Page 133 of Teacher's Pet

I let her leave.

Because I have to.

Because if I chase after her now, I’ll undo everything.

Her eyes meet mine one last time, burning with a rage I’ve never seen from her before.

With heartbreak.

With hate.

“Ihateyou,” she whispers, her voice trembling, raw, final.

My stomach lurches.

The ground beneath me cracks open, swallowing me whole.

Then she turns.

Walks away.

And before she’s even gone, she lands the final blow.

“Love will never be something you deserve.”

A breath leaves me, sharp, like I’ve just been stabbed.

Nothing has ever hurt more than those parting words.

Nothing.

And the worst part?

She’s right.

Chapter 25

Anastasia

Two months later

Settling into my seat, I brace myself for yet another one of Mr. Zimmerman’s horrendous attempts at deep-diving into Shakespeare.

Old, frazzled, and painfully unsuited to be a long-term sub, he was the school’s last resort after Noah’s sudden sabbatical two months ago.

Two months.

Two months of silence. Two months of Noah doing god knows what and fucking god knows who.

I fucking hate him.

The very thought of his existence makes my blood boil.

The day he ended things, I questioned everything. I broke down in my dorm room, sobbing into Elijah and Megan’s arms until I had nothing left to give.

The things he said.

The things he did.

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