PLEASURED BY MY ENEMY'S FATHER

Chapter 11 Close

Wallace was seated at a separate table, slightly elevated from the rest, reviewing a stack of applications with an efficiency that suggested he had been doing this for hours.

There was no trace of the usual arrogance in the way he carried himself now. His focus was sharp, his posture composed, occasionally exchanging brief, direct instructions with the people assisting him.

For a moment, I considered turning around. Not out of fear. Just… hesitation. But I was already here. And I wasn’t about to let him dictate what I could or couldn’t do – not anymore.

So, I walked forward.

When my form reached him, he didn’t look up immediately. He scanned the page first, eyes moving quickly across the details… until something made him pause.

Then he looked up. Our eyes met. For a brief second, neither of us spoke.

There was recognition, of course. But something else too… something quieter, more measured than before.

“Nyra,” he said, almost as if confirming it to himself.

I nodded slightly. “That’s me.”

He glanced back down at the form, rereading a specific section. “Instructional volunteer,” he murmured. “Literacy and math.”

“Yes.”

Another short pause. Then he set the paper down, not dismissed, just… settled, and reached for a pen.

“You’ve done this before?” he asked.

“At the orphanage,” I answered. “Helping younger kids with schoolwork.”

He nodded once, as if that was enough. No unnecessary questions. No skepticism. Just acknowledgment.

“Good,” he said.

He signed the form. Stamped it. Then slid it back toward me.

“Approved.”

I blinked. That was it? I smiled, uncontrollably. I was unable to control it.

I picked up the paper, glancing at the mark just to be sure I wasn’t misunderstanding.

“You’ll report to the Outreach Coordinator tomorrow afternoon for orientation,” he added, his tone steady and professional. “Schedules and assignments will be given there.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay. Thank you so much!”

There was a brief pause… one that felt different from the ones we’d had before.

Less tense. Less… defensive. Then, unexpectedly…

“Congratulations,” he said.

I looked at him again. There was no sarcasm in his voice. No underlying mockery.

Just a simple, direct acknowledgment. And for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, that unsettled me more than if he had been difficult.

“Thank you,” I replied, more cautiously than I intended.

I stepped away from the table, the approved form still in my hand, my thoughts quieter… but heavier in a different way.

Because this time, there had been no resistance. No interference. No subtle attempt to undermine me. Just… fairness.

As I exited the hall, I glanced back once more.

Wallace had already moved on to the next application, his focus returning to the task at hand as if our interaction had been nothing more than part of his responsibility.

And yet, something about it lingered. Because for the first time since I met him, I began to consider the possibility that his apology yesterday hadn’t been empty.

That maybe, just maybe, he was actually trying to change.

Later that day, the market was already thinning out by the time I finished buying what I needed… basic toiletries, a few snacks to stretch through the week, and a cheap notebook I could use for the gala preparations.

I kept everything neatly packed in a reusable bag, double-checking my change before leaving. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

I should’ve headed back earlier.

That thought lingered at the back of my mind as I stepped onto the quieter road leading toward the dormitory. The usual flow of students had dwindled, replaced by the occasional passing vehicle and distant chatter from places still open.

The streetlights worked, but not all of them. Some flickered, others completely dead, leaving stretches of the dimmer than I liked.

I tightened my grip on my bag and walked a little faster. It wasn’t fear, not yet. Just caution.

Then I heard it… a laughter from some distance.

It was loud and unsteady. The kind that didn’t come from anything genuinely funny, but from something fueled and careless.

I slowed. Not enough to draw attention, but enough to listen.

Voices followed. Slurred. Overlapping. Male.

Drunk.

My stomach tightened slightly as I glanced ahead.

They were gathered near the side of the road, partially under a broken streetlight… four, maybe five of them. Bottles in hand, movements loose, uncoordinated.

They weren’t students. Or at least, they didn’t carry themselves like ones. There was something rougher in the way they stood, in the way they occupied the space like it belonged to them.

