She Belongs to Me (Rewritten Version)

Chapter Thirty Three

Emily:

There was only one bright side to everything I had gone through with Vincent, the fact that I was able to understand the human psyche a little more than I did before. Professor Lemon charged our class with writing a report about the abnormalities in the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, that would cause a person to display psychopathic tendencies.

I remember sitting in front of my computer that evening, reading different stories of how people were affected by the brain disease. I thought back to all of the things I was put through, and the words flowed out of me like water. I was brutally honest, writing my feelings with tears in my eyes.

Blaming an inconsistency in the brain seemed too good for Vincent. I made sure to express that I truly believed he was made into a monster by his past, not because of a genetic default. Even though I figured it would piss my professor off to disagree with him, I wanted my thoughts to be read.

I closed my notebook after the professor dismissed the class.  When I reached the front of the room to leave, he stopped me.  "Emily, wait."

I turned my attention to him.  "What is it?"

Professor Lemon waited until everyone was out of the room before closing the door.  He sat on the corner of his desk and folded his arms.  "I read your report several times last night, and I have to say it was one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever laid my eyes on.  You were very brave to tell your story in such a detailed manner."

"Thank you."

"Do you remember when I asked the class to write a report debating whether or not men were born inherently evil?"

"Yes."

"You wrote that with Vincent, correct?"

My stomach twisted at the mere mention of that dreadful name.  "Yes, I did."

He ran his hand over his beard.  "I never thought he would turn out to be evil himself. It's crazy how people like that can be right under our noses."

"Yeah." 

I didn't know what to say. 

This conversation was making me uncomfortable.

The professor must have picked up on it, because he lifted a hand in the air.  "I'm sorry.  I don't mean to make you relive what happened.  The real reason I wanted to talk to you was to ask you about your plans for the future.  Have you ever thought about becoming a professor of psychology yourself?"

"No way.  I don't know the first thing about-"

"Don't sell yourself short, Emily.  Your paper showed me that you have great potential.  You could share your story with the entire world."

"With all due respect, Professor Lemon, I'm trying to forget the whole incident occurred."

He seemed disappointed.  "I understand, but if you do change your mind, you should check into my summer internship program.  I could help you do everything it takes to earn a psychology degree."

"Thank you.  I'm honored you think I would do well in that field, but I'm going to have to pass."

"No worries.  Have a great day, Emily."

"You too, Professor Lemon."

I walked out of the classroom with a small beam of pride inside of me. After worrying that I would fail the course, it was great to know I would more than likely pass if I kept going strong in my work.

The school day soon came to an end, and I decided to head straight home. My feet were aching from the pregnancy induced swelling. All I wanted to do was soak in the bathtub with a book in my hands.