Your Lucky One

Chapter Three: Breaking Point

Trese Anaya's Point of View

I sat at my desk that night, textbooks spread open around me like some makeshift fort. My laptop flickered, and the screen displayed slides on business strategy that I had already read twice. But this time was different—I was determined. Tomorrow, I wouldn't let Miss Everette have the satisfaction of catching me off guard again.

I cracked my knuckles and took a deep breath. Kaya ko 'to, I thought. I had always coasted through my classes without much effort, but something about her made me want to prove that I wasn't just a spoiled rich kid coasting by on her name. I'd show her that I could handle it, that I wasn't just some airhead.

It was a weird feeling. I wasn't used to caring this much about what a professor thought of me. But with Lenore, everything was different. Maybe it was because she didn't treat me like everyone else. She wasn't afraid to call me out, and a small part of me hated her for it—while another part, one I didn't want to think about, was... intrigued.

But tonight wasn't the time for distractions. I flipped through my notes, muttering to myself. Game face on, Trese. Kung may itanong si Miss Everette bukas, sasagutin ko nang walang sablay. No room for mistakes. practiced every potential question she might throw my way, determined to nail each one.

Yukio and Kasha kept on calling and sending me messages, they are inviting me to join them in Las Galo, but I told them that I am reviewing. It was very unusual for them, kung ano-ano pa ang narinig kong katatawanan sa kanila dahil bago itong ginagawa ko ngayon. I never review for recitation, minsan nga kahit sa exam hindi ako nag re-review.

When I finally crawled into bed, exhaustion pulling me under, I fell asleep feeling strangely confident. For once, I felt like I had prepared for something—really prepared. Tomorrow, Miss Everette wouldn't know what hit her.

The next morning, I sat in class, my foot tapping against the floor as I waited for Miss Everette to arrive. The air felt heavy with anticipation, not just from me but from the entire room. Even my classmates seemed to be sitting up straighter, fully aware that Lenore Everette didn't tolerate mediocrity.

The door opened, and there she was, striding into the room with her usual poise, her eyes scanning the class with that cold, piercing gaze that sent a chill down my spine. She didn't say a word, just stood there, waiting for us to fall silent.

"Good morning," she finally said, her voice calm but commanding. "Let's begin."

I straightened in my seat, every nerve in my body on high alert. Miss Everette moved through the lecture with practiced ease, her voice steady as she went over the lesson. But I knew what was coming I could feel it.

And sure enough, after about twenty minutes, she turned her attention to me.

"Miss Monforte," she said, her voice slicing through the room like a knife. "I trust you've done the reading?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, keeping my tone confident. I had this. I was ready.

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Then perhaps you can explain the key elements of Porter's Five Forces model?"