He Sacrificed Me To The Wolves

At the gala celebrating my reunion with my biological parents, Bennetts star student got lost again.

He was ready to walk out on both our families before the first course was even served. I didn't want to break my parents' hearts on the night they finally went public with the daughter theyd spent a decade searching for, so I swallowed my pride and pleaded with him.

"My parents have been waiting years for this moment, Bennett. If you leave now, what are they supposed to think?"

Instead of staying, Bennett looked at me with a condescending pity that made my skin crawl.

"Callie is alone in this city, June. She has no one. Im her mentorthats a sacred bond. I cant just abandon her when shes panicking."

He adjusted his cuffs, his voice dropping to that smooth, professorial tone he used to win over lecture halls. "You grew up an orphan too. You of all people should empathize with her instead of being so petty."

A knot formed in my throat, the resentment Id been stifling for months finally boiling over. "Are you really worried about a 'student,' Bennett? Or is it because that student is her?"

He shot me a look so cold it felt like a physical slap. Without another word, he turned and walked toward the exit.

I slammed my hand against the table, the silver rattling. "Bennett! If you walk out that door, we are done!"

He froze. When he looked back at me over his shoulder, his eyes were like chips of ice.

"You have a family now, June. But Callie only has me. Stay here and enjoy your parents."

He vanished into the night.

Ten minutes later, Callie Brooks posted a new photo to her Instagram.

[Doesnt matter if youre lost, as long as youre with the person willing to find the romance in the sunset with you!]

In the phototaken by a passerbythe two of them were silhouetted against the orange sky, their hands joined to form a giant heart. The happiness radiating from the screen was a knife to my gut.

...

The whispers of the guests felt like needles pricking my skin.

My fathers face went from hurt to a terrifying, stony rage. He slammed his wine glass onto the tablecloth, the crystal shattering.

"Enough! I spent ten years scouring the country for my little girl, only for her to be treated like an afterthought?"

Bennetts parents turned pale. They scrambled forward, their voices trembling as they tried to play peacemaker.

"Charles, please, its all a misunderstanding! Bennett is just... hes dedicated. Hes a professor; he feels a deep responsibility for his students. Hes just being a good man."

My mothers face remained frozen. She took my hand in hers, her grip firm and protective, as she stared them down.

"A good man? I dont think so. That 'student' is a grown woman, isn't she? If he has so little respect for his wifes dignity that hed run to another woman on a night like this, then we have nothing more to discuss."

A wave of warmth flooded my chest. For years, I had navigated the world alone, fighting for every scrap of affection. Now, someone was finally standing in the gap for me. I squeezed my mothers hand, blinking back tears, and turned to the room with a voice like steel.

"Mom, Dad... lets continue the party. We have a lot to celebrate."

I paused, looking directly at Bennetts parents. "And one more thing. Im filing for divorce."

The room went deathly silent. Bennetts parents looked like theyd been struck by lightning. The guests began to murmur, their eyes darting between my parents' wealth and my sudden, cold resolve.

I ignored them. My mind drifted back to our fifth anniversary, just a month ago.

Bennett had invited all his colleagues and friends to witness our "perfect" life. But the moment the appetizers were served, his phone rang. He looked at me with that practiced expression of regret.

"Honey, a few of my students got into some trouble at a bonfire. I have to go deal with the campus police. Im so sorry."

I had urged him to go, thinking it was an emergency. I spent the rest of the night playing the perfect hostess, laughing off the pitying looks from his friends.

The next day, I went to the campus infirmary with gift baskets for the "troubled students." Instead of a group of kids, I found Bennett in a private room, his eyes dark with exhaustion, tenderly tucking a blanket around Callie Brooks.

When I confronted him, he didn't even flinch.

"Callie went for a hike and got turned around," hed said. "You know she has no one else in this city, June."

The memory made my blood run cold.

The rest of the gala was a blur of apologies from Bennetts family. By the time I got back to our apartment, the adrenaline had faded, leaving a hollow ache in its wake.

My phone buzzed. A text from Bennett.

[Callie sprained her ankle. Shes terrified of hospitals, so Im staying the night to watch over her. Ill be back in the morning.]

I stared at the text, then opened Instagram. Like clockwork, Callie had posted again.

[A lonely night, but at least I have you.]

The photo showed Bennetts sharp profile, his head resting dangerously close to her lap as he sat by her bed. I knew shed taken it while he was distracted, but the fact that he allowed her this level of intimacythis constant, blurred linewas the real betrayal.

