Gaslighter

foreword

EPIGRAPH

"I just really need it to be a love story, you know? I really, really need it to be that. (. . .) Because if it isn't a love story, then what is it? It's my life. This has been my whole life."

— Kate Elizabeth Russell, My Dark Vanessa

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SYNOPSIS

          PENN ROMERO is a smart girl. Smart girls don't get involved with their professors.

          She never meant for it to happen; she didn't even know he was a professor. It shouldn't have happened anyway—all it took was a single moment of weakness, both hers and his, and it snowballed. It happened, and she never had the strength to walk away.

          Maybe she never wanted to, anyway.

          Chase Steele was electric, electrifying, a thunderstorm of a man. He had no need for frivolous, illicit affairs; there was no reason for him to be in that bar that night. It started off with a bought drink, a brushing of fingertips, a longing glance from across the room. Nothing could prepare Penn for everything that followed.

          Present time: Penn does not recognize herself when she looks in the mirror. She feels empty, hollow, as though she's been drained dry by the one person who swore to keep her safe—always in secret, always in the shadows, always under the dim lights of his apartment. He promises he'll call after his lecture and he never does. He promises he'll be better, but he never is. He says she's overreacting, even if she isn't.

          She believes him. Every single time.

          People around her have started to notice: they know something has happened, they know there's a reason behind her skipped plans, long nights, and early mornings.

          They know all of this. They know it's bad. Penn would like to believe she can endure all of it—whatever it takes.

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CONTENTS

this isn't—and I cannot stress this enough—a love story

this book features a relationship between a college professor and a student. it's still not a love story

call this a "professor x student romance" and I WILL block you

penn is a consensual adult

she still makes horrible decisions, though

this book is very, very dear to my heart and deals with aspects and situations that have affected me personally, so please don't be, like, mean about it

dark themes

gaslighting

manipulation

this book is inspired by kate elizabeth russell's my dark vanessa, taylor swift's folklore, & my own personal experiences. this does not excuse speculating about my personal life and it's not nice to try and guess which parts were or were not real for me

this relationship should not be glamorized or romanticized

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CAST

rocio crusset as penelope 'penn' romero

zane holtz as chase steele

hunter schafer as ingrid vogel

ryan destiny as savannah carrington

maia reficco as sarah figueroa

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DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT

          My characters' opinions don't necessarily reflect mine.

          This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, corporations, establishments and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

          COPYRIGHT © 2021 CATERINA GEORGE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

          No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author. Feel free to quote it, but give me the proper credit.