Blurb：
When broke college student takes $75 to click attendance for Lachlan Barrett in Professor Malcolm Barrett's thermodynamics class, she never expected to be caught by the stern professor himself. Panicking, she blurts out she's Lachlan's girlfriend taking notes while he's sick. The plot twist? Lachlan Barrett is not just any student - he's the professor's son! Now trapped in a web of lies at Crestfall University, she must pretend to date Lachlan Barrett to save them both from academic disaster. This fake dating romance filled with academic tension, campus gossip from Crestfall Chatter, and unexpected chemistry will keep you turning pages. Will their pretend relationship survive Professor Barrett's scrutiny?Content：
§01“You’re Lachlan Barrett?”
The question, sharp and laced with disbelief, cut through the low murmur of the lecture hall.
I froze, my hand hovering over the glowing screen of my phone.
One hundred pairs of eyes swiveled in my direction.
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
I was so, so screwed.
Standing at the podium was Professor Malcolm Barrett, a man whose reputation for academic rigor was legendary at Crestfall University.
His gaze, magnified by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, pinned me to my seat.
“I don’t recall having a student who looks quite like you in my Advanced Thermodynamics class,” he said, his voice dangerously soft.
My brain went into overdrive, scrambling for an escape route.
This was supposed to be an easy seventy-five bucks.
An anonymous post on Crestfall Chatter, the campus gossip app: *Need someone to click in for me in Barrett’s Thermo lecture. Venmo $75. DM for details.*
As a student perpetually broke, it was a siren song I couldn’t resist.
The plan was simple: sneak in, find Lachlan Barrett’s name on the attendance app, click him in, and disappear.
I’d forgotten one crucial detail.
I had no idea what Lachlan Barrett looked like.
Now, with the real Professor Barrett staring me down, my brilliant plan was imploding in real time.
“Actually,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my mouth before I could stop them. “I’m his girlfriend.”
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
I pressed on, fueled by pure adrenaline. “He’s really sick today. A terrible fever. He was so worried about missing your lecture, he asked me to come and take notes for him.”
Professor Barrett’s expression didn’t change. He adjusted his glasses, the movement slow and deliberate.
“My son has a girlfriend?” he deadpanned. “How come I didn’t know?”
A fresh wave of panic washed over me.
His *son*?
Oh, this was a catastrophe.
“After class,” the professor said, his voice leaving no room for argument, “both of you are coming to my office.”
§02
My phone buzzed with a frantic vibration against the worn cover of my textbook.
I’d managed to survive the rest of the lecture by making myself as small as possible, my face buried in a book I wasn’t reading, shame burning my cheeks.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, I grabbed my phone.
`Me: Hey! You there? How could you not tell me you were a GUY?!`
The reply was instantaneous.
`Lachlan Barrett: Huh? You never asked. I thought you knew.`
My silence was deafening.
Okay, fine. He had a point.
When I’d accepted the gig on Crestfall Chatter, his profile picture was an adorable, fluffy kitten. My brain, in its infinite wisdom, had conjured up an image of a shy, studious girl.
If only I’d bothered to ask a single follow-up question.
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The End