TessaA sign of relief evicted my mouth as Liam glared at me one more time before leaving.What would have happened if Leah hadn't come here? The fear of staying over, and napping at Leah's house was engraved me. How am I going to cope? I knew Liam would find every way to torment me. What do I have to do?I checked the wristwatch, considering it was getting late, but time had gone and Mum wouldn't have it easy on me. I stared at the mirror hoping to glance at myself but all I'm seeing is Leah's drunk face. She was resting on the wall, her cheeks damn red.I inhaled, thinking of how much she would've drunk. Even though I'm also halfway drunk, but not partially like Leah. I walked to her and dragged her out of the bathroom; she wanted to stay back by pulling my hand from hers, but she didn't have her way as my hand held her more tightly.I walked her to sit down on the couch, my eyes staring around if I'd caught a glimpse of Liam or Alex, but the two were nowhere to be found.I brought
TessaThe next morning I woke with a pang of headache and guilty hitting over me. I sat down on the bed my eyes poking around.What have I done to myself? Last night, Liam had sex with me more than three times, once inside the car and when we got home he still had his way.I wonder why Leah could sleep so hard, with the way I struggled inside the car yesterday - she was still sleeping. Even when we got home, Liam was the one who took her inside her room.I can never sleep like that unless if they poison me with a sleeping pill.My hair was messy on the bed, my body felt dirty with what happened yesterday. I had given Liam a free chance of winning over my body.I wanted to push him away, but I couldn't even resist him; he was so sweet that I craved for more after we were done.Should I blame it on alcohol? Maybe if I was in my right sense, I wouldn't have done something like that?I wanted to push out the lingered feeling that made my body weak on the bed, but I couldn't.The memory wa
TessaAfter taking a cold bath and lying down on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, torn between the desire to go home and pick up some clothes and the urge to stay here. This was the best time to go home since neither Leah nor Liam was around to question me about my whereabouts. I knew Mom would have gone to work, and Mr. Carter would have gone to school. I inhaled deeply before standing up, my eyes scanning the room.I didn't know which clothes to wear, but if Leah were around, I would have asked her for cloth. Luckily, I had bought a dress the other day. I made my way to Leah's room, which looked like a disaster zone. It seemed she had thrown every cloth on the floor while searching for what to wear earlier. I grabbed the dress I had bought yesterday, which was also on the floor, and put it on before leaving the room. I simply adjusted my hair to the back, not bothering with any elaborate styling.I walked out of the house, slamming the door shut, only to realize I didn't kno
CarterI descended the stairs, adjusting my shirt and taking a deep breath to compose myself. Tessa's mother, stood in the kitchen, unpacking groceries."Hey," I said, forcing a smile. "How was your day?"She turned, eyeing me with concern. "You're sweating. Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. How did I forget she'd catch on to something. I have to come up with a better way to play it cool. I chuckled, trying to play it off. "Just did some exercises inside. Getting a little rusty, I guess." I lied. She nodded, accepting the explanation. "Well, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. I was thinking of making something special for dinner tonight, since it's just us."My gut twisted with guilt. I had just been with Tessa, and now Mila was being kind and considerate, unaware of my betrayal."That sounds wonderful, Thank you," I said, trying to sound sincere. She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I want to make sure you feel at home here. You've been so good to us, especially Tessa."I fel
TessaMy ears pressed against the wall, absorbing every conversation between Mum and Mr. Carter. Not a single word escaped my attention. Each of their conversations stirred a mix of emotions within me, but his last statement aroused nothing but fear.My eyes widened in surprise, and my body began shaking uncontrollably. I wondered if Mum had any idea what was happening. It was hard for her to even think about it, and the thought sent a chill down my spine.I peered through the door, my eyes fixed on Mr. Carter, whose reaction mirrored mine. However, he tried to play it cool, masking his surprise with a sly smile as he held Mum's shoulder and gently massaged it."Did you think I'm going to do that?" he asked, his voice sounding casual, almost nonchalant. But I knew better. He had already done it, hadn't he? I rolled my eyes at Mum's smile, which only seemed to annoy me further."Can you?" Mum pressed on, her tone laced with curiosity as if she had received information from someone. Tha
TessaThe next day, I walked into school, my thoughts reeling with endless possibilities. Yesterday's close call still lingered in my mind, if Mr. Carter wasn't such a skilled liar, and my mom didn't trust him completely, she would have caught us red-handed.As I entered the library, my eyes scanned the quiet surroundings, but my mind was a chaotic marketplace. I walked to sit down at a corner, and my eyes gazed down at the biology textbook in front of me, usually, I'd solve problems effortlessly, but now I was torn between my turbulent thoughts and desires.For the past few days, I'd felt like a completely transformed person since I started defying my mom's orders and leaving the house. Yesterday, despite her desperate attempts to stop me, I acted stubborn and left, fueling my desire for independence.I wondered if this newfound assertiveness was fighting for my freedom or simply going against my mom's wishes. Mr. Carter, had tried to stop me, but I was too persistent to listen, my
