Reflection (The Chrysalis Series)

by Sallinger, Elene

  ‘He’s my star student. Why wouldn’t I bring him here?’ responded her companion. From his slightly sibilant, soft voice, Bridget identified Jean’s husband, Louis.

  ‘Don’t be coy with me. I know you fucked him while I was gone. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?’

  Bridget couldn’t speak for Louis, but she sure as hell was shocked at the accusation. She’d never pegged Louis for a cheater. He seemed so devoted to his wife.

  ‘Nothing to say for yourself?’

  ‘Jean, let me explain.’ He’d obviously moved closer to the desk since his voice was louder.

  ‘No. I don’t want to hear any explanations. I told you not to fuck him, didn’t I?’

  Jean sounded less outraged than Bridget would have expected at discovering her husband’s infidelity.

  ‘Yes.’ At least he sounded contrite. But Bridget was definitely confused.

  ‘And why did I tell you not to fuck him?’

  Bridget would have thought it would have been self-apparent, but she couldn’t exactly call out, ‘Duh!’

  ‘Because I wasn’t allowed to come while you were gone.’

  ‘Exactly!’ She heard Jean walk over to the large, leather chairs that fronted the dean’s desk and sat. ‘Your cock belongs to me. You get to fuck Robert when I say and only when I say. And you damn sure don’t bring him to an office party after defying me. Do you understand?’

  Her voice, normally shrill and slightly nasal, had taken on the same cadence Evan’s did when he went all dom-ish on Claire. Realisation slapped Bridget in the face. Louis was Jean’s sub.

  ‘For that, you don’t get to come for the next week. Understand?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ He sounded almost breathless.

  ‘You’re also going to receive punishment when we get home. Understand?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Now he sounded downright eager.

  ‘Good. Now come here and give me what you gave Robert.’

  Bridget cringed at the idea of being present while they had sex.

  ‘That’s a good boy,’ Jean crooned. The zing of a zipper coming down filled the silence. Louis groaned and Bridget heard sucking and slurping noises. From Louis’ moans she could only deduce that Jean had decided to suck his dick.

  She really hoped they’d finish soon. She needed to get back to Skyler.

  Mastering her frustration, she decided to at least be productive. She pulled out her iPad to check that the camera was working properly and had a good view of the room.

  The screen instantly filled with the image of Jean on her knees in front of her husband. Bridget quickly hit the home button, killing the visual. She really didn’t want that in her head.

  Fortunately, Jean seemed to decide that Louis had been tortured enough. Bridget heard fumbling and some muted whispers. They seemed to have made up, at least. A few seconds later, she heard the door open and close.

  Bridget wasted no time in getting out of there and searching out Skyler.

  Chapter Thirty

  That little bitch actually had the gall to show her face here. It was bad enough he had to tolerate Ross being here. He couldn’t very well disinvite his most popular professor, but she could have had the grace not to show up. Instead, she’d not only come, she’d brought Skyler.

  Skyler, who’d disappeared without a trace three weeks ago.

  Skyler, who refused to answer his calls.

  Fucking cunt.

  Anger seethed in his gut as Dale watched the two women mingle with the other partygoers. Something was definitely not right. He would have expected smugness from Bridget. Instead, she seemed tense.

  He knew every inch of her face and body. He’d spent countless hours observing her. Learning her. She had no idea exactly how intimately acquainted with her he was.

  An unschooled observer might not notice it, but her face was pale and her lips, usually so lush and full, were pinched. That was the only clue that she wasn’t her usual, gregarious self.

  She was elegantly dressed as usual. A simple copper silk blouse and camel-coloured pants ending in chocolate leather boots. She had style. As she moved, her breasts jiggled slightly and his hand itched as the memory of the feel of her tits filled his mind.

  She’d felt good underneath him. Pinned to the desk. Whimpering, ready for him to have her. They’d been full and heavy. Her nipples hard and wanting.

