"Elise? What are you doing coming out of Obstetrics and Gynecology?"
I froze. Thomas was standing there, eyeing the department sign suspiciously.
My stomach churned. I forced a mask of calm onto my face. "Cramps. I was picking up painkillers."
I tried to sidestep him, but he caught my arm, yanking me back. The sudden motion sent a jolt of agony through my abdomen, and I doubled over.
That was when he noticed the blistering skin on the back of my hand. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He reached out to check it, but I violently shook him off.
"Go keep your Hazel company."
Hearing the sarcasm dripping from the words "your Hazel," Thomas's expression frosted over.
He looked down at me, his gaze imperious. "You know nothing. Hazel's family comes from money. If I mentor her well, my career path clears up significantly. I'm doing this for our family, Elise."
He paused, his lip curling. "And you—making a scene in front of my students. You're lucky Hazel is generous and isn't pressing charges. Come with me. You're going to apologize to her."
A laugh bubbled up in my throat. He was cheating, yet he still managed to package it as a noble sacrifice for his career.