Chapter 22: The Retaliation

Barbara Brown's POV

I was not having a good day. First thing in the morning after I got out of the bed, I saw that my apartment was wet, no thanks to the storms and my papers were nearly in ruin. I cursed at myself for having such a low-cost apartment.

I sighed as I moved my things so that I can let it be dried and I was mopping around the apartment when I wanted to make sure that everything precious to me, the papers, my funding proposal and my notebook from the site, were in good conditions.

Then I was making my way to Carol's office to hear that my proposal was being rejected because I was similar to the one that Brandon Cornwall was doing on his research.

Damn him!

Even when he was away and out of my life, he did manage to ruin in a way or the other. I sighed before I nodded at Carol who was smiling sympathetically at me as I was made my way out of the office. I was such a mess but I have to face it with a strong head.

Then my phone rang.

I was anticipated to know if Brad was calling me but my eyebrows were furrowed when I saw Lea's number. I wondered why she called.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Barbara, I was wondering if you will be at the celebration in the lounge today?" She asked as I was looking at the calendar. It was one of the undergraduate's celebrations within the department and I completely forgot.

"Yeah, I will be there," I said as I was smiling while I was going to my lab. I need to make sure that everything will be for my retaliation against one Brandon Cornwall. I have to plot neatly so that I can be the last one to laugh at his downfall.

"Okay, I see you there," Lea said before she hung up. I put my phone away as I was taking my seat at my desk in the graduate office. It was one of the few privileges to be a graduate student with one massive headache, I might add.

I saw Silas was eyeing me but I just ignored him as I have another bastard to voice my opinion too.

I was waiting for Lea to show up when she did. She was smiling at me when I was hugging her.

"Well, it's about time I saw you. So how's excavation?" Lea asked when she was shrugging off her coat and took a cup to fill with lemonade. I shrugged at her question.

"Not bad as I went for one week. It was not that exciting," except when you count I will cut off Brad's head when he showed up in my face.

"Hmm, I never thought that you will be pursuing this. I thought you hate field trips," Lea said as she sipped on her drink. I smiled at her.

"Well, my interest changed,"

"Yeah, right. If I don't know you better, I would agree but you're my best friend so I did know you better,"

"Did?" I asked Lea as she was amused by my notion before she sipped her drinks. We were talking to the professors; There's Prof. Mauve Smith, Lea's advisor, and Carol as well. We were gossiping with each other before Lea was darting to the receptionist and she excused herself.

"Huh, I see that one of ours has caught the eyes of the handsome fellow," Mauve commented when Carol was smiling at her.

"Why wouldn't he? Lea's nice and I like her. It's not that uncommon for us to fall in love with other faculty," Carol added when she was winking at me. I smirked at her before she was smiling.

"Easy for you to say. You're the one that married in one's faculty. How's Max handling Silas? I hoped that boy will learn his place," Mauve said before I can ask any more question I caught Lea was talking with Alexander MacWatters, one of the Chemistry professors here.

"Who is that chunk of a man?" I said as I was eyeing him up and down. In a way, he was leaner than Brad but not that I was comparing them but—

"Hey!" I exclaimed when Lea was covering my eyes with her hands. I never know that Lea was violent but I guess when it comes to man, she was no exception to keep her man out of anyone's reach.

"He's taken," she said as I can sense the anger that she tried to control.

"Oh, it's fine then. What was all that about?" I asked her as I was crossing my hands over my chest as I was regarding Lea. She doesn't want to reveal but her blush told me everything. She was moving on with this man from Silas.

That's nice. I bet she deserved better than that bastard.

"I got to go," Lea said as she was getting her coat and handbag. I arched my eyebrow at her and eyed her up and down.

"What?" She asked when I know what was exactly playing in her little head. I cannot deny it if that prof was taken by Lea. She's beautiful in her innocent way.

"You're that person, right, the one that's taken, Mr. Drop Dead Gorgeous?" I said as I was smiling at her. She laughed before she went away from my grip.

"Okay, you have too many dramas and novels to get a lifetime that I will be with someone like him," Lea said as she was walking away from the lounge.

"Why not?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes at me. How dare she!

"Well, because he's perfect and I'm me," she said before I smirked at her. I mouthed 'Liar!'. She smiled before she disappeared from the lounge and I was back in the moment.

I stayed for a few moments when I heard something interesting.

"I heard there will be a new Volcanology professor that will be doing his research with us now. He was the editor-in-chief for WWF magazine. I bet he's knowledgable," one of the graduate people said before I heard Adam talked.

"Well, he was researching with us, not being a professor yet,"

"But you never know. He was one of the bright alumni of this department when he was an undergraduate. I heard he's hired for Assistant professor for his senior thesis but he rejected it." One of Adam's friends said before I was sliding with them.

I guess I can make money with them after my disaster.

I was exhausted when I was back in my apartment. The rain was dried up and I was putting everything in order. I hope that everything will be okay. I need to make sure that I can operate my mission tomorrow as I was planning to confront him.

But of course, I had another matter at hand as well.

When the morning came, I have a call from Lea and she was crying so hard. I can barely hear what she said but I know that I have to be with her. I answered on the first ring and I stood up when I heard her sweet voice was cracked.

"Hello?"

"I need to get away ASAP," she replied. I furrowed my eyebrows as I just saw that she was happy yesterday with that prof of hers.

"Why? Trouble in paradise?" I asked. She sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it,"

"Where are you?" I asked her when my mother instinct kicked in me.

"A hotel in front of Carl's cafe. I need you here ASAP," she replied. Damn, she's in a luxury hotel.

"Wait, are you inside MacWatters' hotel?"

"Yes," she replied quietly before sobbing. I panicked.

"Hey, Lea. What's wrong?" I asked as I was getting out of the bed and was ready to pick her up.

"Just come pick me up, please," she whispered.

"Okay, meet you in 15 minutes," I said before I hung up and went to get my things. I think I just added another list to my killing and I don't care if he was a professor at our university or not.

They messed with my girls, they messed with me.

I was hastily getting my hoody and my pants working as I was out of the house. I went to lock the door before I got inside the car and started the ignition. I put my GPS en route to MacWatters' hotel as I was waiting for the engine to be idle.

I looked at the road as I can sense that my vision was now red. Red for blood but mostly for two people that have made my life and Lea's life miserable. I sped off and I went out of the parking lot to the hotel.

15 minutes later, I was in front of the hotel before I parallel parked in front of the hotel. I went inside and I was looking wildly for my friend.

"Where is that stupid motherfucker?! I will teach him a lesson," I roared when people started to look at me before Lea was gripping my arms as I approached her.

"Barb, let's just go. I don't want him to find out," Lea said as she was pleading me not to do anything stupid. I sighed.

"Fine, let's go," I said before we were in my car and I was en route to a train station.

"I've got your ticket and clothes. This should do for 3 days and 2 nights,"

"Thank you, I owe you one," Lea said as she put on her sunglasses when I saw the traffic was slowing down. I cursed.

"It's the least I can do. I know you don't usually cry like that before. I'm sorry. That douchebag is one—"

"Can we just stop talking about him for one second?" She asked before I sighed and looked at her. She sighed as she turned to look at the road and before I knew it, Lea was fast asleep.