  His cock twitched and he pulled his thoughts back to the present. She’d pay for humiliating him the way she had. She thought she had him over a barrel with that janitor boyfriend of hers. But she was wrong. He hadn’t figured out how to bring this back on her, but he would.

  Skyler looked downright sick. She was literally green around the edges, as if she were likely to vomit.

  She should be. Showing up in his house like this. She had a lot to answer for and he planned to get his answers now. Not later. She might disappear again.

  Excusing himself from the president, who was droning on about the risks of raising tuition to the group of toadies he’d cultivated, Dale navigated the crowd toward the two women.

  ‘He’s coming this way,’ Skyler hissed to Bridget.

  ‘Stay calm,’ she replied. ‘This is what we wanted, remember.’

  It might have been what needed to happen, but it was the last thing Skyler wanted to happen. She wanted to leave and never see the bastard’s face again. She wanted to rip out his lying tongue and make him choke on it.

  Not good for the baby, Sky, she reminded herself. Calm down.

  She took a deep breath, plastered on a smile, and turned to face the demon of her nightmares.

  ‘Skyler.’ The dean’s eyebrow twitched and his eyes narrowed. ‘I’m surprised to see you here.’ He turned his gaze to the professor. ‘You too, Ross.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I be here?’ Bridget smirked at Dale. ‘No one misses the year end meat-market.’

  ‘Am I to believe, then, that Skyler is your chosen protégée?’ He sipped from what looked like brandy.

  Skyler’s chest went tight. She hated dealing with him when he was drinking. He was bad enough sober. Drunk, he was much more vicious. She could only hope that he hadn’t been at it for very long.

  ‘You can believe whatever you want, Dean.’ Bridget drew herself up to her full height, but didn’t come anywhere close to matching the dean in being imposing.

  He sneered at her. ‘You and I have unfinished business, Ross, but right now, Skyler and I have a conversation we need to have.’

  Before she could react, he took Skyler by the arm and began leading her out of the room. But he wasn’t taking her towards his study where she needed to get him. He was leading her back towards the foyer. She guessed where he intended to take her and there was no way in hell she was going anywhere near his bedroom.

  They’d made it to the foyer before she had the presence of mind to snatch her arm from his grip and veer off toward the study.

  ‘Get back here,’ he hissed and reached for her.

  She looked over her shoulder but kept on moving. He was going to have to catch her.

  ‘Sky –’ He started to call after her, but obviously thought better of it, not wanting to draw attention to them.

  Another glance over her shoulder showed him setting his drink down and following her. The scowl on his face didn’t bode well.

  Her heart kicked into overdrive; she felt like she was going to throw up. Knowing she was supposed to get him alone didn’t make her want to do this.

  She all but ran to the study, throwing open the door and bolting inside. Bridget had said to get over by the desk and she had just made it inside before Dale stormed through the door. She expected him to slam it shut, but he closed it softly. The click of the lock, however, resonated through the room with the force of a thunderclap.

  Skyler prayed Bridget’s plan worked.

  She whirled to face him and her breath dissolved in her chest at the venom in his face. She’d seen him angry, but now he appeared almost murderous. She didn’t
want him close to her. Turning, she intended to put the desk between them.

  She didn’t make it.

  He grabbed her arm in a bruising grip and yanked her to face him.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing, you little slut?’ His grip tightened hard enough to make her gasp out loud. Leaning in close, he said, ‘What makes you think you get to ignore me? Hmm? Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t done with you?’

  Skyler struggled vainly, trying to pull her arm away from him. Giving up, she lifted her chin and said, ‘We’re done, Dale. I don’t care what you say; I’m not sleeping with you any more.’

  He laughed, a sound so bitter and cold it made goosebumps erupt on her skin.

  ‘Is that what you think? You are quite precious, aren’t you?’ He smiled but there was no mirth there.

  Paradoxically, he stroked her face with a gentle finger, brushing an errant lock of hair out of her eyes. Just as she relaxed, he gripped her chin viciously, grinding her lips into her teeth and forcing a whimper from her.

