The moment she saw me, confusion flickered across her face.
"Can I help you?"
I studied her for a moment, then spoke calmly. "If I'm not mistaken, this apartment was assigned to Professor Weiss by the university."
At that, a flash of guilt crossed Vivian's expression. She forced herself to look composed. "Who are you? What does that have to do with you?"
I curved my lips into the faintest smile and pulled my marriage certificate from my bag. "I'm Elmer Weiss's wife. I'm taking the apartment back. You have one day to move out."
Until the divorce was finalized, all assets belonged to both spouses equally. I had every right.
Vivian looked rattled at first, but then something seemed to click. She put on a look of sudden realization. "Oh! You're the professor's wife. I should've known."
"Please don't misunderstand. Professor Weiss only let me stay here because he felt sorry for me. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."
I didn't bother engaging with her little performance. My voice dropped another degree as I repeated myself.
"Ms. Mercer, I don't care why you moved in. I'm telling you to move out. Immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
She hadn't expected me to be this direct.
Her teeth sank into her lower lip, and she pulled out her phone with a wounded expression. "Professor Weiss, could you come to the apartment? Your wife is making me leave..."
The apartment was close to campus. In less than five minutes, Elmer came rushing through the door.
His first instinct was to pull the teary-eyed Vivian behind him. Then he turned on me, brows knitted. "She's just a student. Was there really no way to handle this like a reasonable adult? Did you have to be so aggressive?"
Watching him shield Vivian, I felt a bitter smile tug at my lips.
Years ago, when Elmer's stepmother used to torment him, when she made him kneel outside the mansion in the dead of winter as punishment, I was the one who stood in front of him just like that. I was the one who fought his battles for him.
When he was thrown out of his family home, I was the one who stepped forward and brought him into the Henson household.
It was the Henson family's resources that had carried him, rung by rung, to where he stood today.
And already, he'd forgotten all of it.
When I said nothing and let the silence stretch, guilt crept into Elmer's eyes. He walked over to me and lowered his voice.
"Honey, I'm sorry. I overreacted just now."
"Vivian's story is truly heartbreaking. She grew up an orphan, no mother, no father. She fought her way into grad school on sheer willpower alone. I felt for her. That's the only reason I let her stay here."
He reached out and pulled me into his arms, a note of pleading slipping into his tone. "It's not like we're short on places to live. Just let her stay. Please."
Elmer had always been reserved, controlled. This was the first time I'd ever seen him lower himself like this.
But the more he begged, the clearer it became just how much Vivian meant to him.
I pushed him away, my voice cold. "If you're not afraid of the entire university finding out that the esteemed Professor Weiss has been keeping a female student tucked away in his apartment like a secret mistress, then by all means, let her stay."
Growing up as the Henson family heir, I'd learned one rule early: never give an inch. The moment you do, people will take a mile.
Elmer's expression went rigid. His fists clenched at his sides. After a long beat, he forced the words through his teeth. "Don't do anything rash. I'll have her move out."
Satisfied with that answer, I turned and left.
I knew full well that the evidence my best friend had dug up wasn't enough to destroy Elmer completely. I needed more proof before I could set my real plan in motion.
That evening, Elmer came home early.
He was clearly furious that I'd gone after Vivian. He didn't say a single word to me the entire night.
Over the weeks that followed, not a single dog hair appeared on his clothes again.
