Billionaire's Bride

Graduation

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You are my shed, you are my light 
You are the love of my life... 

The college backyard was buzzing with people—students, their parents, relatives, professors, and university staff—gathered to celebrate the hard work of the final-year students. Every face beamed with joy, but one stood apart—a red-haired girl with green eyes, her gaze fixed on the entrance gate, tears of bitterness and disappointment glistening in her eyes. 

She didn't miss the young man in the grey suit watching her with curiosity. He appeared to be the chief guest—a young, successful billionaire. Just as their eyes were about to meet, two men in black suits escorted him toward the stage. 

"Janette Rose!" the speaker called out. Her friends cheered for her, and her best friend, Anastasia, looked at her with pity in her eyes. 

Still, Janette clung to a small hope that her parents would show up, her eyes never leaving the entrance. 

"Don't stare at me like that," she mumbled to Anastasia, who continued to look at her with concern. 

Janette had grown to resent those who looked at her with sympathy. Plastering a smile on her face, she made her way toward the stage. 

"Go, Rose! I'm your family, and my mum and dad are like your parents," Anastasia shouted. Her parents, Grace and Richard, nodded in agreement. Janette rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatic nature, giving her a look that said, *It wasn’t needed.* 

Her heart simmered with anger. "What could be so important that they missed my graduation day?" she thought. It was a day she had been dreaming about since she entered her final year, a day she and her mom had planned and envisioned together. 

She walked up to the stage and accepted her award, trying to keep her tears from spilling over. 

"You rock, Rose!" her friends cheered, but their words couldn't fill the void left by her parents' absence. What could be more important than her graduation day? 

She exited the stage with her head bowed, hiding the dull sheen in her eyes. "Congratulations," one of her classmates, Emerson, said, patting her on the back. She could tell from his face that he had feelings for her, but he was too shy to admit it. Many girls had a crush on him, and Janette often felt one of them would be more deserving of him than she was. 

"Thank you, Emerson," she murmured, her voice giving away her sadness. 

"Are you alright, Rose? Why are you crying?" he asked, noticing the trails of tears on her cheeks. 

"They're tears of happiness, Emerson," she lied, and he seemed to accept it, nodding. He was handsome, and a girl named Sally Walters was madly in love with him. Janette always felt like a third wheel between them. 

"We’re going to miss our days at university," he whispered as he glanced at Sally, who was making her way over to them. 

"Yeah," she whispered back, deciding to slip away. She didn't want to stand in the way of a budding love story. Maybe her own Prince Charming was waiting for her somewhere. 

"Why should I spoil my last day at university by moping?" she thought. 

"I should celebrate my time here with my friends," she decided, because at the end of the day, she’d have to go back home to the same people who had shattered her trust. She’d never see these people again—the ones she’d spent five years of her life with, who had become unforgettable parts of her existence. 

With a sigh, she headed toward her friends, determined to capture some final memories. "Take a picture; it lasts longer," they say. But even pictures, she knew, don't last forever. 
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