𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍: 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 [𝐆𝐗𝐆] | [𝐖𝐋𝐖]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎𝟒

Vanessa's POV

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ .:☆ﾟ. ───

The air in the hall is thick with tension, pencils scratching furiously against paper as students hunch over their desks, pouring every ounce of their limited brainpower into my carefully crafted paper.

I stroll down the aisles, my heels clicking against the polished floor, radiating authority and mild intimidation. 

It's mostly for formality, really—my presence here doesn't stop them from sweating bullets or, in a few cases, clearly rethinking their life choices.

As I glance over a few papers, I catch sight of one student staring blankly at the question sheet, their pen frozen mid-air. 

Poor thing looks like they just ran into a Shakespearean tragedy face-first.

See? This is why you don't slack off in my class, I think internally, resisting the urge to smirk.

Another student frantically flips through their notes, eyes darting around like they're searching for divine intervention. 

Sorry, kid, but the answer isn't in the ether—it's in the lecture notes you obviously didn't bother to read.

Satisfied that my mere presence has solidified their dread, I return to my desk at the front of the hall. 

There's no point standing for the entire exam, especially when I've got a mountain of work to deal with.

My laptop screen lights up, displaying the files for the upcoming school outreach programme, and I groan internally.

The outreach programme, God help me.

Now, let me be clear.

I understand the importance of giving back to the community. It's noble, it's necessary, but... does it have to be me?

And does it have to involve a rural area with limited Wi-Fi, shared accommodations, and—oh, let's not forget—the endless cheer of enthusiastic undergraduates who will inevitably make it feel like a glorified summer camp?

Channel Dani's optimism, I remind myself. 

My wife, bless her patient heart, would absolutely tell me to look on the bright side. Something like, "Think of the lives you'll touch, my love!" 

Which is a sweet thought, but I'd like to touch lives from the comfort of my lecture hall, thank you very much.

Still, as much as I hate to admit it, there is a certain charm to the idea of stepping out of my usual domain. 

Maybe, or possibly, I haven't fully decided yet.

The student in the front row sneezes, breaking my train of thought. I glance up briefly, narrowing my eyes like their sniffle just disrupted the sanctity of academia itself, and they immediately straighten up.