Inside the bathroom, Louise slumped against the cold tiled floor, his body aching with a sharp, physical reminder of the night before.
"Oh god... the first day. Just the first day of my new life and I've already destroyed it," he whispered, burying his face in his hands.
His mind raced. I don't even drink. I hate alcohol! What happened to me yesterday? Was I possessed? Then, the memory of the Strawberry Mocha flashed in his mind. The sour, medicinal sting. The way Albert had pushed it into his hand with such a bright smile.
"It was a trap," Louise hissed, his fingers clutching his hair as he leaned his head back against the wall. "He planned this. He targeted me."
His thoughts spiraled! His mind raced, his head tilted back against the ceiling as he remembered two months ago—the dormitory room of his ex-lover, Jacob. He remembered the suffocating weight of a relationship that had turned into an obsession. Jacob had refused to let go, using force and threats to keep Louise trapped. Louise could have ended it with one phone call to his father, but he knew the result: Roman Stone would have Jacob's head on a platter. Louise didn't want blood on his hands, even if it was Jacob's.
He wiped his tears aggressively. "I have to get home. Uncle and Aunt will be frantic."
He stood up painfully and washed his face. He cracked the door open just an inch, his voice a sharp roar. "Hey! Give me my clothes!"
Albert, already fully dressed and looking surprisingly refreshed, handed the folded suit through the gap without a word. Louise snatched them and slammed the door, locking it again.
When he finally emerged, dressed but disheveled, he didn't give Albert a chance to speak.
"How dare you!" Louise's voice trembled with rage. "I know this was your plan! How cheap can you be? When you came to apologize, I actually thought you were genuine. I never imagined you were such a low-life. You are disgusting!"
Albert stood up from the bed, his expression shifting from concern to defensive hurt. "Excuse me, Sir? I know I was... impulsive this morning, but I am telling you the truth—that drink was not my idea. I had no idea what was inside it!"
"Shut up! You're a liar!" Louise shouted, pointing a finger at him. "Even if someone else did it, I was drugged! A real man would have stopped me, not taken advantage of someone who couldn't say no! You slept with a drunk person just because he asked?"
"You didn't just ask!" Albert shouted back, his face pouting in frustration. "You were crying! You said you were in pain because of your dad and your ex torturing you. You looked like you were drowning in depression! I... I thought I was helping you forget!"
Louise froze. The air left his lungs. "Did I... did I really tell you about my dad? And Jacob?"
Panic flared in his eyes. He looked at Albert, seeing the honesty in the younger man's gaze. He quickly looked away, his heart hammering.
"Listen to me," Louise said, his voice dropping to a cold, shaky whisper. "You need to forget everything that happened last night. Do you understand? Don't ask me why. I was wrong, and I am... I am sorry. But we are teacher and student. That is all."
"But Sir—" Albert started.
Louise ignored him, searching his pockets until he found his phone. He switched it on, the screen lighting up with dozens of missed calls. "I'm going."
"Sir, wait! Let me drop you!" Albert begged.
"I said we are done! I don't need your help!"
"But I'm heading to the same house!" Albert argued, stepping in his path. "Please, Sir. Just come with me. It'll look suspicious if we arrive separately anyway."
Louise let out a long, exhausted breath. "Fine. Just today. From this moment on, I don't know who you are. We are strangers. That's it."
"Yes, Sir... as you wish," Albert agreed quietly.
They headed downstairs in a suffocating silence. Albert locked the fraternity house, the click of the deadbolt sounding final. Louise climbed onto the back of the motorbike, keeping as much distance as possible, and they sped back toward the Rev household—and the storm waiting for them there.
The roar of Albert's motorbike finally faded as they pulled into the driveway of the Rev household. Louise slid off the seat, his legs feeling like jelly, while Albert busied himself with the kickstand.
Noah, the house assistant who was tending to the garden, looked up with a bright smile. "Sir! Madam! Your son is here! And Professor Louise too!" She dropped her shears and ran toward the porch. "You're finally back! Are you hungry? Let me make your favorite breakfast!"
Before anyone could answer, the front door opened. Stove emerged, carefully pushing Rosy in her wheelchair.
"Oh, dear! You're back," Rosy beamed, her eyes moving between her son and Louise. "So, Louise, did you enjoy the party last night? It must have been a wild celebration for your first day!"
"Party...?" Louise blinked, his brain momentarily short-circuiting. The only "party" he remembered involved a dusty floor and a lot of regret.
"Of course he enjoyed it!" Albert cut in smoothly, stepping beside Louise. "He was the guest of honor, wasn't he, Professor?"
Louise shot Albert a look of pure daggers, but forced a stiff nod. "Yes... yes, I did. It was... memorable."
At that moment, the door burst open again. Martin and Lilly rushed out, their faces pale and eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night of worrying. Martin didn't even say hello; he grabbed Louise's arm and began to pull him towards inside.
"Come with us. Now," Martin commanded.
"AHHH!" Louise let out a sharp, involuntary cry of pain, his hand flying to his lower back.
The entire porch went silent. Everyone stared.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Martin asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"N-nothing! I mean... Nothing," Louise lied through gritted teeth, his face burning with shame."
Martin didn't look convinced, but he dragged Louise inside anyway, with Lilly following close behind like a nervous shadow. The Stones disappeared into their guest suite, leaving the Rev family standing in a state of confusion.
"Dad, Mom—I have to go. I'll be back soon!" Albert said suddenly, hopping back onto his motorbike.
"Hey! Where are you going now? Breakfast is ready!" Rosy called out.
"I need to go to the pharmacy! I'll be back!" Albert shouted over the engine. Before they could ask another question, he sped away, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
"What on earth is wrong with him today?" Rosy asked, looking at the empty driveway.
Stove sighed, turning her wheelchair around. "Don't you know our son by now? He's always acting on impulse. Forget him; let's go inside