Page 37 of The Revenge

“That’s a heavy sigh.” Penny pauses in applying mascara as she stares at me through her reflection in the mirror. “Just do yourself a favor, block everyone, and remove yourself from every stupid chat.”

“I’m reading my emails,” I tell her.

Penny turns around in her chair to face me. “College? Or did somebody dox you?”

Having been doxed once before after Cole was sentenced, and being forced to change my email, phone number, and eventually, even having to delete all of my social media, I’m relieved that it isn’t the case now. However, even if what I’m reading is expected, it still feels like a heavy weight in my stomach.

“It’s from the dean’s office. They’ve arranged a meeting for first thing this morning. An investigation into inappropriate conduct.”

“Let me see.” Penny walks over, and I hand her my phone.

“Don’t worry about it. You know I’m not coming back next semester anyway. I can just tell them I plan to withdraw.”

“Tori? I’m not sure that’s it.” Penny frowns as she lowers the phone. “Has anyone seen you together with Dr. Wright?Because the email is quoting JKU’s Statement on Professional Ethics: it’s a policy about professors, not students.”

Even though I’m sitting, the blood rushing from my head makes me feel like I’m going to pass out.

I had every intention of leaving this place. After the video of me was released, Penny read and re-read every document relating to student code of conduct and assured me that the University had no grounds to expel me. Unless someone else came forward to give further information, like where and when the video was filmed—at which point, Penny promised me I would be able to press charges—there was no proof anything happened on the James Keyingham University campus.

As Penny pointed out then, I might not have cared about the circumstances of me leaving here now, but if I did decide to reenroll somewhere else in the future, I should make sure there’s no black mark following me.

But if this is something that could lead to a disciplinary action against Payne and ultimately affect his job or his future, I do care.

“I need to stop this.” As I stand up, Penny grabs my wrist. “Let me go.”

“I’m not stopping you from going, but you look ready to bolt out of this room, and you’re still in my pajamas. That’s not going to help anybody.” She releases me and hands me my phone back. “Just take a breath. The email doesn’t give any details, so I might be wrong—this might be about how your rights were violated when some pervert scum released that sex tape without your consent. But if this is about your relationship with Dr. Wright, you bursting in there is just going to make you and him seem automatically guilty.”

Penny is right. “For the record, I wasn’t going to go without getting dressed first. Can I borrow one of your uniforms?”

Since I’m attending here on a scholarship, I’d been assigned several changes of the college uniform, but the modest, unaltered version was confiscated by Syn when I moved into Denali House. Even if I thought it was appropriate to wear the customized version he provided me, they’re hanging in the closet of the bedroom on the other side of campus.

“Of course.” Penny goes to the closet and pulls out a blazer, skirt, and a blouse, while I find some clean underwear from my case that she’s been hanging onto for me.

Even though this is probably one of the only universities in the country that requires students to wear uniforms—their justification being that in the working world we’d be expected to wear uniforms in the form of suits—Penny, like almost every other student on campus, has customized her uniform. Thankfully, Penny’s alterations, aside from having the items of clothing tailored specifically to her size, only consist of subtle additions of hot pink.

Before I apply a little make-up and fix my hair, I quickly send Payne a text message.

By the time I’m ready to leave the room, he still hasn’t replied.

“Take it as a good sign.” Penny tries to assure me. “If this was about you and him, don’t you think he would have messaged before now?”

“I should go.”

“Do you need me to come with you?”

I shake my head. “You have someone coming to get you, and you still need to pack.”

Penny arches an eyebrow. “That’s what they’re being paid to do, and if you think I’m leaving before I know you’re okay, you’re sadly mistaken.”

The temperature doesn’t feel any warmer than it did yesterday, but the snow looks like it’s beginning to melt as wewalk across campus to the administration building. Even though the number of students on campus has been dwindling in the last few days before winter break, the admin officers are still busy, bright, and cheerful, with a few Christmas decorations in the University’s colors of navy blue and silver.

I’m grateful for Penny’s company, even if we do spend most of our time waiting in silence. Just before the assigned time, one of the office workers comes over to tell me that she’ll take me to the meeting room.

“I’ll wait here,” Penny promises me.

In silence, the lady accompanies me up to the second floor. She knocks on a door and leans in. A moment later, she opens the door wider, stepping back to let me pass.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a long table with three men seated on one side, and a single chair on the other, like I’ve just walked into a job interview.

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