Chapter 58: One Call Too Many
The second Professor Timothy (don’t worry, he’s not important) dismissed class, Celestia leaned back in her chair with a dramatic sigh, shoulders finally loosening. She turned toward me, her lashes low and lazy like she hadn’t just spent an entire lecture pretending to listen while glaring at anyone who dared look my way.
"Finally," she muttered. Then, softer, to me, "Husband, you won’t believe what happened to me earlier."
Before I could even ask, Marina pushed her chair back with a smirk. "Alright, I’m going to save myself before the two of you start spoon-feeding each other in front of me. My limit for public displays of ’married life’ has been exceeded."
Celestia shot her a look. "Jealousy isn’t cute on you, Marina."
Marina only chuckled, holding up her hands in surrender. "Enjoy your domestic bliss. I’ll see you later, Kai." With that, she slipped away, leaving just the two of us—and Avery somewhere behind, though I hadn’t noticed her yet.
Celestia turned back, eyes sparkling with mischief. "So. A girl stopped me in the hallway before class."
I raised a brow. "Should I be worried?"
"No, you should be entertained." She leaned in like she was sharing a secret. "She looked me dead in the eye and said she hates me."
I blinked. "...Okay, I definitely need context."
Celestia’s smile widened. "Apparently, her boyfriend broke up with her because she wasn’t hot like me or brilliant like me. She said he compared her to me all the time." She tilted her head in mock sympathy. "And the funny part? I don’t even know who she is. Or her boyfriend. Like, imagine losing your relationship over someone who doesn’t even know you exist."
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Val, you’re impossible."
"Impossible, irresistible, interchangeable—pick your adjective." She waved her hand dramatically. "But really, what do I do with that? Am I supposed to apologize for being too hot? Too smart? Should I send flowers to her breakup party?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, shaking my head. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
"Of course I am. Husband, this is free entertainment." She grinned wickedly. "Though if you want, I can track down her down and tell her she’s got terrible taste. I mean who compares their girlfriend to another woman? Amateurs."
Before I could reply, a soft voice broke the bubble.
] "Um... Kai?"
The voice was soft, polite—sweet enough to blend in with the leftover classroom chatter. But both of us turned anyway.
Avery Prescott stood there, all doe eyes and shy posture, clutching her books against her chest like she didn’t already know every pair of eyes in the room would follow her.
She offered me a smile, practiced and harmless. "Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to ask... about that study session we talked about last night? Over the phone?"
The words landed like a grenade in my chest.
Beside me, Celestia went very still. Not a twitch, not a sound—just still.
Then, slowly, she tilted her head toward me, lashes fluttering once. "...Last night?"
Her tone was soft, lilting, as though she were asking whether I’d remembered to bring an umbrella.
I swallowed. "She—uh—called. For tutoring. Econ stuff."
Avery shifted slightly, all sweet awkwardness. "Yeah, I was just hoping we could go over some material after class today, if that’s okay? I really don’t want to fall behind."
Celestia’s lips curved—not into her usual smirk, but into something more calmer, softer, but dangerous. "Oh, I see." She turned to Avery, voice smooth as silk. "So you called my husband last night."
Avery blinked at the phrasing, then gave a nervous little laugh. "I didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought it would be easier than waiting until today to ask in person."
Celestia hummed lightly, like she was considering the excuse. "Easier. Of course. Efficiency matters." She tapped a manicured nail against the desk once, then twice. "But you didn’t think to ask me? Since I sit right next to him every day. Surely you noticed."
Avery hesitated, smile faltering just enough to notice. "I didn’t want to bother you. I thought it would be less... awkward."
"Oh, how considerate." Celestia’s smile sharpened by a fraction. "You were worried about my awkwardness. That’s thoughtful."
Her hand slipped into mine under the desk—warm, firm, possessive. To anyone watching, it probably looked affectionate. To me, it felt like chains.
Avery, either oblivious or pretending to be, offered another apologetic shrug. "I just really need help. Kai seemed like the best option. That’s all."
Celestia let out the faintest laugh, airy and amused. "The best option. My, you have good taste." She leaned slightly against me, her gaze locked on Avery now, assessing her the way a cat studies a mouse. "Tell me, Avery, did it feel natural? Picking up your phone and dialing my husband, at night?"
Avery blinked again, startled. "I—I didn’t mean—"
"Because to me," Celestia continued, her tone still infuriatingly gentle, "it sounds awfully comfortable. Familiar, even. As though this wasn’t your first time reaching out to another girl’s man."
My stomach knotted. "Val—"
Her nails pressed lightly into my palm, silencing me.
Avery straightened a little, trying to hold her ground. "That’s not fair. I just wanted help with class. Nothing more."
