BEN
I glanced at the clock on the wall, its hands slowly inching towards the end of the day. The office buzzed with activity, the collective murmur of voices and the scratch of pens on paper. It was my first day as a professor at Mount Holyoake, a fresh start to escape the emotional whirlwind that had consumed my life. I sighed, burdened by the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Sitting at my desk, my mind drifted to Melody Plum. She was seventeen now, with a smile that could light up the darkest room. I had known her since she was a child, watching her grow into a young woman. But over the years, my feelings for her had transformed into something I couldn't comprehend or control.
I shook my head, attempting to banish those thoughts. I was a married man, committed to Waverly for life.
