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1) This is a nonconsent story, and may be "harsher" than some readers will likely prefer. Though not intended to be sadistic, it emphasizes themes of dominance, humiliation, and revenge. The story went to some dark places along the way, but ultimately (and somewhat to my surprise) found its way to a positive ending.
2) It is a work of sheer fantasy in all respects, and is intended for the purposes of erotic entertainment only. In real life it is incumbent on all of us to ensure consent in any situation, and to show respect and empathy to those around us—not just with regard to sex, but in every aspect of life.
3) All characters are over the age of 18.
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CHAPTER 1
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When Suzy Ruiz came to my office, she wasn't in tears. She was mad, and disgusted. "Professor Kravitz," she said, "I want to file a sexual harassment complaint against Dr. Brenner."
Aha, I thought, maybe I've finally caught the bastard!
Suzy was one of my new graduate students, part of that year's incoming cohort—so, it was probably natural that she had come to me with her problem.
And it was plain enough why Brennan had been attracted to her. Although she wasn't what you'd call glamorous, she had a magnetic exuberance about her. She was diminutive and dark, with wide, intelligent eyes (accentuated by black-rimmed glasses and heavy brows), a button nose, and jet-black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Cute, smart, young, and trim—Suzy was every lecherous old professor's dream.
And yet, I sensed instantly that Brenner had miscalculated in targeting her. He usually sought out the weak and vulnerable. But you could see in Suzy's face that she had heart, brains, and self-confidence. She knew her rights, and was going to stand up for them. That made her a person of great interest to me.
"Please, call me Ellen," I said. "... Now, tell me what he did."
"Well, uh, Ellen, you know that I'm taking his seminar in practical methodologies, right? And I know for a fact that I'm doing just as well as anybody else. But he called me into his office the other day, and said my progress isn't satisfactory. Also he reminded me that failing the class would get me expelled from the program. And
then
he said, oh, but if I came to his house for private tutoring, I could still pass, and maybe pull out an 'A.' And, get this:" she snorted, "he put his hand on my thigh, and said all I'd have to do to get the grade is show the right kind of responsiveness to his teaching. It was disgusting—I felt like I needed to shower afterwards!"
"Oh Suzy, that is horrible...," I sympathized. "Such conduct is utterly inappropriate. I'm so sorry you had to experience it... University policy, in a case like this, is that I should report your complaint to Dean Castor, so that her office can investigate and determine the appropriate disciplinary action. I'd be more than happy to do that. But, if I may, let me say a few words before you decide."
I tried to keep my tone as matter-of-fact as possible. "The truth of the matter is that Professor Brennan's, um,... proclivities... are an open secret. He's preyed on women here since before you were born. As recently as two years ago, he got an undergraduate working in his lab pregnant. Twenty-one years old, I think. She filed a complaint, was harassed and intimidated, and eventually dropped out of school. And, as you can see, Brennan's still here. So I'd advise you to plan your next steps very carefully."
"But Prof... I mean, Ellen—how is that possible?!" Suzy's jaw had dropped slightly. "I never even heard about anything like that!"
"Of course not, dear," I sighed. "With his connections, Brennan pulls in tens of millions of dollars a year in government grants. He probably accounts for a hundred well-paying jobs at the university, all by himself. No one else can secure funding like he can. And so, Dean Castor and the administration will stop at nothing to protect him."
"Yeah, but... we can't just let him get away with it!," she erupted indignantly. "What can we do about it?"
"Well, I do have an idea, Suzy. But it's risky, it involves some sacrifice. You may not like it. You may decide it's not worth it. I'm not here to tell you what to do, just provide you with facts and support."
"Boy, you make it sound like martyrdom, professor! What, do you want me to do, go to the media?"
"Even that won't be enough, Suzy. Not by itself. They would just smear you and distort things—say that it's all miscommunication and entrapment and innuendo. No, we would need to gather hard, incontrovertible evidence first, before going to the media. And we would need to make sure the dean was implicated, so she couldn't run interference for him. That's the only way Brennan will ever be taken down."
"Well, I can testify, and probably other women can too. You know, under oath. That's proof, right?"
"I'm afraid not—not in the court of public opinion, or the university bureaucracy. Oh, you'd probably get a ton of 'likes,' tweets of support, a bland statement of concern from the provost. But after a while the gossip-sites would turn on you, lies would start spreading, people would have doubts, and Brennan would keep doing what he's always done. The word of a woman, even a dozen women, will never be enough for them. You need more."
"So, what then?"
"Again, this is just me laying out the facts as I see them. It's up to you what to do. But in my view, the only thing that will bring him down is something like a sting operation."
"You mean, like wear a wire?"
"Ye-es... but not just during his approach. That would still be too ambiguous... Look, I've thought about this a lot, and my view is that someone would need to actually let him, um... follow through on the transaction... recording every minute of it. And then make sure the dean is caught in her complicity as well. If we could bring all
that
to the media, then there would be no way for Brennan to wriggle free... Of course, I wouldn't blame you in the slightest for declining to take that on. Why should you suffer any further from that man's lust and hubris?"
Unlike Brennan, I had gauged my target pretty well. Most graduate students would have been appalled at this idea—of subjecting themselves to abuse in order to snare the abuser; of using sex, one's body, as an instrument to trap the predator. Suzy seemed unruffled, however. She was a free spirit, uninhibited, unattached, and her interest seemed piqued by this twisted approach to upending the grad school hierarchy.