"Oh, but fairness isn’t the issue, darling." Celestia tilted her head, studying Avery with an almost bored smile. "Intentions don’t matter half as much as perception. And the perception right now?" Her voice dipped lower, softer, lethal. "Is that you called a taken man at night, then walked up to him in front of his girlfriend to confirm your little... arrangement."
Avery’s lips parted like she wanted to argue, but Celestia’s stare pinned her still.
Seconds stretched.
Then Celestia smiled wider, almost cheerfully. "But maybe I’m overthinking it. You wouldn’t dream of stepping on my toes, would you, Avery?"
Avery forced a chuckle. "Of course not. I really don’t want any problems with you."
"Oh, I know," Celestia said sweetly. She reached up, smoothing a strand of hair behind her ear as if bored. "That’s why I’m giving you this chance—to prove it. Because if there’s one thing I despise, it’s girls who can’t tell the difference between ambition..." Her smile dropped, her eyes darkening. "...and audacity."
The room felt colder.
Avery’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. She tried to laugh it off again, but it came out thin. "You really are intimidating."
Celestia leaned back, satisfied, resting her chin in her palm. "Good. Then we understand each other."
Only I could feel the tension vibrating under her calm—the way her grip hadn’t eased from my hand, the way her foot tapped silently beneath the desk, the way her smile was too sharp to be casual.
She wasn’t calm, not even letting it go... she was only containing it.
And the longer Avery stood there, pretending innocence, the thinner that container became.
---
By the time we left the room, I could still feel the stares, the sideways glances and even the whispers. Everyone had seen it—Celestia smiling that calm, dangerous smile while Avery backed off.
The real shock was her silence—it trailed us all the way home, heavier than any outburst.
I unlocked the door and let her in first. Duchess padded in from the room with her usual lazy strut before curling herself onto the rug by the couch. I barely had time to set my bag down before Celestia finally turned to me.
"Tell me something, husband," she said, voice sweet enough to make my skin prickle. "How exactly does Avery Prescott have your number?"
I froze. "...I gave it to her."
Her head snapped toward me, eyes flashing. "You what?"
"I gave it to her," I repeated, slower this time, like saying it carefully would somehow soften the blow. "She needed help with Econ—"
"Oh, of course." She let out a laugh sharp enough to cut glass. "Of course she did. And naturally, you were just so generous. So helpful. So sweet."
"Val—" I tried, but she held up a hand.
"No, let me guess," she pressed, stepping closer now, arms folded tight across her chest. "She batted those lashes, said she was struggling, and my darling husband decided to play knight in shining armor."
"That’s not fair," I shot back, jaw tightening. "She asked for help. I didn’t see the harm."
Her eyes widened like I’d just confessed to a crime. "Didn’t see the harm? Kai, she and I have clashed twice—twice. She’s been gunning for me since the second she walked into that school, and you hand her your number like candy?"
"She apologized," I said, firmer this time, as if repeating it made it true. "And I believed her. I thought maybe you were reading too much into it—"
"Reading too much into it?" Her laugh was hollow now. She shook her head slowly, disbelief etched across her face. "Do you honestly think I don’t see it? Do you think I don’t know when another girl is circling my man?"
"She’s not circling," I snapped, louder than I meant to. Duchess’s ears twitched where she lay, but her eyes stayed closed. "She asked for help with Econ. That’s it. Not everything is some big plot, Val."
Her arms dropped to her sides, her voice trembling now—but not with weakness, with rage she was trying so hard to contain. "You’ve been talking to her behind my back."
I hesitated. That half-second of silence was all it took.
She pointed at me like she’d just won the argument. "There it is. You gave her your number. You’ve been talking to her. And what? You just ’forgot’ to mention it to me?"
"I didn’t think it was a big deal," I muttered.
"Not a big deal?" she repeated, voice rising. "Kai, it is always a big deal when another girl wants your attention. And you gave it to her. Willingly."
I raked a hand down my face, frustration boiling over. "You’re always like this! Always dramatic, always turning every little thing into some war!"
Her mouth parted in shock. For once, she didn’t have a comeback ready. Just a shaky breath, and then—very quietly: "Always dramatic."
The silence stretched thin between us. Then she turned, scooping Duchess gently into her arms. The cat cracked one golden eye open, gave a soft questioning meow, then blinked as if even she understood the storm raging between us.
"Fine," she said, voice clipped and final. "If I’m always dramatic, then I’ll take our child with me. Let’s see how peaceful your life feels without us."
And before I could find the words to stop her, she was gone—Duchess’s tail swishing lazily over her arm as the door shut behind them.
---
To be continued...