His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

44. The campaign

[RECAP: Mr Marek's evil ex-girlfriend Victoria is blackmailing him to stay away from Sera...]

"The blackmailing bitch! How dare she?"

Both Lois and Joel were outraged on Sera's behalf when they heard about Victoria's threats and interference. The three of them had skipped school assembly for a crisis summit.

"I can't believe he'd give in like that," Lois said.

Joel disagreed. "I can. There's so much at stake, for the cost of what? A few months of waiting it out. A story like this would be murder. If the newspapers managed to get hold of a copy of that painting it would be splashed all over the place. Front page of the Sun. 'Dirty Dauber's Schoolgirl Scandal'. And the Daily Mail, you can just imagine them printing photos of St Christopher's and how much the school fees are."

"I almost want that to happen," Lois said. "If it was someone other than you I mean," she added quickly to Sera.

"'Pervy Painter's Sexy Strokes'. They'd have a field day. You'd have to leave town, they'd be camping outside your house. Sex is so much juicier than drugs when they want to do an 'exclusive private school pupils' exposé."

Sera thought Joel was seriously exaggerating but she genuinely feared what the tabloids might make of it.

"So the question is what are you going to do?" Lois asked.

"Do?" Sera hadn't even considered there was anything she could do. Except live in misery and anxiety that Mr Marek would have lost interest in her by June.

"To get the better of that bitch. You can't take this lying down, even if he's being all cautious or noble or whatever."

Sera looked from Lois to Joel. "She's right. You have to do something."

But what? How could Sera get something on Victoria that would give her the upper hand? She knew nothing about Victoria.

Though Lionel might. "I'll try Lionel. Maybe he can help."

Lois frowned. "Who's Lionel?"

Sera hadn't mentioned the gallery owner to the others. "He owns an art gallery in London. He visited the house while I was there. I don't think he likes Victoria."

"I suppose it's worth a try. What's he like, this Lionel?"

"Very dashing and flirtatious, but not in a serious way. The opposite of Tarq - Mr Marek - really."

After starting to get used to thinking of him by his first name, Sera now had to revert to Mr Marek. Anything else was unsafe.

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