. No." Humugot siya muli ng hininga. "It doesn't bother me personally, he is an adult and I heard the entire video recording before it was gone, he admitted that it was him who pursued you, that you knew that technically it was wrong to be in a relationship with but he still did what he had done, the entire world heard it." She said, "He had feelings for you from the very start...that's why you didn't want to be with him."

"It wasn't exactly romantic feelings in the beginning, Bri. It was more of a lúst...and then it started turning into something more until I found myself consulting with an attorney friend of mine, about giving up everything so I could be with him." Deretso kong sagot.

She nodded, this time her brown eyes were gleaming with genuine emotions. She looked relieved, somehow.

"I tried to fight it but I found myself giving in and I wanted it as much as he did, and so regardless of the article, I would accept the consequences as long as you swear that nothing will happen to his education. I am willing to give up my position as a tenured professor, take full responsibility and fully participate in any investigations that you think are necessary."

"Yeah, about that....." She said before she finished her glass of wine in one gulp. She then put the glass next to the bottle of wine before she stood up and walked to her table where there was a huge pile of papers. "You see this, Kim? There are hundreds of petitions from all of your four hundred students stating that you are to stay here in this very university, they have eloquently written that they did not see any favoritism or indifference while you were teaching a class with Elijah Gray Pierceton in it. Do you also remember the students you help prevent from failing a semester?----well, their parents also helped with the petition to reach the Chairman and the school board. The rich parents threaten to withdraw all the donations that they give every year to this school. One of them said that they will have the library they donated demolished if they ever painted your image in the wrong way."

Hindi ako nakasagot agad dahil sa pagkabigla.

"W-What?" My heart felt full and I wanted to cry. I didn't think that I would be this much appreciated.

"Actually, make it five hundred students because I also received petitions from the students of other professors you help after classes, and regarding Elijah, your significant other has already gone here earlier with Judge Holt. He requested to be transferred to another campus here in the Philippines, to make sure that there is no conflict going forward. He will be also retaking the whole semester with another professor to further clean your name and prove no special treatment that ever occured. He loves you, like a lot." She sincerely said. "And I had already spoken with the Chairman of the board, she was firm that this school has your back and that you are not going anywhere, Attorney Kimberly."