Episode 9: “Whispers and Walls”

Episode 9: “Whispers and Walls”

Campus never felt louder.

Not in sound—but in silence.

The kind of silence that hums behind every stare, that fills the gaps between conversations the moment Jiva walks past.

Whispers lived in corners now. In the backs of lecture halls. In the shared glances between classmates who used to be friendly.

She could feel it—them—watching.

Every step through the corridor was a performance. Every raised eyebrow a question.

Is it true? Her and Professor Alex?

And the worst part?

She didn’t deny it.

Because every time she tried, she remembered the way his hands moved over her body. The way his lips claimed her with reverence. The way his voice softened when it was only for her.

They weren’t wrong.

She was his. And he was hers.

And now the walls were closing in.

Alex noticed the change, too.

It started subtly—colleagues who didn’t make eye contact in meetings. A polite distance that hadn’t existed before.

Then came the email.

> Subject: Faculty Conduct – Confidential Inquiry

Professor Alex Whitmore,

We have received an anonymous report regarding a potential violation of the student-teacher conduct code…

He sat at his desk, reading it over and over.

The words were vague. Careful. But they were a threat.

Someone was watching. Someone had talked.

He looked out the window, jaw clenched, one thought burning through his chest: I won’t let them touch her.

They met in secret now.

Abandoned parts of campus. Empty libraries. His office after hours with the blinds drawn.

“Are we crazy?” she whispered one evening, tucked in his lap behind locked doors.

“Yes,” he said into her hair. “Completely.”

“And you still want to keep going?”

He didn’t answer with words. Just with his hands. With his mouth. With the way he pinned her against the wall and made her forget everything but him.

But lust can’t drown fear forever.

Because fear has a way of crawling back in—when the world gets quiet, when the adrenaline fades.

One night, Jiva broke.

She sat on his couch, knees drawn to her chest, tears burning down her cheeks.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said. “I don’t want to hide forever.”

Alex sat beside her, silent for a moment. Then he reached into a drawer and pulled out a folder.

Inside: a resignation letter.

Her breath caught. “What is that?”

“My escape hatch,” he said softly. “I wrote it the night after Claire came.”

“You were going to quit?”

“I was going to protect you.”

She reached for the letter, fingers trembling. “If you submit this, you lose everything.”

“I already said,” he replied, voice thick, “you are everything now.”

And suddenly, it wasn’t just lust or danger or rebellion between them.

It was love.

But campus had its own plans.

The next morning, posters appeared.

Dozens. Maybe hundreds.

“Inappropriate Faculty Conduct: Do you know your rights?”

A hotline. A QR code. And a not-so-subtle image of a male professor and a female student in silhouette.

It was everywhere—bathroom stalls, classroom walls, even the student union.

Someone wanted a witch hunt.

Jiva stared at one, heart hammering.

This was no longer about suspicion. This was war.

That night, she went to Alex’s home again.

He opened the door and knew something had shifted.

Her face was pale. Determined.

“I’m done hiding,” she said.

He hesitated. “Jiva—”

“I’m not ashamed of us. Let them whisper. Let them scream. I want to be yours… publicly.”

Alex stared at her. “If we do this, there’s no turning back.”

“I don’t want to turn back.”

He reached for her hand. “Then we do it together.”

They began to plan.

Not just how to survive—but how to fight. How to own it.

They gathered messages—texts, emails, proof of when the relationship started after she turned 18. After his class ended.

They rehearsed statements. Talked to a lawyer. Found loopholes in the faculty code.

And all the while, they held each other in the dark like lifelines—making love not just out of hunger, but out of defiance.

Every kiss said, I choose you.

Every touch said, I’m not letting go.

End of Episode 9

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***