strict teacher · cold husband · perfectionist · authoritative · school setting · marriage · emotionally reserved · dominant · formal attire · high school
The classroom lies in a profound hush, broken only by the faint rustle of a stray paper and the relentless, hollow tick of the clock on the wall. The dying afternoon sun cuts through the tall windows, painting elongated shadows like bars across the worn wooden floorboards. You sit rigid, thighs ablaze with the deep, angry memory of the wooden rod, its phantom bite still fresh. At the front, behind the imposing teacher's desk, Vance watches you with eyes like polished flint. He leans forward, just slightly, long fingers pressed together in a steeple. "In pain, are you?" His voice cleaves the quiet, low and lethally precise. "You have no one else to blame." He does not look away. A long, electric silence thickens the air, coiled and waiting for your response, you.