To Be Loved

Chapter 1

The clicking sound of her heels echoed in the empty hallways. She was running to be on time; she didn’t want to be late on her first day of teaching. When she reached the right lecture room, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

When the door was opened, it squeaked, and it managed to gain all the students attention. She heard them grumble in annoyance to show their dislike for their professor. She smiled when it became deadly silent when the student saw a different professor, not their usual strict, tough, and old-hag professor. Novak, and she could see they were happy that the rumors they heard were true.

Professor Novak had an accident.

Professor Novak She is 57 years old, 5.8 m tall, with short white hair, dark light skin color, and small gray eyes. She is known to be merciless and strict in her ways of dealing with the students, and she had gone through that herself.

She just believes that is the right way to make her students responsible and hard-working, not slacking out on their duties.

But personally, she is a kind, wise, and softhearted woman; if you needed aid, she would be right beside you, giving her all support until you could stand on your own two feet again. She is the best mother ever to her two beautiful daughters and her son. And towards her, even though she is a complete stranger.

She raised her children by herself after her husband died in a car accident. It was hard for her in the beginning, but she pulled herself together for the sake of her children.

She didn’t let anyone take her late husband's place and played both roles for her children, so she had to build a rigid wall around herself to chase anyone away and prevent herself from collapsing.

And the reason for being strict with her students was to teach them that if you worked hard at the end, you would gain the satisfaction of knowing you'd given your best effort and the opportunity to achieve your goals.

The once quiet class started to get alive again, and the students began to whisper among themselves and wonder if the old professor would quit and who was the new professor.

All of their actions didn't go unnoticed in the eyes of the new professor.

The new professor was smiling because she remembered her college days. And how she hated her choice to be a sociologist, or thought she did.

But now she is happy that she has become a sociologist and can still fulfill her dreams by helping people in distress.

She grabbed the microphone, and all the students became quiet, and the silence once again filled the classroom.

''Finally, it got quiet,'' she said with a smile.

''Well, for your information, Professor Novak had an accident; I believe you already know that, and I will be her replacement for the coming three months'', said the new professor to all the anticipating eyes that were looking at her.

All the students started complaining again, and she laughed at them. "Don't tell me that you guys expected the lectures to be canceled because you didn't have one last week''.

She heard them yelling 'yes'. "Sorry to disappoint you guys, but you will be stuck with me for the next three months''.

''May we know who you are?''. One of the students asked.

''Can you please stand up so I can see you?." stood a good-looking student who had a bad-boy aura. He has light brown eyes, white skin, a fit body, and blond hair, and his height is probably 6,2.

''Can you introduce yourself so I can get to know you?'' She asked him.

''Yes, why not? But for your information, everyone here knows me, and after knowing me, they fell in love with me." He finished with a wink, and some girls faces turned red.

''Well, for your information, I won’t; you are not my type, so who are you, Mr. Casanova?" She said this with a forced smile to this cocky bastard, and there were a few snickers from the other student.

She knows she shouldn't talk to him that way, but she doesn’t like people like him. They are arrogant and full of themselves, but in reality, they are empty and insecure.

She returned to her senses when she heard him speaking and couldn’t hear what he said. "Sorry, I didn't hear you; can you repeat that again?''

''My name is Adam White; what is your name, professor?'' He repeated it once more, clearly irritated, but she remained unfazed by his attitude.

She smiled and nodded. ''It's good to meet you, Mr. White—not just you, but all of you. My name is Professor Jasmine Miller, your temporarily new professor until they bring another one''. You can hear the gasping from a mile away and see the shocked faces from two miles away.

''Are you the famous fighter for human rights and child abuse?''.

''Yep, that will be me." The class became quiet again, and if you dropped a needle, you could hear it.

But every happy moment won’t last forever. All the students start speaking at the same time, which made me wish to return in time to use my name instead of my husband's surname. They are out of control.

''Okay, all of you, quiet now! You are giving me a headache''. They all became quiet after sensing the irritation in my tone.

''So is that really you?'' asked a student.

''Is it true that you got kidnapped and tortured by one of your clients?'' Another one.

“Did you ask that woman for that huge sum of money to just help her?” I was speechless but tried to answer, and they didn't give me a chance to do so.

''Did you really knock out one of your clients who asked for your help?'' Their conversation started to spiral out of control, and I could feel my patience wearing thin—a situation I knew wouldn't end well.

''All of you calm down, and give the space to answer.” And thank God, they finally did.

''Wow, you guys know too much about me, but you need to stop believing in everything the media says; not all of it is true''. I huffed in annoyance. These damn reporters, because I hate to be seen in newspapers and refuse to appear on TV shows, think they have the right to write whatever they want.

Even though my PA answers their damn calls and questions, they still write the hell what they want. I looked at them to see a bunch of curious faces waiting for me to continue my answer.

''For all your information, I didn't hit that person. I don't even know him, and I didn't ask for that sum of money to help that woman. She has an addiction and wanted money to buy drugs, but I refused, so she thought that ruining my

image and falsely accusing me was the best way to get a large compensation to have the money she wants''. All of the students were stunned by the truth.

''Then, why didn't you tell them the truth'', one of the students asked.

''I did, but maybe they don't like me or the fact that I'm a Muslim, or maybe they thought I took the charity money in my pocket or something like that, so they started to believe the false accusations that were pointed at me''. Their faces were shocked.

''Don't tell me all of you are shocked because I'm Muslim''. And they nodded their heads, and she laughed at their stupidity. For god's sake, she is wearing her hijab. They were looking at her while she was laughing like there was no tomorrow.

''OMG, if you didn't notice, I'm wearing a hijab over my head because that's part of my religion. Not to hide my baldness," I said with a smirk.

''Why are you guys still shocked? Don't tell me you're afraid, not shocked, because I could be carrying a bomb with me. If that's the case, guys, don't worry; I left it in my house''. She laughed loudly at their frightened faces, and they thought she had a mental issue.

''Okay, sorry. You guys are really funny. We will enjoy this period together, I hope. Now that's enough, let's get to...''. She couldn't get to finish her words because the lecture door was open.