My heart felt like it was being carved out by a dull blade. I had known Bennett and Callie for years. I couldn't understand how it had come to this.

I was the one who had encouraged him to mentor her. I was the one who had suggested we help fund her studies when she told us she was an orphan from a broken-down town in the Ozarks. And Bennett? He was the man who had once stayed by my side through a grueling health scare, promising hed never let me be alone again.

How did we get here?

I picked up my phone and messaged my parents.

[Dad, Mom... tell the University of Chicago I accept the visiting professorship. Ive made up my mind. Im moving back to the city to be with you.]

I finished packing my essentials just as the sun began to peek through the blinds.

The front door opened. Bennett walked in, bringing with him the faint, cloying scent of Callies perfume. He climbed into bed, the mattress dipping as he tried to pull me toward him.

"Still mad, babe? I know I sounded harsh yesterday. But weve watched Callie grow up. You know her background; you know how hard it is for her to trust people."

I kept my back to him, as rigid as a statue.

He sighed, resting a warm palm on my hip. "Look, once things settle down at the department, Ill take you to a nice dinner with your parents to apologize, okay?"

"I understand," I said, my voice flat.

He paused, sounding relieved. "I knew youd see reason. Youve always been the bigger person, June. I bought you that necklace you wantedits on the counter. Im going to go jump in the shower."

After the bathroom door clicked shut, I went to the kitchen. The jewelry box was sitting there. I opened it to find a modest gold pendant. The receipt was tucked underneath: $450.

My stomach turned. I grabbed Bennetts phone from the counterI still knew his passcode. I navigated to his banking app and looked at his "recently deleted" transactions.

There they were. Series of transfers to Callie Brooks. $5,000. $8,000. $5,000.

It all made sense now.

I had been sending Callie a $500 monthly "stipend" out of my own pocket to help her with groceries. Meanwhile, she was sporting Chanel bags and Herms scarves on her "student" budget. While I was taking the subway to save money for our future, she was driving a brand-new Lexus.

Bennett was subsidizing her entire life while I balanced our household ledgers down to the cent.

The pain was a physical weight in my chest. When Bennett came out of the shower, he leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Goodnight, beautiful," he whispered. "Or good morning, I guess."

"Goodnight," I replied, already counting down the hours until I could leave.

The next morning, I went to the Deans office and handed in my resignation. Then, I headed to the year-end Academic Excellence Awards. I planned to accept my research grant and leave quietly, but as I finished my speech, Callie Brooks practically stormed the stage.

She snatched the microphone from the stand, her ponytail swinging defiantly.

"I have to respectfully disagree with Dr. Whittakers findings!" she announced to the crowded auditorium. "My own recent research shows that her theory is based on outdated data. Its a shortcut, frankly. Its not rigorous."

I didn't look at her. I looked at Bennett, who was sitting in the front row, legs crossed, watching her with a look of immense pride.

Callie rambled on, throwing out complex-sounding jargon that meant nothing. She finished with a triumphant smirk. "In fact, these new conclusions were reached through private lab sessions with Dr. Mitch. Isn't that right, Bennett?"

Bennett nodded, giving her a look that a father might give a precocious child.

The room erupted into whispers. The predatory nature of the academic world took over instantly.

"Wow, Callies got guts. Challenging a titan like Whittaker to her face?"

"I dont know, Junes been winning awards for years. Maybe shes been coasting."

"Bennett is so objective. He wont even take his wifes side if the science isn't there. Thats integrity."

I felt my nails digging into my palms. "And what exactly are you proposing, Callie?"

Bennett stood up. As the most senior faculty member in the room, his word was law.

"The methodology Callie is describing is indeed groundbreaking," he said smoothly. "Given the overlap, I think its only fair that the grant for this project be transferred to her name."

The betrayal was total. It wasn't just my marriage; he was trying to strip away my career.

I felt a cold laugh bubble up in my throat. I grabbed the microphone back. "Dr. Mitch, Im afraid I have to disagree with your... assessment."

Both their faces shifted. I didn't give them a chance to speak. I tore Callies "logic" apart piece by piece, citing the very data she claimed was missing. I exposed the flaws in her "groundbreaking" theory with the surgical precision of someone who had spent twenty years in the field.

By the time I was done, the room was silent. Callie was beet-red, her eyes welling with tears of humiliation. She turned and ran out of the hall.

Bennetts face darkened. He shot me a look of pure vitriol before rushing after her.

