The Mystery Call (Part III)

The small crowd in front of the administrative block heightened my anxiety. Jacob held me close, one of his strong arms leaning heavily around my shoulders.

"Are you cold?" He asked, concern and love written on his face. I shook my head, staring into space, my brain working hard like car wheels rotating at top speed to comprehend the bizarre incident.

Two police cars were parked across from each other while an ambulance was parked close to the administrative block. Students and some college staff lingered on the other side of the crime scene tape placed around the block.

One of the detectives walked toward my husband and me. He nodded. "Professor, you may go home and rest. If we have any more questions, we'll come by your house…."

His voice slowly faded as my brain replayed what happened a few hours earlier.

"Prof? Are you alright?" Henry gently touched my hand, drawing my attention to him as my phone buzzed. I froze and did not answer the call. Unexpectedly, there was a loud bang that jolted Henry and me. The door flew open with some force that it banged against the wall. I snatched my hands out of Henry's and looked up to meet the glare of the student who brushed past me on the way to my office earlier in the evening.

She was pale, her eyes red-rimmed, her lips trembling as she screamed and moved towards me. Everything happened in slow motion right before my eyes.

"Selena! What are you doing here?" Henry rose from his seat and got in her path, her body slamming into his with some force.

"You!" She screamed and pointed at me. "How dare you do this?"

"What is going on here? And why do you barge into my office like this?" I asked Selena, a little confused at her distressed attitude. His hands clamped around her shoulders, Henry whispered to her.

Clenched teeth and nose flaring, Selena barked at me, "he's my boyfriend," as she struggled to free her hands from Henry's hold.

What? I could hear some heavy footfalls echo from outside. Two college security men appeared at the door. As they took in the scene, Selena broke free from Henry and came at me. My hands were raised in defence to shield my face when she crashed into me and we both fell across the table to the floor.

Selena's hands were on my neck, starting to squeeze when the security men pulled her off me. I sat up quickly, in shock, and watched as she screamed like a banshee, curls of her auburn hair escaped her ponytail to frame her cheek as she bared her teeth at me.

I touched my neck as I became aware of a hurting sensation below my ear. Beads of blood dotted my fingers. The security men removed Selena from my office while Henry knelt beside me.

"Prof, I am so sorry," he said. He looked genuinely so. "I had no idea she was following me."

"I think she'd been following me too," I confessed. Henry's eyes widened in surprise. "Who is she?"

"My ex. It's been over two weeks now…I thought she'd moved on…I'm so sorry…" He shook his head in disbelief. Just then a policeman and a detective stepped into my office and requested Henry step away from me for questioning. Two female medics came in as well and knelt beside me.

Everything happened so fast like it was a bad dream. The detective related that the hoax calls had come from Selena. She genuinely believed that I was in a love relationship with Henry hence the reason for their breakup. She was yet to come to terms with the breakup. She was sedated and taken to the hospital. He wanted to know if I would press charges against her.

After my neck wound was cleaned and bandaged, I sighted my husband engrossed in a discussion with the policeman. Jacob walked towards me, his lips a thin line and his eyes hard. He was unhappy. I ran into his arms all the same and he held me tight.

"No more working late at the office for you," he growled and I chuckled in relief.

THE END.

^{Also posted on my blog}