CAVING IN TO HIS SEDUCTION

Chapter Three

AARON

I had always been known for my reckless lifestyle, living in the midst of chaos, and struggling to cope with a past that I couldn’t change. It all began with the car accident that caused the death of my dear parents. I was only a teenager in high school when it happened and I witnessed it first hand. I couldn’t help but blame myself for their death, even though there was nothing I could have done to save them.

I was overwhelmed with guilt and grief and turned to causing troubles at school as that was my only way I could express myself. The loss of my parents shattered my world and I felt like a fragment of my former self. My older sister, Elma who had witnessed my comedown into turmoil eventually gave up on me and my erratic behaviour.

Immediately after my high school graduation, my sister who had had enough of my nuisance, decided to send me abroad to study, hoping that it would be good for me. However, my self-destructive propensities followed me abroad. Things took a different turn when I got into a fight in my new school, leading to my abrupt expulsion. Elma covered it up and insisted that I return to New York.

I despised my sister for being so controlling. In my eyes, she never gave a damn about me. All she cared about was maintaining the family’s company and the image we projected. The death of our parents had forced her into taking up the responsibility of the CEO and she had taken it upon herself to manage the company. She never saw the pains I had to bear; to her, it was always about preserving the company’s image, and expected me to fit into her perfect little plan.

After I had returned to New York, I was transferred to Hives university where she felt she could keep a closer watch over me. To her, being by her side under her watch would straighten me out, but I hated the idea. Our relationship was a sour one and the looming power dynamic only made it worse. Knowing I might refuse her offer to be in a new school, she invited me to dinner at a restaurant so we could discuss my future, my schooling, or so she said.

As I sat at the restaurant, my anger simmered as I and my sister began to exchange heated words. We hated each other very much so it wasn’t a surprise.

Her eyes bore into mine as she accused me of jeopardizing the family’s reputation. “Aaron, do you have any idea how reckless your behaviour affects the image of the company? Do you? You’re a constant source of embarrassment!”

“Oh, don’t give me that crap, Elma,” I shot back at her, unable to control my anger. “All you care about id the family’s business and your f*****g image. You’ve never understood the pain I’ve had to go through alone.”

Elma’s voice constricted with frustration as she retorted. “This isn’t just about the company, kiddo. This is about mum and dad’s legacy.”

“Legacy? Our parents are f*****g dead, Elma. They are never coming back, no matter how hard you try to pretend,” I snapped.

Our argument escalated quickly, each word laced with bitterness and resentment. Elma was doing all she could to control her anger, while all I did was rebel against it as always. Unable to bear it anymore, she left the restaurant abruptly, cursing under her breath with her face flushed with anger, leaving me alone at the table.

I remained in my seat, allowing my anger to simmer, my thoughts consumed by the ongoing power struggle between us. It wasn’t the first time we’ve had such heated argument, it was a familiar scenario that had played out countless times.

I was still at the table when a commotion caught my attention. A young woman in her mid-thirties was cursing out loud and sobbing. I couldn’t help but hear her angry words as she vented her frustration to no one, her mascara-smeared tears glistening under the dim restaurant lights.

My instinct to comfort her kicked in but I fought the urge to do so. There was something about her that made me want to comfort her, make her feel loved again. Unable to resist the urge, I got up from my seat and walked over to her.

“Hey, are you alright?” I asked.

“Get away from me, leave me the f**k alone!” she bellowed.

I tried to talk to her again once more but she shooed me away like I was a stray dog, but I couldn’t blame her. I had no right to intervene in her life.

Back to my seat, I tried to get the image of her off my head. Her natural display of emotions had left an impression on me and I couldn’t understand why. I knew that would be the last time I would see her again and it frustrated me to no end.

The next day, I was to resume at Hive University which I begrudgingly accepted, not because I was trying to please my sister, but because I had heard rumour about the beautiful girls that flooded the university, and I was eager to update my smash list.

As I got to school, my eyes fixed on a young girl who immediately caught my attention. I knew immediately that my stay in this school would be worth it. We were both in the same department so it wasn’t difficult to strike a conversation with her on our way to the classroom.

As I enterd the classroom, my attention was immediately drawn to the front of the room where the professor stood. She was the same beautiful lady from the restaurant, the one I had tried to comfort but got shooed. Her transformation was striking. At the restaurant the previous night, she looked like a goddess, dressed to the nines, but in the classroom she had a strict and professional look with an exquisite taste for pantsuits. Her cold demeanor and authoritative appearance only made me more intrigued by her.

She was one of the top professors at Hive University, despite how young she looked. I couldn’t help but wonder what had led to this drastic change. My encounter with her again solidified the need to know more about her and the facade she put to the world.

What was the story behind this woman who had captured my attention in two very different ways?