ZOE'S POV
The email had arrived at six in the morning, a day after I'd discovered the video. "Miss Washington, please report to Conference Room A in the Administration Building at 9:00 AM sharp. Disciplinary committee meeting. Attendance mandatory."
My hands were shaking as I walked down the hallway toward the conference room. I'd barely slept in the past hour, worried about my stay in the conservatory as well as Mr. Mercer.
I hadn't heard from him but I heard from Kai, he could lose his job.
I knocked on the door and heard a stern voice say, "Come in."
The conference room was intimidating, with a long mahogany table and serious-looking faculty members sitting behind it like judges. At the head of the table sat Dr. Patricia Hendricks, the Dean of Students, her silver hair pulled back in a tight bun.
There was also Prof. Richard Sullivan, the HOD, and there was Marcus Washington and three other committees.
"Miss Washington," the Dean said, not looking up from the papers in front of her. "Please take a seat."
I pulled out one of the chairs facing the committee, my heart hammering against my ribs. There were five faculty members total, all looking at me with expressions that ranged from disappointed to disgusted.
My uncle, Marcus, is sitting in a chair against the wall. He was wearing his best suit, the one he saved for important meetings with donors and board members.
"Uncle Marcus," I said, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here as your guardian and advocate," he said, but something in his tone made me uneasy.
Dr. Hendricks cleared her throat. "Miss Washington, I assume you know why you're here."
"The video," I said quietly.
"The video," she repeated. "A video that shows you in what appears to be a romantic encounter with your faculty mentor, Professor Mercer."
"It's not—"
"The Conservatory has very strict policies regarding relationships between faculty and students," Dr. Hendricks continued, cutting me off. "These policies exist to protect both parties and maintain the integrity of our academic environment."
Dr. Richard Sullivan, the head of the music theory department, leaned forward. "Miss Washington, are you aware that romantic or sexual relationships between faculty and students are strictly prohibited?"
"Yes, sir, but—"
"The evidence suggests that you and Professor Mercer violated this policy during your recent trip to Los Angeles."
"It wasn't like that," I said, my voice getting louder. "You don't understand what happened."
"Then enlighten us," said Dr. Sarah Chen, the only woman on the committee besides Dr. Hendricks. "What exactly did happen?"
I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. "Professor Mercer was having a nightmare. About his accident. He was upset, and we went for a walk to the beach. We were talking, and he was telling me about losing his fiancée, and it was just... it was just one kiss."
"Just one kiss," Dr. Sullivan repeated, his voice dripping with skepticism.
"It was a mistake," I said desperately. "We both knew it was wrong as soon as it happened. That's why Professor Mercer has been avoiding me ever since."
"A mistake," Dr. Hendricks said, making a note on her pad. "That's an interesting way to describe it."
Marcus spoke up from his chair against the wall. "If I may interrupt, I think this young woman has made a very serious error in judgment. But she's not the one with the power in this relationship."
"Uncle Marcus—"
"Professor Mercer is a grown man with years of experience. He should have known better than to take advantage of a vulnerable student."
"He didn't take advantage of me!" I said, spinning around to face him. "How can you say that?"
"Because I know him, Zoe. I know what kind of man he is."
Dr. Chen looked between us. "Mr. Washington, you know Professor Mercer personally?"
"We were classmates years ago. I've seen how he operates with young women."
My mouth dropped open. "That's not true. You're lying."
"Zoe," Marcus said in his most condescending voice. "You're young and naive. You don't understand how men like Leo Mercer think."
"Men like Leo Mercer?" Dr. Sullivan asked.
"Manipulative. Controlling. He's probably been grooming her for weeks, making her think she's special, that she's different from his other students."
"That's not what happened!" I shouted, standing up from my chair. "Uncle Marcus, how can you say those things about him? You don't know anything about our relationship."
"I know enough," Marcus said coldly. "I recommend that Professor Mercer be terminated immediately. He's a danger to female students."
The room went silent. I stared at Marcus in complete shock. He was trying to get Leo fired. He was sitting there telling lies about the man I loved, trying to destroy his career.
"Uncle Marcus," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How could you?"
"I'm protecting you, Zoe. And I'm protecting other students from going through what you've been through."
"I haven't been through anything except falling in love with a good man!"
The words hung in the air, and I realized I'd just admitted my feelings in front of the entire disciplinary committee.
Dr. Hendricks looked at me with something that might have been pity. "Miss Washington, that's exactly the problem. You believe you're in love with your professor. That suggests that Professor Mercer has indeed crossed professional boundaries."
"No, that's not—"
"Mr. Washington raises a valid point," Dr. Hendricks said. "We need to consider whether Professor Mercer's behavior constitutes a pattern of inappropriate conduct."
"Before we make any decisions about Professor Mercer's employment status," Dr. Sullivan said, "we need to hear his side of the story."
"That's going to be difficult," I said, grasping for any delay I could find. "He's not available. He left for a conference in Chicago. He won't be back until next Friday."
Dr. Chen checked her notes. "Actually, Miss Washington, Professor Mercer is available. He's here at the conservatory today."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"We contacted him yesterday and asked him to cut his conference short. He flew back last night."
Marcus leaned forward in his chair. "Good. Let's get this over with. The sooner you fire him, the sooner Zoe can move on with her life."
"Uncle Marcus, please stop," I begged. "Please don't do this to him."
"I'm doing this for you, Zoe. Someday you'll understand."
Dr. Hendricks stood up and walked to the door. "Professor Mercer, please come in."
The door opened, and Leo walked into the room.
He looked tired, older somehow, like he'd aged years in the past 15 hours. His hair was disheveled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a wrinkled button-down shirt and jeans, not his usual professional attire.
When his eyes met mine, I saw pain there. And something else. Something that looked like regret.
"Professor Mercer," Dr. Hendricks said. "Thank you for coming back early. Please, have a seat."