"How long do you have to convince yourself that you don't love her anymore?" David believed to have been hurt by the same woman twice, leaving him with no other option but to hate her for the succeeding days of his life.
David's P.O.V.
Finally, it's the last school year!
We just had to spend one more year here at St. Augustine's Academy and we would step into college. But before college could happen, I had to get the highest title first-I had to be the class valedictorian.
My class adviser said that it would never be hard for me to get the top rank since based on my grades from the first year to the third year, I was still the number one candidate for the valedictorian award.
It was just so fulfilling because if that happened, I would have a full-scholarship grant in college and my elder sister, Diane, would no longer dance in the club just to pay for my tuition fees. Our father passed away when I was only seven and our mother became sick since then, resulting in my sister to become the breadwinner of the family.
I dismissed my thoughts when I got to the classroom. I immediately sat right beside my girlfriend, Vanessa, and playfully tickled her waist. She was beautiful and sexy, and she was one of my inspirations aside from my family. I always went to school early because of her.
Who would have ever thought that the famous cheerleader of St. Augustine's Academy will become my girlfriend? Of course, I'm handsome! We are indeed a perfect match!
I wonder why she didn't mind me in the first place and just continued reading her book. When I looked at the cover, my eyebrows immediately creased into a furrow.
What the heck? Sixty Shades of Grey!
"Hey, Dave! What are you doing? Can't you see that I'm busy reading it? Mind your own business, please!" She seemed to be surprised when I suddenly confiscated her book.
"Seriously, Vanessa? Why do you have to read this kind of stuff? You know that this is forbidden here so you are clearly violating our school rules. How about your assignments? Are you already done with it?" I threw her a series of questions.
"Give it back to me!" she yelled at me. Instead of responding to my questions, she only forced herself to reach the book which I kept on raising using my right hand. "Geez, it's so hard to have such a smart-ass boyfriend." I even heard her murmured, still not surrendering.
I then towered over her. She was taller compared to other sixteen-year-old teenagers at five feet and five inches, but she couldn't get the book from me because I was still taller than her. At sixteen, I already stood tall at five feet and eight inches.
We were soon interrupted when Mrs. Cheng went inside the classroom. I immediately placed the book inside my backpack while Vanessa was still freaking mad at me. If stares could kill, I would have died already.
"Okay, class. Good morning!" Our class adviser greeted us.
We humbly replied, "Good morning, ma'am!"
"So this is the second day of your class and of course, your final year in high school. At this stage, I would like to congratulate all of you for making this far, most especially, those who are running for honors." She was all-out smiling.
I proudly smiled. We were forty students in section one. Almost half of the class was currently running for honors, but of course, I was the only one who ran for the valedictorian title.
Well, who else?
"Can you please stop yourself from grinning? I find it annoying, duh!" Vanessa rolled her eyes while looking at me.
I only gave her a teasing smile with a matching wink. She was indeed pretty, and I loved teasing her that way. We had been together for one year.
"But in the meantime, I would like to introduce to you your new classmate..." Mrs. Cheng glanced at the open door and motioned someone out there to enter the room. I didn't know why but I suddenly became nervous.
Wearing her red knapsack on both shoulders, a newcomer slowly stepped inside our classroom... but she seemed hesitant if she was really going to move forward.
"She is Miss Helena Delgado, from St. James Catholic School. It's obvious that she was a transferee here so be kind to her, okay? Hija, would you like to say something about yourself? Maybe a little introduction would help your classmates get to know you."
I narrowed my eyes. I must admit that the transferee was quite beautiful, but my girlfriend was still a lot better! Vanessa was even sexier than her. With Helena's eyeglasses, she looked like a smart teenager. But I knew for sure that she couldn't beat me. I would never let her beat me!
I curved the end of my lips into a smirk.
Focus, Dave! When did it happen that a transferee became the class valedictorian? my subconscious asked.
Yeah, I haven't heard of such a thing. It's quite impossible to happen!
She cleared her throat. "H-Hi, everyone. I'm H-Helena Mari Delgado, fifteen years old, and I came from St. James Catholic School. I'm a bookworm* and I love to spend time with my family." The transferee gave a little introduction about herself.
"Okay! Thanks, Miss Delgado. You can sit at the back of Mr. Rivera." Our adviser pointed the empty chair at my back and Helena quietly took her seat there.
In fairness to her, she doesn't look like a bookworm at all. If her eyeglasses would be removed, she would look more of a couch potato**. I smiled at my thoughts but little did I know that my smile wouldn't last long after hearing Mrs. Cheng's next words.
"And by the way, class... Miss Delgado was a consistent top one student from the first year to the third year. So I think, you have already found your competitor in getting the valedictorian title, David."
Mrs. Cheng was sincerely smiling at me but I found it a little bit awkward. Her smile was saying that I should study harder than usual.
I didn't know why, but I suddenly became timid and bowed my head. I felt being upset. I was not like this every time Mrs. Cheng would talk to me.
Am I intimidated to find out that my one hundred percent probability of being the class valedictorian will become fifty percent now? I don't usually get annoyed with women, but why does she have to transfer here?
"Enjoy this moment, boyfie. I guess, someone will beat you now!" I heard Vanessa said. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see her tongue on her cheeks. She was clearly mocking me.
I just ignored here and out of nowhere, I found myself glancing at Helena who was sitting at my back. To my surprise, our eyes met. It was not that long since I immediately looked away.
But from the moment we stared at each other, I didn't know why my heart leaped for a second. I got abruptly confused. There was something in her that I could not explain. Maybe, I just found her green eyes... beautiful.
Wait, beautiful? Hell, no way! I was supposed to say-I think her eyes were fake. Maybe, she was only using green contact lenses. But what is the use of her eyeglasses, then? Props only? Tsk, why am I even thinking about it? I shook my head.
Our class started but hours went too fast until we heard the school bell rang. That signifies break time-the favorite subject of most students. But not for me, it was my least favorite. Not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I just wanted to study in order to be successful someday.
I was going to invite Vanessa for us to have some lunch together. However, I had not yet opened my mouth to do that when she immediately rushed through the door, since they would still be having a cheer dance practice. Like the old times, I had no other choice but to eat alone.
But before I was left alone, I saw Helena just coming out. I immediately fixed my belongings, grabbed the knapsack on my right shoulder, and hurried out of the room to chase her. I did not expect her to walk so fast that I also increased my steps to be in line with her pace.
Wait! Why would you even follow her, Dave? Isn't that you're mad at her? my subconscious asked me.
But I didn't listen to it.
"H-Helena, w-wait!" I called her.
_________________________
Bookworm* is a person who likes to read books and who spends a lot of time reading and studying.
Couch Potato** is someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television.
“Where can your obsession finally lead you?” Aris Sandoval was such a good-for-nothing type of a Casanova, but behind his charming looks that were effortlessly used to leave trails of brokenhearted women wherever he went, lies an obsessed heart longing for an extraordinary woman from his past. Will he still continue his mysterious obsession, once he found the right love with a different woman?
"Could you ever forgive that someone who ruined your past?" Diane is trapped in the past she can't even remember. How can she live her life again once she figures out what really happened?
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"