Livia's rose-tinted eyes gazed admirably at the trees, admiring the natural garland of warm hues swaying above her head. Much like dying stars flaring brightly before their demise, the autumn leaves blossomed with such immense, passionate colours before falling to the ground and decaying. For that reason, Livia adored the fall season. Not only that, but it was around this time last year that her eyes first met with her true love, Sarem Oakes. Her wonderfully charismatic and charming professor. She smiled, inhaling the cool, wintery air.

Her graduation would be due soon. Something she had been looking forward to ever since the beginnings of her scandalous romance with Sarem, for once she graduated, they could finally be together for real. The midnight hook-ups had been a fun and thrilling experience for them both, but Livia didn't want to hide their relationship for much longer. She had already seen other female students stealing glances from Mr. Oakes during class and it had her feeling antsy. The sooner they made their love public, the better.

She blushed, glancing down at the petite bouquet of flowers in her hands. A gift for her one and only. During their last session in his office, she had noticed a vacant-looking vase sat neatly on the cupboard behind his desk. The flowers wouldn't last forever but she figured they'd look pretty in there, plus she wanted to commemorate the end of their secrecy. Perhaps later she's steal one of the flowers and press it into her personal diary as a reminder of this special day.

With joy in her step, Livia entered the university building and approached Sarem's office quarters. She knew her beloved professor would be in this weekend, marking the final assignments and papers before end of term. It was going to be a surprise visit. She giggled quietly to herself, imagining his stunned expression at her drop in.

She had even gone out of her way to doll herself up particularly wonderfully today. Fragrant perfume blessed her skin, a fresh face of make-up touched her face, a new set of heels clacked against the polished wooden floor and a graceful, dark dress and cardigan swayed around her knees. Many male pedestrians had called out to her on the way here, singing out compliments and asking her out for coffee. She appreciated the attention for it meant she looked good, but she politely denied all their advances. There was only one person she wanted.

As she reached Mr. Oakes' door, she found herself oddly struggling to open it. She turned the door handle to no avail. It was locked. Perhaps he wasn't in today? Did she get his schedule wrong? Disappointed and slightly embarrassed that misremembered her darling's routine, Livia began to walk away.

Until she heard the suspicious sound of shuffling from behind the door. She quietly returned, listening in intently. Was he hiding from her? Maybe... he wanted to surprise her too?

"Anna, you have a gift. A gift I've never seen in any other student I've taught."

Livia froze. A black hole formed inside her chest. An aching, twisting void that seemed to swallow the air from her lungs. She staggered, eyes trembling as she continued to listen in. That voice. Those words. They were supposed to belong to her. Only her. The exchange continued, though not loud enough for her to make out every sentence. The woman murmured something back, followed by the muffled sounds of jolted movement and moaning. Livia took a step back in disbelief, dropping the bouquet of flowers on to the floor. Her worst nightmare was playing out right in front of her yet she refused to accept it. She couldn't! A cold, menacing fist clenched around stomach, squeezing her until she felt like she'd vomit her guts out on to the floor. She impulsively clutched at the door handle, turning it wildly and thrusting against the door again and again, tears streaming down her face. She didn't care if it was locked. She would break in if she had to. After several seconds of her violent pounding, she heard a click. The door was unlocked. Sarem opened it with an uneasy expression on his face. He re-adjusted his tie and flashed a ghostly smile at his distressed student.

"Miss Astor, what can I do for you?" He said. She twitched at his unusually formal address. Throughout their relationship, he had only ever referred to her by her surname at the very beginning. Why was he being so impersonal now?! "Miss... Astor? Miss Astor!?" Her voice shook furiously, eyes piercing into his. "Listen, I-" "W-what the fuck is wrong with you? Since when did you call me 'Miss Astor?' I'm Livia. Your Livia!" "Okay. Livia, let's talk about this later."

Her mind flickered back to what she had heard moments before entering. That woman's name... Anna, was it? And that's when she noticed Sarem trying very hard to conceal the contents of his room with his large body. Frustrated, she forcibly pushed past him, marching into the room to find a young female student half-naked on the floor. The poor girl gasped and quickly tried to cover up her exposed breasts with her arms.

Ah. So that was it, huh? Everything was a lie. Livia felt like a worn book that had been replaced on the shelf with a shinier, unread copy. That's right, Livia wasn't the blushing, freshly-adult virgin she once was. No, she had been plucked and eaten right down to the core until there was nothing left to satiate her partner's appetite. In that moment, Livia felt something break inside of her. It was a new and unfamiliar feeling that ran cold through her veins. Yet it felt... strangely natural? Thrilling almost.

Her entire world had shattered, but from the wreckage, something else - something dark - stirred. Everything seemed to fall into place. Like a key fitting into a long-forgotten lock. What should of destroyed her, ended up rewriting her. The light from her eyes ceased to exist as she slowly walked over to the girl, grabbing one of the paperweights sitting on Salem's bookshelf. "You evil whore," she said, venom spitting from her lips but her face remaining remarkably indifferent. "You did this. You ruined him. And now... I'm going to carve you out of this story like you never even existed."