The room broke into thunderous applause, but I didn't feel like a winner. The trophy in my hand felt like a lead weight.

After the ceremony, Bennett cornered me in a secluded hallway. His eyes were bloodshot.

"June, what the hell was that?" he hissed. "You already have everything. You have the reputation, the tenure, the parents. Why couldn't you just let her have this one win?"

"Because it wasn't hers to take, Bennett," I said, my voice remarkably calm. "Shes your student, not mine. And for the record? Im cutting off her stipend. Effective immediately."

Bennetts frustration boiled over. "If youre still punishing her because youre jealous of my time, thats one thing. But don't sabotage her future just because you're having a tantrum about your parents' party!"

I didn't have the energy to argue. He didn't even realize that every sentence he spoke began and ended with Callie.

I turned to walk away, but a blood-curdling scream echoed through the quad.

"Help! Someone help me!"

We ran toward the sound. Near the parking lot, Callie was being dragged toward a rusted-out van by three burly men in flannel shirts. One had a fist in her hair; another was pinning her arms.

Bennett didn't hesitate. He lunged forward. "Hey! Let her go!"

The men looked up, their faces weathered and mean. "Back off, pal. This is family business. Callie owes the family back home in the holler. Shes supposed to be married to my brother, and were taking her back to finish the job."

Callie was hysterical. "Bennett, help me! I dont want to go back there! I want to stay with you!"

Looking at her, I saw the girl she used to bethe one who begged me for a chance to escape her past. Ive taken self-defense and kickboxing for years; I was ready to step in. But then Bennett spoke, and the world stopped turning.

"Let her go!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He closed his eyes for a split second, then pointed directly at me.

"Youve got the wrong girl! Thats Callie Brooks. The woman youre holding is my wife!"

The air left my lungs. My heart hammered against my ribs in a frantic, sickening rhythm. I couldn't believe the words had actually left his mouth.

The three men didn't wait to check IDs. They shoved Callie aside and lunged for me.

I wasn't fast enough. A hand clamped over my mouth, and another yanked my hair so hard I felt my scalp tear. The pain was blinding. Before I could land a solid blow, they threw me into the back of the van.

The doors slammed shut. Inside the dark space, it was a blur of violence. I fought like a cornered animal, using every ounce of my training, but three-on-one in a confined space were impossible odds.

Ten minutes later, the back doors were kicked open. I crawled out, my arm dangling at a wrong angle, my face a mask of blood and bruises, my clothes torn.

Inside the van, the three men were groaning on the floor, nursing broken noses and cracked ribs. I had held my own, but I was shattered.

Bennett was a few yards away, kneeling on the grass, whispering sweet nothings to a sobbing Callie.

When he saw me emerge, he stood up. He didn't rush to me. He didn't ask if I was okay. He spoke in a commanding, clipped tone.

"June, stay here and look after Callie. Im going to find the campus security."

He looked at my injuries like they were an inconveniencean eyesore he didn't want to deal with.

I let out a ragged, wet laugh. My eyes locked onto Callie.

The "damsel" act vanished for a second. She looked at me with a chillingly blank expression.

"Did you see that, June?" she whispered so only I could hear. "He chose me. Even when it meant throwing you to the wolves. Hell always choose me."

She wiped a fake tear away. "Im not a girl who gets lost, June. Bennett is smart, but he sees what he wants to see. And he wants to see a girl who needs him."

I stared at her, my vision blurring. "Callie... I gave you everything. I treated you like a sister."

She scoffed. "And you have everything. Money, power, a family that actually wants you. You don't know what its like to have to fight for survival. Bennett is my survival. And hes mine. In this life and the next."

I shook my head. I wasn't angry anymore; I was just profoundly disappointed. She had the brains to make it on her own, but shed chosen to be a parasite.

Suddenly, Callies face crumpled. She dropped to her knees and started slapping herself across the face, over and over. "Im sorry! Dr. Whittaker, please! Ill do better! Don't hurt me!"

"June!" Bennett roared, charging toward us. He shoved me aside.

Because of my shoulder and my shredded leggings, I lost my balance and fell into a bed of rosebushes. The thorns tore into my skin, but I didn't make a sound.

"Are you bullying her again?" Bennett yelled, his face twisted with rage.

I didn't answer. I forced myself up, ignoring the stabs of pain, and began to walk toward the gates.

Near the exit, a group of my graduate students and colleagues ran toward me, their faces full of horror.

"Dr. Whittaker! My god, what happened?"

