Steve sat in his dimly lit office, staring at the framed photo on his desk. It was a group shot from last month's department picnic - his fiancé Lily, smiling brightly; Michelle, looking slightly uncomfortable; and there, on the edge of the frame, Camille. Her eyes were downcast, a small smile playing on her lips. Steve's fingers traced the outline of her face, his heart aching with a mixture of longing and guilt.

He knew he should let her go. The threat of exposure loomed large - Michelle's warning echoed in his ears. But the thought of never seeing Camille again, never hearing her laugh or watching her eyes light up as she discussed her favorite books... it was unbearable.

Steve's phone buzzed, startling him from his reverie. A text from Lily: "Don't forget, dinner with the Johnsons tonight. 7 PM."

He sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. How had his life become this tangled web of lies and unfulfilled desires? He should be grateful - he had a successful career, a loving fiancé, a soon to be stepdaughter. But ever since Camille had walked into his life, everything else seemed to pale in comparison.

Against his better judgment, Steve found himself pulling up the university's student directory. His fingers hovered over the keyboard before typing in "Camille Trois." There she was - her student ID photo staring back at him, those same soulful eyes that had captivated him from the start.

Before he could stop himself, Steve was jotting down her dorm address. Just in case, he told himself. Just to make sure she was okay.

As the days passed, Steve's obsession grew. He found himself taking long walks past Camille's dorm, hoping for a glimpse of her. He volunteered for extra office hours, just on the off chance she might stop by. He even considered creating a fake social media account to follow her online activities.

One evening, as he was leaving campus late, Steve spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Camille was walking arm-in-arm with a young man he didn't recognize, laughing at something he'd said. The sight sent a jolt of jealousy through Steve's body.

Without thinking, he ducked behind a nearby building, watching as the couple made their way towards the dorms. The young man - handsome, carefree, everything Steve wasn't - leaned in to kiss Camille goodnight. Steve's fists clenched at his sides, his breathing ragged.

It was in that moment, as he watched Camille disappear into her building, that Steve realized how far he'd fallen. This wasn't just a crush or a mid-life crisis. This was an obsession, one that threatened to destroy everything he held dear.

But even as that realization dawned, Steve couldn't bring himself to walk away. Instead, he found himself settling onto a bench across from Camille's dorm, telling himself he'd leave in just a few minutes. Just a few more minutes to be close to her, even if she didn't know he was there.

As the night grew darker and colder, Steve remained, his eyes fixed on Camille's window, imagining the life he wished he could have. A life where age and circumstance didn't stand in their way. A life where Camille looked at him the way she'd looked at that young man.

It was well past midnight when Steve finally forced himself to leave, his body stiff from sitting for so long. As he made his way home, a plan began to form in his mind. He couldn't go on like this, living a half-life, torn between duty and desire. Something had to change.

Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow he would find a way to talk to Camille, consequences be damned. He'd make her understand how he felt, how much she meant to him. And if she rejected him... well, at least he'd know.

With that resolution, Steve slipped into bed beside his sleeping wife, his mind still filled with images of Camille. As he drifted off to sleep, he failed to notice the way Lily's body tensed at his touch, or the silent tears that slipped down her cheeks.

The stage was set for a confrontation that would change all their lives forever.