Arrogant Billionaire: Love vs Hate

Chap 10

"Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first understood."
-Leonardo da Vinci
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I felt a surge of molten rage rising inside me as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. The memory of what had just happened replayed again and again in my mind, each time making my chest tighten painfully. My first kiss—something I had always imagined would be meaningful and special—had been stolen by the one person I despised the most. What made it worse was the helplessness I had felt in that moment. The fact that I hadn't been able to stop him made my stomach churn with disgust.

I had always considered myself strong, someone who never backed down from anyone. Yet now even my own conscience seemed to mock me, reminding me how powerless I had been. Lost in those thoughts, I walked down the hallway without really seeing where I was going. My mind was so numb that the sounds of students talking and lockers slamming barely reached me.

"Andy?"

Clara's voice broke through the fog in my head.

"Hey, are you okay? Where have you been? I was worried about—wait... are you crying?" Her voice instantly shifted from curiosity to alarm. "Andy, what happened? This is all because of that evil Stephenie, isn't it?"

Her words snapped me back to reality. I blinked and looked around, realizing that I was standing right outside my classroom. Students were walking out of the room since the lecture had just ended.

"Dammit... how long have I been like this?" I muttered quietly to myself.

"You silly girl, are you ignoring me?" Clara said, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me lightly. "Would you stop zoning out for once and answer me properly?" Her worried eyes scanned my face. "Please tell me if Stephenie did something to you. I know this whole mess started because of me."

"No, Clara," I said quickly, forcing myself to sound steady. "Don't blame yourself. She didn't do anything. Actually... I put her in her place."

It wasn't a complete lie.

"But then why are you crying?" she asked gently, reaching up to wipe the tears from my cheeks.

My heart skipped in panic.

"Oh... that?" I wiped my face quickly and looked away. "I'm not crying. Something just got into my eye."

The excuse sounded weak even to my own ears.

Clara narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly unconvinced.

I let out a quiet sigh. "Look, I just got caught up in some stuff and missed the first lecture. That's all," I said, trying to sound casual even though my voice still felt unsteady. "And I really don't want to miss the next one too. Mr. Hopkins already hates me."

She continued staring at me for a moment, as if trying to read what I wasn't saying.

"Please?" I added quietly.

Clara hesitated before finally shaking her head. "Fine," she muttered. "But you're telling me everything later. Don't think you can escape that."

A faint smile finally appeared on my lips. "Deal."

She pulled me into a brief hug before stepping back.

"Go," she said. "Before I change my mind."

By the time I reached Mr. Hopkins' class, I was already ten minutes late.

"Miss Andy Davis... late again, I see," Mr. Hopkins said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Care to explain how you manage to do this every single time?"

Great.

Exactly what I needed today.

As if my day hadn't already been humiliating enough, I had accidentally wandered into the wrong classroom earlier and become the laughingstock of an entire group of students. Now here I was standing at the door like a criminal caught in the act.