"June, we heard you're leaving for Chicagoplease tell us it isn't true!"

I didn't want them to see me like this. I mumbled a lie about a car accident and kept moving.

But Bennett wasn't done. He caught up to me, grabbing my bruised wrist. "June, Chicago? Youre actually leaving? Why didn't you tell me?"

I winced as his grip tightened on my injury. A white-hot fury sparked in my chest. "Its none of your business."

"The hell it isn't! Im your husband! Chicago is cutthroat, June. You won't survive there without my support."

I laugheda sharp, jagged sound. I swung my good arm and slapped him across the face with every bit of strength I had left.

"After you literally handed me over to kidnappers to save your mistress? You don't get to talk about support. Youre lucky I don't kill you right here."

I walked away. Behind me, Bennett shouted, his voice desperate. "Youre just throwing a tantrum! You want me to beg for your forgiveness? Fine, Im apologizing! Is that what you want?"

I didn't look back. I didn't need his apologies. I needed a bridge, and I was going to burn it with him on it.

On the Uber ride home, my phone blew up with texts from Bennett.

[June, come back. Stop being dramatic.]

[Im sorry about Callies family. It was a split-second decision. I knew you could handle yourself.]

[June, answer me! Dont do this!]

I blocked him.

When I got to the apartment, my mother was already there. She had a suitcase open on the bed. Her face, usually so composed, was soft with concern. "June, honey... lets go home."

I finally broke. I collapsed into her arms, sobbing for the girl I used to bethe orphan who thought shed finally found safety in a man who turned out to be a coward.

As we were walking out the door with my bags, Bennett and Callie pulled up in his car.

"June, wait!" Callie cried, rushing toward us. "Please don't go! Its all my fault... Ill go back to the Ozarks. I wont bother you anymore. Just don't let Dr. Mitch lose his wife because of me."

Bennett hurried to her side, looking at me with a scowl. "Callie, stop. Im not letting you go back to that hellhole."

My mother stepped in front of Bennett. Before he could react, she delivered a stinging slap to his face.

"You coward!" she hissed. "You knew what kind of place she came from, and you tried to send my daughter there instead? Her life is worth more than yours will ever be."

Bennett rubbed his jaw. "June knows how to fight. Callie doesn't. It was a logical choice."

My mothers face went pale with fury. She turned and slapped Callie, too. "And my daughter earned those skills through years of struggle! You don't get to profit off her strength."

As Callie wailed and Bennett tried to shield her, we moved toward the black Rolls Royce waiting at the curb.

But then, a roar of an engine cut through the air. A van screeched to a halt behind us.

My mother shrieked as she was shoved aside. I was pushed to the pavement, my knees scraping against the gravel.

When I looked up, my heart stopped. It was the men from the campus. And they brought friends.

One of them swung a heavy wooden club. My mother, trying to protect me, took the blow. She slumped to the ground, blood blooming from her head.

"MOM!"

The world went red. I scrambled toward her, my hands shaking as I tried to stem the flow of blood.

The lead man sneered. "Thought you could hide, Callie? You knocked out my brothers, but we got reinforcements now. Youre coming home to the village."

I looked at Bennett. He was standing by his car, frozen.

"Im not Callie!" I screamed, my voice raw with hatred. "She is! The woman behind you!"

The men looked toward Callie. Bennett stepped forward, but when he saw the sheer number of armed men, he faltered.

"Let them go," Bennett stammered.

"Sure. Just tell us which one is the real Callie Brooks, or we take 'em both."

I looked at Bennett, my eyes burning. "Bennett, tell them the truth. Give them what they want."

Callie stepped out from behind him, looking like a martyr. "Its okay, Bennett. Let me go. Id rather die than see you two unhappy."

Bennetts eyes went wide. The manipulation worked perfectly. He looked at me, then at Callie, and his face hardened.

He pointed at meat my bleeding, broken mother and me. "Shes Callie. Take her."

The next few seconds were a nightmare. Rough, greasy hands grabbed my hair. My blouse was torn as they dragged me away. My mother was screaming, clutching my ankles, until they kicked her aside.

I saw Bennett cover Callies eyes, holding her close, protecting her from the "tragedy" he had just authored.

As they threw me and my unconscious mother into the back of the van, I managed to reach into my pocket for the burner phone my father had given me.

I sent a GPS pin.

"Dad," I whispered into the receiver, my voice a jagged edge of ice. "Send the medevac. Send the security teams. And bring Bennett Mitch and Callie Brooks to me. I want to watch them burn."