CarterReality hit me like a stone as I scanned the blog on the school portal. This wasn't supposed to be. I clicked on the comments, my eyes scanned each word that stood for the love my students had for me. They kept asking why Mr. Cater was leaving the school. I was glad. But who could have posted this? I was supposed to resume work on Monday, but I guess I won't be spending all of the leave they've granted me at home. I can't sit here idly while someone is trying to make the school sack me or probably just sabotage my career.I stared at the screen again, thinking of who I could call to confirm what had happened. Rebecca was the first person that came to mind. I searched through my call log, found her number, and dialed it, putting it on speaker. Soon, her voice filled the room, shocking me."Hello, Rebecca," I said, my heart racing faster, not because of anything, but because I was scared to know the situation at school."Hello, Mr. Cater. How are you doing?" she asked."That's n
TessaThe news was so unreal, and I knew for sure Mr. Cater couldn't think of leaving the school, not when that's his way of making a living.I stared at the boy, whose intense gaze was fixed on his phone. "Wake up, wake up!" I drummed on the desk, snatching his attention.He looked up at me with a slim, bright smile spreading across his lips. "Can you drop your phone and focus now?" I smirked, wearing a stern face, and he scoffed."You sound like my real teacher," he said, smiling, and dropped his phone, giving me his undivided attention."For now, I'm your teacher, so better listen to my instructions," I replied with a smile.I took the textbook from him, staring at it, but his voice jolted back my attention."But aren't you worried about Mr. Cater leaving the school?" he asked, concern etched on his face.I breathed deeply, closing the textbook while my hands separated it in the middle. "Did you believe the news? Do you think it's real?" I asked.He looked confused, as if thinking
TessaAfter getting hold of Mum's pleading, I went into my room. The tight leggings I wore were really suffocating me; this was one of the reasons why I hated wearing tight clothes.I took off the clothes, rushing to the bathroom to take a quick shower so I could rest. My mind reeled around the trip; for real, the trip would have boosted my energy by now, but the fact that Carter was involved weakened my enthusiasm. If only the trip was hosted by another lecturer, I'd have been thrilled to go.I went inside my room to change into a nightgown before falling heavily onto the couch.It wasn't like I hated Carter now or truly wanted to break off our relationship, but I just wanted to see how far he would go to suppress my anger.My phone beeped, and I realized the message was from Leah. I missed receiving messages and chatting with her.I lay comfortably on the bed, replying to her text. I knew she had something to say immediately she messaged me."Are you going to the trip?" her message
Tessa After hanging out with Leah all day, she had pleaded for me to follow her, but I refused because of Liam. I didn't want to stay anywhere close to him, knowing he'd try to strike up a conversation with me.I was supposed to go home, but I didn't want to see Mr. Carter either, so I went outside. When I saw the darkness already cascading across the sky, I hailed a cab.It was a pure coincidence to enter the cab of the man who had helped me the day I rushed Leah to the hospital. The first day I met him, I thought he was a bad person, but after being close to him, I knew he was nothing but a good person looking for ways to make ends meet.I settled inside the car, not bothering to say a word; he already knew the location of my house. The air was silent, with only our breathing echoing."Thanks for the other day," I appreciated, recalling how he came to the police station to testify about Leah's case. I hadn't gotten the chance to thank him until now."It's nothing; I'm just glad I c
TessaIt was Monday morning. I had tried to take Tessa along, but she'd acted stubborn and pretended like she hadn't seen me honking behind her. I traced her until she stopped a taxi and entered the cab. After some minutes of driving, I got to the school and parked in the parking lot.I had planned on not talking to anyone until I went back home, but with the woman right in front of me, it was a no to my plan."Good morning, Mr. Carter," Jessica greeted, walking to stand in front of me."Good morning," I replied simply, knowing fully that the greeting could never be the end of our conversation."Are you trying to ignore me?" she asked while following me.I held my suitcase, not going to spare her any of my time unless she was talking while she followed me."I'm not trying to ignore you; I have a lecture by 9 AM, and this is almost 9," I replied, not staring at her."Oh, at least you can spare me a minute, if not," she wouldn't back off, and I could hear her footsteps echoing beside me
