Camille's hands shook as she waited for Michelle in the small café just off campus. Her heart raced, knowing that what she was about to reveal could change everything. When Michelle walked in, her face a mask of confusion and wariness, Camille felt a pang of guilt for what she was about to do.

"Thanks for coming," Camille said softly as Michelle sat down across from her.

Michelle's eyes were guarded. "I almost didn't. After what happened with Steve..."

Camille took a deep breath. "That's why I asked you here. There's something you need to know. About Steve, about what really happened that night."

For the next hour, Camille poured out the whole sordid tale. She told Michelle about the bar where she'd first met Steve, the intense conversations that had led to an ill-advised kiss. She explained how she'd tried to put it behind her, how happy she'd been with Billy until Steve's obsession had begun to spiral out of control.

"That night at dinner," Camille said, her voice trembling, "Steve cornered me in his study. He kissed me, Michelle. I pushed him away, but your mom walked in at exactly the wrong moment. And then... then Steve lied. He said I'd tried to seduce him."

Michelle sat in stunned silence, her face pale. "Why?" she finally whispered. "Why would he do that?"

Camille wiped away a tear. "He's obsessed with me, Michelle. He told me he'd leave your mom to be with me. I think... I think he saw Billy as a threat."

Michelle's hand clenched into a fist on the table. "That son of a bitch," she hissed. "I can't believe I fell for his act. God, Camille, I'm so sorry. I should have known you'd never do something like that."

Camille felt a wave of relief wash over her. "You believe me?"

Michelle reached across the table, squeezing Camille's hand. "Of course I do. You're my best friend. I should have trusted you from the beginning."

As the two friends embraced, both crying now, Camille felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in weeks. But she knew this was only the beginning.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

Michelle's eyes hardened with determination. "Now, we tell my mom the truth. And we make sure Steve pays for what he's done."

The confrontation with Lily was even more difficult than Camille had anticipated. They met at Lily's house, with Michelle by Camille's side for support. As Camille recounted the events leading up to that fateful dinner, she could see the shock and disbelief warring on Lily's face.

"I don't understand," Lily said, her voice small and hurt. "Steve has been so loving, so devoted. Why would he do this?"

Michelle took her mother's hand. "Mom, think about it. Haven't there been signs? Times when Steve's behavior seemed... off?"

Lily was quiet for a long moment, and Camille could almost see the pieces falling into place in her mind. "There was a notebook," Lily said slowly. "I found it in his desk drawer last week. It was full of... notes. About Camille. Her schedule, her habits. I confronted him about it, and he said it was research for a paper he was writing on student behavior. But it felt wrong."

Camille felt a chill run down her spine. "He's been stalking me," she whispered.

Lily's face crumpled, and Michelle pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Mom," she murmured. "But we'll get through this. Together."

As the three women sat there, supporting each other in their shared pain and betrayal, they didn't notice the car parked across the street. They didn't see Steve watching the house, his face twisted with anger and obsession.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Lily, with Michelle and Camille's support, confronted Steve about his lies and manipulation. The argument was explosive, with Steve alternating between desperate pleas for forgiveness and venomous accusations.

"You're making a mistake, Lily," he snarled as she told him to leave. "Camille and I are meant to be together. You'll see!"

But Lily stood firm, bolstered by her daughter's presence. "Get out, Steve. It's over."

As Steve stormed out of the house, Lily turned to Camille with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said. "For everything he put you through. For not believing you."

Camille hugged her, feeling a sense of closure. "It's not your fault. He manipulated all of us."

But even as they celebrated this small victory, none of them realized that Steve's obsession was far from over. In fact, it was about to reach dangerous new heights.

Over the next week, Camille tried to piece her life back together. She threw herself into her studies, grateful for Michelle's unwavering support. But she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of eyes following her everywhere she went.

It was Michelle who first noticed the red sedan that seemed to be parked near their dorm more often than not. "Camille," she said one evening, her voice tight with worry, "I think Steve's stalking you."

Camille's blood ran cold. She'd been so focused on moving forward that she'd almost forgotten the extent of Steve's obsession. "What do we do?" she asked, hating how small and scared her voice sounded.

Michelle's jaw set in determination. "We go to the police. We tell them everything."

But as they soon discovered, building a case against Steve wouldn't be easy. Without concrete evidence of threats or violence, the police could only file a report and advise Camille to be cautious.

"It's not enough," Michelle fumed as they left the police station. "We need to do more to protect you."

It was then that Camille made a decision that would change everything. "I need to talk to Billy," she said. "He deserves to know the truth."

Michelle hesitated. "Are you sure? He's been... pretty angry."

Camille nodded. "I have to try. Maybe if he knows what really happened, he can help us deal with Steve."

The meeting with Billy was tense at first. He sat across from Camille in the campus coffee shop, his face a mask of hurt and betrayal. But as Camille poured out the whole story, she saw his expression change from anger to shock to a simmering rage.

"I'll kill him," Billy growled when Camille finished speaking. "I'll fucking kill him for what he did to you."

Camille reached across the table, taking his hand. "Billy, no. We need to handle this the right way. I just... I needed you to know the truth."

Billy's eyes softened as he looked at her. "God, Camille, I'm so sorry. I should have trusted you. I should have known you'd never..."

"It's okay," Camille said, feeling a weight lift from her chest. "You know now. That's what matters."

As they talked, neither of them noticed the figure watching them from across the street. Steve's hands clenched into fists as he saw Camille and Billy reconciling. His mind raced with dark thoughts, fueled by jealousy and obsession.

The next few days were a rollercoaster of emotions for Camille. With Billy back in her life, supporting her alongside Michelle, she felt stronger. But Steve's presence loomed over everything like a dark cloud.

It all came to a head on a rainy Tuesday evening. Camille was walking back to her dorm after a late study session at the library when she heard footsteps behind her. She quickened her pace, her heart racing, but the footsteps sped up too.

Just as she was about to break into a run, a hand grabbed her arm. She whirled around to find Steve standing there, his eyes wild and desperate.

"Camille," he panted, "please. We need to talk."

She tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. "Let go of me, Steve. It's over."

His face twisted with anger. "It's not over. It will never be over. You're mine, Camille. You've always been mine."

As Steve's grip tightened painfully on her arm, Camille felt a surge of terror. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, another voice cut through the night.

"Get your hands off her!"

Billy came running towards them, his face a mask of fury. Steve released Camille, shoving her aside as he turned to face Billy.

"This doesn't concern you, boy," Steve snarled. "Camille and I are meant to be together. You're just in the way."

Billy stepped between Steve and Camille, his body tense and ready for a fight. "You're delusional, old man. Stay away from her, or I swear to God..."

Steve's laugh was cold and mirthless. "Or what? You'll tell your mommy on me? Face it, Billy. You're not man enough for Camille. She needs someone who understands her, who can challenge her intellectually."

Billy's control snapped. With a roar of rage, he lunged at Steve, tackling him to the wet pavement. The two men grappled fiercely, trading punches as Camille screamed for them to stop.

In the chaos of the fight, no one noticed how close they were to the street. No one saw the car approaching, its headlights cutting through the rain.

It happened in an instant. Billy gained the upper hand, shoving Steve away from him with all his strength. Steve stumbled backward, off the curb and into the street. The screech of tires filled the air, followed by a sickening thud.

Camille's scream pierced the night as Billy's body flew through the air, landing in a crumpled heap several yards away.