Livia lunged at her ferociously, placing all her strength into smiting the student's face with the end of the paper weight. The girl shrieked, instinctively covering her face as Livia flew at her. However, Sarem acted just fast enough to hook his arms around his struggling ex-lover. She screamed and clawed at him like a caged animal, opting to hurl insults and threats at Salem's mistress instead. The girl scrambled to her feet and hastily put her blouse back on before running out of the room. "Anna, wait-"

"Yeah that's right, Anna. COME BACK HERE, YOU UGLY BITCH! LET'S SEE HOW PRETTY YOU ARE ONCE I'M DONE STAINING THE FLOOR WITH YOUR BLOOD."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Livia!?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you!? Sarem, I loved you!" Livia said tearfully, placing a hand on her pained heart. "You were mine and I am yours. You promised we'd get married after I graduated. You told me I was beautiful, that you'd love me forever."

"Livia..." Sarem's expression saddened. It was a wretched look. Blue eyes moist with disgust and pity. He sighed, shaking his head and pinching his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "You and I both know that we weren't serious. We were just playing around. It was role-play! If I had known you'd take all those things to heart, I... God, this is a mess."

"Y-you... you didn't mean it? Any of it?" Her throat tightened, choking back the urge to sob and scream again. "So what? I was just some toy for you to mess around with until you got bored of me?" "N-no! No, of course not, Livvy. I enjoyed our time together. Truly, I did. But this could never become a thing. Why did you think I put so much effort into keeping the relationship hidden in the first place? Even if you graduate, it won't change anything. My reputation and career would be in ruins if folks ever found out about us. Don't take it so bad, Liv. It's not your fault. It's just the way life is."

"I-I can change!! I can change my name and identity if you want! Hell, I'll even get plastic surgery. Anything you want!" "Livia-" "I could become the girl of your dreams! Just tell me everything you want. I'll make myself look younger!! I'll make my breasts bigger and my waist thinner just like the girls in those magazines you have. Anything!! Anything you want!! Please, Sarem. Please don't abandon me like this. I'm sorry I acted out. I just care about you so much. I need you in ways you don't understand." Livia burst out crying, falling to her knees and pathetically crawling over to Salem's feet. She rubbed her head against the fabric of his trousers, inhaling his deep scent and feeling a sense of relief. The smell soothed her the same way a bottle pacifies a baby. He was her addiction. "I can be so better than her. I'm the only one who could ever worship you like this."

Livia blushed as she reached for the zipper of his pants, eager to to tear it down and please him. However, he grabbed her hands before she could do so. "I don't want you to suck me off, Livia. Hell, I don't want you to change your appearance or do any of those things." "R-really?" "We're done. Okay? But, listen, I'll sweeten the deal for you. You're a nice girl. I can call in the best publishers and give them you as my recommendation. I've got contacts in the field so they'll take you under their wing, no questions asked. Plus, with those high grades I gave you, you're bound to be taken seriously. And, you know what? I'll even give you a bit of cash to get you started. Don't go around telling the other girls about this though. Haha."

Every word that left his lips was an ink blot. Smudged and incoherent. His sentences seemed to echo and smear together. Livia had never felt so distant.

Sarem looked at her with a feigned smug expression, though his eyes betrayed him, depicting a deeper fear. He knew the vulnerable position he was in. Livia may have been the one grovelling at his feet but she was the one to determine his fate. This volatile and clearly mentally-ill woman. "What?" She tilted her head, staring at him with large empty eyes. "You think I care about all that crap? I don't want your lousy money and publishers. Why the hell are you treating me like some prostitute? I want you."

Sarem tried to back away from her but she stepped closer. "And I know you want me too." She murmured. "I can see it in your eyes. You're just too afraid to accept it because you're scared of getting caught. I understand that, baby. Let me help you."

She tried to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him but firmly pushed her away once more. "Livia, leave."

"You're kicking me out? After everything we've been through together!?" "Get out. Let's discuss this later. I need to finish marking my class' papers." "Ah right. The 'papers...' As if I walked in on you hard at work." Knowing he wasn't going to budge, Livia inhaled deeply and - at last - walked toward the door. "Alright, honey. I'll let you get back to it then! And you're definitely going to see me after work, right?"

"..." "I'll see you then~"

A little while later, Livia found herself perched on a park bench, watching the world go by. The whole situation kept replaying over and over inside her head. And every time that girl's face appeared in her mind, her blood boiled and her knuckles turned white from how hard she clenched her hands.

"I could kill her." Livia muttered to herself bitterly. "My poor poor Sarem getting corrupted by that vile slut. I'll save him. I'll remind him of how deep our love is."

Yet even as she spoke, there was doubt laced in her words. Her memories flickered back to the visibly disturbed expression etched on Sarem's face. Could he truly love her again after making a face like that? Livia clamped a hand around her wrist, squeezing it so tight she could feel the blood flow temporarily pause. No no no no no. She couldn't lose him... She couldn't! But how... Maybe she could blackmail him, but she'd need proof to show for it.

"What am I going to do?" She wept, pressing her face into her hands and letting her pristine make up run down her face.

"Goodness! She has your temper, doesn't she?" "Are you sure it isn't yours? Haha."

Livia looked up from her slumped position of despair and noticed a couple walking past. A mother and father walking together, hand in hand, with their young daughter. Initially, she scowled at openly romantic gestures to one another: pecks on the cheeks, squeezing hands, light laughter. It was everything she had hoped to have with Sarem. And now that was all gone.

But then... her eyes locked on to the energetic child skipping and babbling in front of them. So pure and full of life. Suddenly an ominous smile appeared on Livia's face as an idea struck her mind. She giggled to herself quietly, face flushed pink with excitement at the mere thought of what she planned to do next.