  ‘You clearly need a lesson in who is in charge here. Your scholarship is under my control, or do I need to remind you that I can make it so you are run out of this school? I expect you to do as I say. That means you answer your fucking phone and you come when I call you. I told you before, you upstart little cunt, I will fuck you when and how I please.’ He shook her hard enough to rattle her teeth.

  ‘No,’ she cried out and struggled harder, trying in vain to get away from him. ‘I won’t do it.’

  He fisted her hair, pulling her head back and forcing her to look at him. ‘You have no choice.’ A malicious grin twisted the features she’d once found so endearing.

  ‘I kept the baby,’ she cried.

  In that moment, she understood the phrase “calm before the storm” The entire room seemed to still. Dale was frozen. The shock on his face would have been comical if not for the fury building in his eyes.

  Whack! He slapped her so hard her ears rang. White lighting flashed in her head. Her brain reeled and she fell against the desk as he thrust her away from him.

  ‘I told you to get rid of that!’ He was yelling, but his voice seemed to be coming from a long way off.

  He raised his hand to strike her again. She reached deep inside and gathered herself. With a fierce cry, she hurled herself at him, pushing with all her might.

  He stumbled backward, losing his footing and falling to the floor.

  She didn’t wait to see what happened next. Moving as fast as she could, Skyler’s feet tangled under her and she almost fell into the door. She fumbled frantically with the lock. Throwing the door open, she ran, praying it was salvation she fled to and not her doom.

  Bridget’s knees went weak as Whittier pulled Skyler away. Her instincts were screaming at her to stop this, not to let it continue. But, they needed to halt him once and for all. It was time for him to stop preying on women.

  She took a steadying breath and willed her body to relax. She had no time to waste. Ripping open her bag, she pawed frantically for her iPad. Scanning the crowd, she spotted President Harvey in a group of senior administrators.

  Perfect! He wouldn’t be able to cover this up just to keep hold of Whittier’s money. She wanted to believe he was ethical, but her heart told her not to take the chance.

  Deftly, Bridget navigated the crowd. As she moved, she pulled up the feed and almost dropped the tablet at the sight of a furious Whittier advancing on Skyler.

  Harvey had his back to her and she tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced at her, scowled, and turned back to the group immediately.

  He was blowing her off!

  She glanced at the screen. The dean had grabbed Skyler.

  Bridget’s heart began to race and her hands shook. There was no time.

  She tapped him again and said, ‘President Harvey, you need to see this!’ She raised her voice to be heard over the crowd.

  He looked over his shoulder again. ‘Ross, I’m sure it can wait.’ He turned back to the group and resumed pontificating on the impending budget cuts.

  ‘Damn it, Brad!’ she hollered, her patience gone, ‘No one gives a damn! You need to watch this and see what’s going on under your friggin’ nose!’

  Silence fell over the room like a curtain. The president turned to face her, his plump face almost cherry red with indignation.

  He opened his mouth – to yell most likely – but the dean’s voice rang out from the iPad and all attention focused on the device in Bridget’s hand. Within moments, a crowd had clustered around her. President Harvey was to her immediate right and Bill Fogarty, the vice president, flanked her to the left.

  Both watched in disgust as Whittier manhandled and threatened Skyler. Bridget’s stomach clenched as the tension and violence ratcheted higher. She bit her lip, determined to keep the focus on the dean while they watched as much as she wanted to repudiate Harvey for putting money over integrity when he hired Whittier.

  She couldn’t hold back a cry of distress when Whittier hit Skyler. The crowd erupted as well. Bridget whirled and pushed through the throng, determined to get to her student.

  She didn’t have to go far. Skyler flew into the music room at a dead run. The side of her face was bright red and a small trickle of blood trailed from her lip where Whittier had split it.