TessaI glared at Liam hatefully. I hated the fact that I was standing beside him, but I had no choice. I walked past him and went to stand beside Leah's bed. Instead, I stared at her; she looked more peaceful now as if she was just sleeping. This gave me hope that she'd soon wake up.Liam walked to stand beside me and grabbed my hand, but I was fast to yank his hand away angrily. "Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hands!" I yelled at him with rage building up inside me."I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not thinking twice. I'm sorry for deciding without proper thinking," he tried to make sense. But no matter how he tried to explain himself, all I felt was hatred toward him."I don't need your apology, Liam," I taunted, facing him with my full attention. "You've done what your mind asked you to do, so let me be, and I'll also do whatever my mind asks for," I explained calmly, trying my best to calm myself, even though I felt the urge to punch him hard."I know you're still angry
TessaToday had finally come, and I was released from detention. I was a little annoyed that Carter had gotten involved in this, as I had planned to stay angry at him until I could finally forgive him.He drove to the front of the house and packed the car. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. I stared at him through the rearview mirror, and he stared back, a sigh falling from his lips."What are you doing?" I asked, not understanding why he had closed the door."I've told you sorry multiple times; are you still angry at me?" he asked, concern etched on his face."I'm not angry; I just need some breathing space," I replied.His gaze fell, as if he wasn't expecting that from me. "I need to rest; you know how hard it's been for me the last few days?" I asked, trying to open the door, which finally opened.I got out of his car and went inside the house, only to be welcomed by different aromas swirling in the air."Mum!" I screamed happily, rushing toward her. She was standing besi
CarterI was anxious as I stepped into the hospital with Samuel by my side. The atmosphere was heavy with worry, the kind that clings to you like a shadow. Tessa has been through so much of lately."Let's go to the security room," Samuel said, his voice steady but his eyes revealed his own concern. I nodded, feeling the weight of the moment. We made our way through the busy hallways, past doctors and nurses who moved quickly, their faces focused and serious. Each step felt like it took forever, and the sounds of the hospital echoed in my mind, amplifying my anxiety.When we reached the security room, I took a deep breath. The room was small and dimly lit, filled with screens showing different angles of the hospital. I felt a mix of hope and fear as I wondered what we would find in the footage. The security guard looked up from his monitor, noticing us."What can I help you with?" he asked, his tone professional but kind."We need to see the footage of when Leah was brought in for some
TessaI sat on the cold, hard bench in my prison cell, tears streaming down my cheeks. I never thought a simple favor would land me here, but life had a funny way of twisting things. I felt the weight of my choices, heavy and suffocating. All I wanted was to help someone, but now I was paying the price.The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway, and my heart raced. I looked up to see my mother, Mila, Carter, and Samuel approaching. Relief washed over me at the sight of them, but it was quickly overshadowed by sadness. I wanted to be strong, but the tears wouldn't stop.Mila rushed to me, her arms wrapping around me tightly. I could feel her warmth, her love, and it made my heart ache even more. I hugged her back, trying to find comfort in her embrace. "I'm okay, really, Mom, I am fine," I said, but my voice wavered. "This is just what my help got me into."Mila pulled back, her eyes searching my face. "Tessa, I'm so sorry. I didn't want this for you." Her voice was soft, filled wit
CarterI felt a rush of confusion and anger as I paced the living room, my phone still buzzing in my hand. Mila had just told me that Tessa was arrested. "Why would they arrest Tessa?" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls. My heart raced. Tessa was my friend; she was kind and caring. It made no sense to me.When I finally got home, the weight of the news sat heavy in my stomach. Mila was waiting for me, her face serious. My heart was racing. Mila was sitting on the couch, her eyes wide with worry and she looked concerned, and that only made my heart beat faster. I needed answers. I wanted to know why this was happening."Carter, you need to sit down. I have something to tell you," she said. I felt a knot form in my stomach. The tone in her voice told me it wasn't good news."Mila," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What happened? Why was Tessa arrested?" I asked, already treading the answer.She took a deep breath, her eyes searching mine as if she were trying to gauge how
Tessa I stood there, my heart racing as I faced Liam. The anger in his eyes felt like a storm, and I could barely breathe. "I didn't poison Leah!" I shouted, my voice shaking. "She called me when she got sick! You can't seriously think I would do something like that!"Liam's face was cold, his disbelief cutting deep. "Prove it," he said, crossing his arms. "You were the last one with her. You need to show me that you didn't do this."I fumbled for my phone, my hands trembling as I pulled up the chat with Leah. "Look! She messaged me just before she got sick. She was asking for help!" I held the phone out to him, desperate for him to see the truth.Liam glanced at the screen but then shook his head. "This doesn't mean anything. You could have staged this. You could have poisoned her and then acted like you were trying to help.""Staged it? Are you serious?" I felt a surge of frustration. "I rushed her to the hospital because I was scared! I thought she was going to die!""Then why is