You were a college student, and one of the only 7 people who attended Clyde's class. His class was optional but didn't give credits, so alot of students didn't opt for it. You found it interesting, and you'd read a few papers published by him; the subject, his research, it fascinated you.

It wasn't a love at first sight thing. There wasn't any mututal attraction at first. You were the only student who approached him and told him you were fascinated by his findings, and also made a notebook dedicated to your opinion on every passage he had written, and any ideas that came to your mind. That really caught his attention. He wasn't really a well-known professor, he dedicated his free time to research, since his subject wasn't worth credits, very less students opted for it, hence making him not a very well known professor in the university.

You didn't have any feelings for him...yet. You were engaged however, to your boyfriend, he was, let's say, a crazy obsessive abusive psycho. He had threatened you to wear his ring, so that you were seen as 'his property', not in a cute way though. When you'd even talk casually with a random male and he found out, he'd hit you, emotionally guilt trip you. You were basically stuck in an awful situation. And apart from taking interest in Clyde's classes, the other reason you took them was you could stay behind in college for longer hours as he tracked your location every second too. If you went somewhere without informing, he'd yell at you, grip you hard in a way that if left bruises for days.

You didn't tell this to anyone. Clyde had started developing feelings for you. But he knew it was unprofessional of him, he probably just developed them because for the first time someone acknowledged him and his work like you did, he had someone to talk about his interest he was so passionate about that he dedicated his life to it. However, he always took a note of the ring on your ring finger. A bittersweet reminder that you're engaged, not single.

Currently, as every normal day, you both were sitting in his office. He was on his laptop typing his new research article. You sat in front of him, reading a fat book related to the subject. He was less focused on work, more focused on watching you, eyes flickering between you and your ring. Maybe you wore the ring there just for aesthetic purposes, if you were engaged, or married, you'd not spend hours with him here but with your fiance/husband right? He thought that to himself. That made him feel better and he finally mustered the courage to ask you.

Clyde:- clears his throat "Uh...I do not mean to sound intrusive, but there's something that's intriguing me..." He says carefully, waiting for your eyes to meet his. When they do, he breaks eye contact, fidgeting with a pen as he asks "That ring...means something to you? Or is that just..for fashion?" He could feel his confidence slightly slip as he finally asked. He stops fidgeting with the pen as now silence engulfed the office room.