  The crowd erupted at her appearance. The din was almost overwhelming, but it cut off as if someone had thrown a switch when Whittier appeared in the doorway. Bridget snatched Skyler by the hand and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  Whittier scanned the crowd, who all stood staring at him with varying degrees of disgust on their faces.

  ‘What?’ he asked, his eyes wary. ‘Has something happened?’

  President Harvey pushed through the crowd. ‘You have some nerve, Dale. Acting as if you didn’t just molest and then viciously attack this young woman.’

  ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ He straightened up to his full height. ‘This woman –’ he sneered the word ‘– attacked me when I refused her advances. I was defending myself.’

  President Harvey’s eyes narrowed and his face pinched as if he’d smelled something foul. ‘We saw what you did, you sick bastard.’ His voice shook with outrage.

  ‘We have you on tape,’ Bridget said, speaking up to be heard over the murmurs of the crowd. She tapped the screen and set the video she’d recorded to replay, holding it up for Whittier to see.

  All colour drained from his face, giving him a deathly pallor. He backed up, stumbling and hitting the doorframe.

  ‘You’re finished, Whittier.’ The president advanced on him. ‘As of this moment, you are officially suspended. Given the extensive contributions your family has made to this university, I will give you 24 hours to have a resignation letter on my desk. But, you are done here.’

  Pushing past Whittier, he left without a backward look. The rest of the guests followed suit. Not wanting to be alone with the dean, Bridget hustled Skyler out with the throng.

  The last sight she had of Whittier was him sinking to the floor in the doorway, looking for all the world as if the earth had just fallen out from beneath him.

  She felt not one shred of sympathy.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  One month later …

  ‘Leave it. You’ll mess it up,’ Skyler admonished Bridget as she adjusted her hair for the millionth time.

  ‘I’m a mess, Sky.’ Bridget’s voice cracked audibly, reflecting the way she felt inside.

  ‘You’ll be fine.’ She came up beside Bridget and put an arm around her shoulders. ‘You look hot. He won’t be able to resist you.’

  Bridget smiled at her young housemate. Having Skyler with her had turned out to be one of the best decisions she’d ever made. They’d grown close in the weeks since Skyler had come to live with her and it had been a joy to witness her pregnancy. In many ways, when it came to that, she was living vicariously through her former student.

  Skyler was soli
dly into her second trimester and showing. She’d taken to pregnancy well and looked radiantly beautiful. She’d also been a comfort and a distraction from her pain over Connor. That they’d been wading through the fallout from the scandal over the dean at the university had helped to keep her mind off of him as well.

  Bridget’s tenure had sailed through and Skyler’s scholarship was safe. Dean Whittier had resigned as ordered, but a full-scale investigation into all of his oversight decisions had been launched. Several improprieties had already been discovered on tenure decisions for two of Bridget’s colleagues and at least one other student had come forward with allegations of harassment.

  He was officially ruined. Bridget had searched for compassion, but found that while she didn’t hate him, she didn’t forgive him either. He’d played too fast and loose with people’s lives.

  ‘Bridget?’

  ‘Hmm?’ She pulled herself back to the present.

  ‘What are you thinking about? You look fierce.’ Curious brown eyes met hers in the mirror.

  ‘I was thinking about Whittier. And –’ she turned and hugged Skyler to her ‘– how happy I am that you’re here.’

  Skyler grinned and returned the hug before pulling back and turning Bridget to face the mirror once again.

  ‘Are you ready?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t know, Sky.’ She eyed herself critically. ‘I feel so exposed.’

  In truth, she felt naked. Victor, at her request, had made this outfit especially for her. She’d expected something chic and elegant, like the items of lingerie he’d designed for her. Instead, he’d given her urban and sexy.

  A mix of leather and silk, the dress was sleeveless and backless. The chocolate, leather bodice was quilted and flowed into a bronze silk skirt that hugged her so tightly she was afraid she’d split a seam. Victor had assured her she wouldn’t and that it was designed to stretch, but it darn sure wasn’t designed for panties or a bra. She was completely naked under it!