A CONFESSION AT SUNSET
1183 Words
The Blake Mansion was unusually quiet the next morning.
Aurora sat on the edge of her childhood bed, staring at the mathematics textbook in her lap. The words blurred together no matter how hard she tried to concentrate.
Her mind kept wandering back to Shen's text from the previous night.
> Have you eaten?
Such a simple question.
Yet it had lingered in her thoughts far longer than she wanted to admit.
She sighed and closed the book.
"No," she whispered to herself. "Don't start feeling sorry for him."
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Aurora?" Mrs. Grace, the family's longtime housekeeper, peeked through the doorway. "Your grandfather is waiting for breakfast."
"I'll be right down."
---
Richard Blake was already seated at the dining table when Aurora entered.
The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room.
Richard looked up and smiled warmly.
"There's my favorite granddaughter."
"I'm your only granddaughter."
"Exactly."
Aurora laughed and sat beside him.
As always, he filled her plate before serving himself.
"You've gotten thinner."
"Grandpa..."
"I'm serious."
She sighed dramatically.
"I eat."
"You pick at your food."
"I've been busy."
Richard narrowed his eyes.
"School?"
Aurora nodded.
"And that professor of yours?"
Her smile disappeared.
"What about him?"
"Is he still making your life difficult?"
Aurora hesitated.
"...Yes."
Richard scoffed.
"If I were twenty years younger, I'd march into that university and give him a piece of my mind."
Aurora nearly laughed.
If only you knew.
---
By noon, Aurora was back on campus.
She had promised David they would spend the afternoon studying for their upcoming mathematics assessment.
As she walked through the main gate, she spotted him waving enthusiastically from beneath a large maple tree.
"There you are!"
"You've been waiting long?"
"Almost fifteen minutes."
"I'm sorry."
David shrugged.
"Worth it."
Aurora smiled.
"Come on."
They headed toward the campus garden instead of the library.
The flowers were in full bloom, and the gentle breeze made the afternoon feel peaceful.
For once, Aurora forgot about Professor Shen.
Forgot about the arguments.
Forgot about the secret marriage.
She simply enjoyed being herself.
David watched her quietly.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I like seeing you smile."
Aurora laughed.
"I smile all the time."
"No."
He shook his head.
"You pretend to."
The smile slowly faded from her face.
"What do you mean?"
"You always look... tired."
She looked away.
"I've just had a lot on my mind."
"I know."
David stopped walking.
"So tell me."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Whatever it is."
She forced a smile.
"I can't."
"You don't trust me?"
"It's not that."
"Then what is it?"
Aurora's chest tightened.
How could she explain something she wasn't allowed to tell anyone?
She was secretly married.
Living with the man everyone believed hated her.
Carrying a burden she couldn't even share with her best friend.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
David smiled sadly.
"I figured."
They stood in silence for several moments.
Finally, David took a deep breath.
"Aurora..."
His voice sounded different.
More serious.
"I've been wanting to tell you something."
Her heart skipped.
"David..."
"I like you."
She froze.
"No."
"I don't mean as a friend."
He laughed nervously.
"I've liked you for almost two years."
Aurora's face went pale.
"I didn't know."
"I know."
"I thought if I waited..."
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"...maybe one day you'd see me the same way."
Aurora lowered her eyes.
Her heart ached.
David had always been kind to her.
Always supportive.
Always there when she needed someone.
But...
"I'm sorry."
His shoulders stiffened.
"I can't."
He managed a weak smile.
"Is there someone else?"
Aurora's fingers instinctively moved toward the chain hidden beneath her sweater.
The wedding ring rested against her chest.
"...Yes."
David's expression fell.
"Do I know him?"
She quickly looked away.
"I can't answer that."
"So... there really is someone."
Aurora nodded slowly.
"I'm sorry."
David laughed quietly, though there was no joy in it.
"I guess I was too late."
Tears threatened to gather in Aurora's eyes.
"I never wanted to hurt you."
"You didn't."
He forced another smile.
"You were honest."
He took a step back.
"I think... I just needed to hear it."
Aurora wanted to hug him.
To comfort him.
But she knew that would only make things worse.
"I'm still your friend," she whispered.
David nodded.
"I know."
Before either of them could say another word, applause echoed from nearby.
They both turned.
Standing a few meters away was Professor Shen.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
He slowly lowered his hands after the sarcastic clap.
"What a touching confession."
Aurora's heart nearly stopped.
"Professor..."
David frowned.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough."
His gray eyes settled on Aurora.
"So this is why your assignment wasn't submitted this morning."
Aurora's eyes widened.
"I..."
"I gave you a deadline."
"I was going to hand it in this afternoon."
"You chose this instead."
His gaze shifted briefly toward David.
"Interesting priorities."
David stepped forward.
"Professor, don't blame her."
"I wasn't speaking to you."
Aurora immediately moved between them.
"Stop."
Neither man listened.
David's jaw tightened.
"I confessed to her."
"I know."
"She rejected me."
"I know."
David blinked.
Professor Shen's face remained unreadable.
"Then what's your problem?"
A dangerous silence settled over the garden.
Students nearby slowed their steps, sensing the tension.
Finally, Shen answered.
"My problem..."
He adjusted his glasses.
"...is that you keep forgetting your place."
David frowned.
"My place?"
"Miss Blake is not someone you should pursue."
Aurora stared at him in disbelief.
How could he say something like that without exposing them?
David crossed his arms.
"And why is that?"
For a brief moment, Shen almost answered truthfully.
Because she's my wife.
Instead, he said coldly,
"Because relationships between students often become distractions."
David let out a dry laugh.
"That's not your decision to make."
"No."
Shen's eyes never left Aurora.
"But it is my responsibility to ensure my students remain focused."
Aurora had heard enough.
"Professor Shen!"
Both men looked at her.
"I'm tired."
Her voice trembled.
"I'm tired of you controlling everything I do."
She took a shaky breath.
"You embarrass me in class."
"You give me impossible assignments."
"You interfere whenever I'm with my friends."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"You don't get to decide who I talk to."
For the first time...
Professor Shen had no response.
Aurora turned away.
"Come on, David."
David hesitated before following her.
As they walked away, Aurora didn't look back.
She couldn't.
Because if she had...
She would have seen something she'd never seen before.
Professor Shen stood alone in the middle of the garden.
His shoulders were rigid.
His fists clenched at his sides.
Not because David had confessed.
But because the woman he had secretly loved since the day they married had looked at him with nothing but anger.
For the first time in years, the brilliant billionaire who could solve any business crisis realized there was one problem he didn't know how to fix.
He didn't know how to make his own wife stop hating him.
- Writer
