Chapter 9

Upon my return to teaching at the university, gossip about Charlie and Miranda spread like wildfire across the campus.

Rumor had it that Charlie had been relieved of his duties as department chair and given a three-year suspension. As for Miranda, she received a serious mark on her record.

The atmosphere following a rainfall always felt invigorating and clean. Drake Gordon and I were seated at the coffee shop near the campus entrance, engaging in casual conversation.

Our meeting had been somewhat unplanned. My parents, concerned that I was wallowing in the aftermath of my failed relationship, had reached out to old childhood connections.

Drake was one of them.

He had been my rival since our youth. His father had previously been my dad's boss.

When my father was appointed director of the Provincial Education Department, his father received a promotion to the provincial government.