I could turn around. That was my first thought.

But the road behind me had gone quiet too, and doubling back might draw just as much attention.

So, I decided. Keep walking. Don’t look at them. Don’t react. Just pass through.

I adjusted my posture slightly, keeping my head forward, my pace steady… not too fast to seem alarmed, not too slow to appear hesitant.

For a few seconds, it almost worked. Then…

“Hey.”

My steps didn’t stop. But my chest tightened.

“Hey!”

Louder this time.

I heard movement. Shoes scraping against pavement. They saw me. Of course they did.

“Where are you going?” another voice called out, followed by a low chuckle. “It’s late for someone like you to be out.”

I kept walking. My heartbeat had started to pick up now, each step feeling heavier than the last.

“Didn’t you hear him?” one of them said, closer. Too close.

I could feel it… that shift in distance, that narrowing space between me and them.

Think. Stay calm. Don’t panic.

I subtly adjusted my grip on my bag, shifting it slightly in front of me, not defensive, just… prepared.

“I’m just heading back to the dorm,” I said, my voice controlled, steady enough not to betray the tension building inside me. “I don’t want any trouble.”

There was a pause. Then laughter again.

“Trouble?” one of them repeated, amused. “Who said anything about trouble?”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t stop. But then, a hand reached out. Not grabbing… but close enough to block my path.

I froze, just for a second. And that second felt longer than it should have.

“Relax,” the same voice said, stepping slightly into my space. I could smell the alcohol now… sharp and unpleasant. “We’re just talking.”

My mind started running through options. Distance to the nearest lit area… too far.

Number of them, five. State… intoxicated, unpredictable. No immediate help.

I inhaled slowly, grounding myself.

“Then talk from there,” I said, nodding slightly toward where they had been standing. “I need to go. I still have many assignments to finish.”

Another pause. This one felt different. Less amused and more… assessing. Then someone behind him snorted. “She’s got a mouth on her.”

“Yeah,” another added. “Not scared, huh?”

That wasn’t true. I was. But fear didn’t mean I had to show it. The one in front of me tilted his head slightly, studying me in a way that made my skin crawl.

“Where do you study?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. That was mistake number one. Because his expression shifted… not drastically, but enough.

“Answer the question,” he said, his tone losing some of its earlier playfulness.

My pulse spiked. I needed to get out of this. Now.

“I’m late,” I said, firmer this time. “Excuse me.”

I stepped to the side, intending to move past him, but he moved, too. Blocking me again. This time, closer. Too close.

Something cold settled in my chest. This wasn’t just a conversation anymore. I could feel it… the shift, the tension tightening like a wire about to snap.

My fingers curled slightly around the strap of my bag. If I had to run… if I had to fight…

“Come on,” one of them said behind me. “Don’t be like that.”

Another step forward. Another inch of space taken. My breathing slowed, not because I was calm, but because I forced it to.

Think. Think, Nyra.

“You’re just some stubborn little cunt, aren’t you? I would love to hear you scream as I rock you and–”

The man stopped talking when bright headlights with a loud horn suddenly filled the air. Cutting through the dim stretch of road like a blade.

The group reacted instantly, glancing toward the source of the light. A car was approaching… faster than usual for this road.

I didn’t hesitate. The moment their attention shifted, I moved. Quick. Direct. Slipping past the smallest gap between them before they could fully react.

“Hey!” I heard it behind me. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back.

I walked fast… almost running now, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as the distance between us grew.

Only when I reached a brighter section of the street, where other people were visible again, did I finally slow down.

My hands were shaking. My chest is tight. And for a moment, I just stood there, trying to steady my breathing.

That had been close. Too close.

I swallowed hard, tightening my grip on my bag again as I resumed walking toward the dormitory.

This place, it wasn’t just the university I had to navigate. It was everything around it, too. And tonight, I was reminded just how quickly things could turn… if I wasn’t careful.