Chapter 1

Maya said her stomach was cramping, so I walked her to the campus clinic.

The very next day, an edited photo of me "kissing" Maya was plastered all over the campus anonymous forum.

I confronted Maya and demanded she explain the truth.

But she just looked at me and said, "Those photos are real, Arthur. Why should I lie?"

To make matters worse, the moment my wife walked in, Maya instantly transformed into a helpless victim. She grabbed my leg, crying and begging:

"Professor Vance, please don't abandon our baby. The child is innocent..."

My wife went ballistic. She demanded a divorce on the spot.

I couldn't fathom why this college girl, whom I had personally sponsored for three years, would go to such lengths to ruin her benefactor. It wasn't until she let slip one sentence that the horrifying truth finally clicked.

Just as my lecture ended, I noticed Maya clutching her stomach in her seat. Her face was contorted in absolute agony.

Realizing something was wrong, I walked down the lecture hall steps to check on her.

"Professor Vance, my... my stomach hurts so bad. Can you please take me to the clinic?"

There were still several students packing up around us. I felt a bit uncomfortable and was about to ask another student to help her, but Maya grabbed my sleeve first. "Professor Vance, please... I don't think I can stand up..."

Her face was deathly pale, and her lips were turning blue. Fearing a medical emergency, I helped her up and walked her to the campus clinic.

"It looks like internal bleeding or an ectopic issue. To be safe, you should get her to the nearest hospital immediately," the clinic nurse said after a quick examination.

I didn't hesitate. I called an Uber and personally accompanied Maya to the nearest emergency room.

"Arthur, I'm scared!" Maya suddenly grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly.

My instinct was to pull away, but seeing the sheer terror in her eyes, I softened.

Three years ago, I had spotted her in the corner of the campus cafeteria, eating leftovers off someone else’s abandoned tray. That image had haunted me.

She was beautiful, yet dressed in rags.

It was rare to see someone young and able-bodied resorting to eating scraps.

When I approached her, I learned that her parents had passed away when she was young. She had survived on the kindness of high school teachers and meager academic grants.

Her grades were excellent, so I decided to sponsor her privately.

I had come from a poor background myself. If it weren't for a kind mentor who sent me $50 every month back in college, I would have never graduated. I simply wanted to pay that kindness forward.

I never could have imagined that this act of goodwill would lead to my wife demanding a divorce and my career being utterly destroyed.

After leaving the hospital, I thought that was the end of it.

But the next morning, a student sent me a screenshot of a campus group chat on Snapchat.

[Omg guys, breaking news! I just saw Professor Vance and Maya together in the OB-GYN wing of the hospital!]

[Look at this photo! They’re literally kissing!]

[No way! I always looked up to Professor Vance. I can't believe he’s sleeping with his own student...]

[What a predator! He always preaches about family values in class, but he’s cheating on his wife with a college girl!]

I kept my cool. I immediately posted a response in the group chat: [I will be taking legal action against whoever is spreading these defamatory lies. @Maya, please clarify what actually happened to clear the air.]

I was confident Maya would reply and set the record straight. But as I was heading to my next class, the department head stopped me.

"Arthur, after a meeting with the board, we believe it's best for you to take an administrative leave. Resolve your personal matters before coming back to teach."

I stood there, paralyzed. Meanwhile, my phone was buzzing frantically. Dozens of students were tagging me on the forum.

I opened the app, and the color drained from my face.

The comment section was a tidal wave of outrage, ready to drown me alive.

But it was Maya's latest post that completely broke me.

[Maya: Professor Vance, those photos are real. Why should I lie? You got your pleasure, and now that my belly is growing, you want to act like it never happened?]