“So, here’s the thing. Sheela began, leaning back casually in her seat with a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Kaiden and Ru were friends since childhood as their moms were best buddies and Ru’s father worked at his father’s company as the lear engineer. Soon, they went from childhood friends to best friends.” Sheela glanced over at Rubina, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You know, she was even the darling of the Four of Hearts. Ian even had a crush on her. But she had a crush on….” She drew out her words dramatically, her eyes narrowing with a grin as she looked at Rubina. “K-”
“Ookaayyy…” Rubina cut in with a sigh, giving Sheela a light shove that made her stumble slightly. “You’re making it way more dramatic than it was in real life.” She shot Sheela a look, then turned to me with a hint of embarrassment in her expression. “I’ll take it from here.” She leaned forward, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I used to like Kaiden and asked him out.”
“Woohowwohowww!” Sheela sing–songed, waggling her eyebrows with a wicked grin. Her eyes gleamed with pure amusement, clearly savoring Rubina’s discomfort.
Rubina shot her a side–eye but couldn’t quite hide the slight blush creeping into her cheeks.
“Don’t mind her. I’ve seen worse,” I said with a soft chuckle, reaching out to give Rubina’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Now, please continue. I can’t wait to hear more.”
Rubina relaxed a little, taking a steadying breath. “At first, he said yes because he didn’t want to upset me,” she admitted, a nostalgic smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “But soon he also began to like me.”
“You know,” Sheela jumped in again, nudging Rubina playfully with her elbow. “Rubina was kind of his first love.” She looked over at me with a conspiratorial wink. “They were each other’s firsts at almost everything.” She counted on her fingers, lowering her voice. “Like, first kiss, first date, first hug, and so many more…” Sheela leaned closer, her voice dropping to a mischievous whisper. “Yeah, they gave their virginity to each other.”
“Sheela…” Rubina hissed, elbowing her a little harder this time, though a tiny, embarrassed smile broke through her irritation. “That wasn’t necessary.”
A part of me was excited to hear Rubina and Kaiden’s story, but deep down, just a little bit, like zero point zero zero zero zero zero zero one percent, I felt uneasy in my heart, and I don’t know the reason behind it.
“Everything was good…” Rubina continued, her voice softening as her gaze drifted to the floor. “Until Amber came into the picture.” She paused, her fingers tightening slightly on the edge of her sleeve. “She first befriended me, then began to plot against me. She was so clever–like a sly fox.” Rubina’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing in frustration as she resumed. “She milked everything about Kaiden from me. Inculding the fact that Kaiden hates it the most when people fake their emotions to get closer to him and fullfil their selfish goals. She took advantage of my dad’s promotion and spread this vicious rumor that I was seducing Kaiden just to help my dad get on the good side of the Sterwalts.”
Rubina’s face contorted briefly with hurt, and a tremor of anger flickered in her eyes. “The rumor spread so effectively that not just on the page of Queen Bee, it even made the headlines in the local news.” Her voice grew quieter, almost a whisper. “Readers even spiced up the story, saying my mom was trying to seduce Kaiden’s dad. And worse.” Her voice cracked slightly, and a lone tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly brushed away with a shaky breath.
“Despite all those rumors, Kaiden was still with me,” she went on, her eyes glistening as memories seemed to rush through her. The sudden change of the story’s direction made my heart swell, but I didn’t let it stop her from continuing the story. “When we found that it was Amber who spread those rumors, he went to confront her. But then…after he returned….” Rubina’s face fell, a deep sadness dimming her expression. “He was different. He blocked me. Told everyone at school to forget we were ever a thing. He even banned me from the Four of Hearts‘ personal room, group chat, and their li voice quivered, barely above a whisper. “It was as if I was nothing to him–not a friend, not a girlfriend. Nothing.”
Her
Her hands clenched, and she swallowed hard. “The news also vanished from everywhere, like it had never existed in the first place. I tried to talk to him, so many times…” She looked down, her brows furrowing. “I was practically begging every day in my heart for him to at least look at me.” Her voice faded, and she blinked back tears, lifting her head just enough to meet my gaze. “But he never did. I don’t know if it was his anger or ego or what, but he never did.” She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “Today was the first time he talked to me since then. If I’d known that, me trying to leave school, was
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Chapter 19
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the thing that would make him talk to me, then maybe…” Her voice trailed off, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. I guess the present would be different.”
Rubina’s story was painful, heart–wrenching, but things still didn’t add up. I mean, from her story, it sounds like the cores him something like an apology or an explanation—and still loves him, but from the way she behaved before with me, with Kaiden, her opinions about the Sterwalts, it told a different story.
“Wait a minute…” I didn’t want to ask this because it might ruin the depth in the air around us, but my curious self couldn’t help it. “I… I… know… I mean… I genuinely feel sorry for you… but… things don’t fit. I mean if you were so happy that he talked to you after such a long period of silent treatment, then why did you try to slap him?” I don’t know why, but I felt like my ass would tear out of fear. “Okay, let’s say it was a slap of love…” I changed my posture as the atmosphere was getting a little too intense. That’s why I don’t talk much because when I do, it just gets really awkward. EVERYTIME! “But before, as well, you’ve always spoken with hatred whenever you’ve talked about Kaiden or the Sterwalts”
Rubina’s brows knitted as she glanced down, a faint smile tinged with bitterness appearing on her face. But before she could reply, Sheela interjected, her voice subdued. “Actually… she didn’t tell you the most depressing part.”
“Oh, um… th… th… there’s even worse? I’m sorry.” I stammered, guilt pooling in my chest as I looked at Rubina. “IL. I didn’t
mean to-”
“It’s okay.” Rubina reassured me softly, giving a small shake of her head. “You don’t have to apologize.” She took a deep breath, tucking both sides of her light brown hair behind her ears, her gaze distant as though reliving painful memories. “Now that I’ve told you almost everything… I guess I can tell you the rest, as well.” She paused, her voice trembling as she began, “After he ghosted me, I was shattered. It wasn’t just about losing a boyfriend–I had lost everything I thought I’d have forever: my friends, my best friend, my love, my reputation. My dad saw how much it was tearing me apart and decided to talk to Kaiden, hoping he’d at least give me a chance to explain.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper, shoulders slumping as though weighed down by the memory. “But instead, Kaiden fired my dad… and banned him from the industry.” Her lips trembled, and she let out a shaky breath. “My dad struggled so much to put food on the table after that. And then, one day, he had a heart attack. Luckily it was a minor. But…” She stopped, looking away as tears welled up in her eyes. “I blamed myself… and Kaiden. For everything. That’s why I go…. well, a little berserk whenever the Sterwalts come up. My dad gave his whole life to Sterwalt Construction, and all he got in return was a lifetime ban for simply trying to bring a smile back to his daughter’s face. I don’t know if that’s enough reason to hate Kaiden and his family, but even if it isn’t… I can’t help it.” Her gaze met mine, eyes raw with pain. “I hate the Sterwalts. I hate Kaiden. I hate him so much… that whenever I hear his name, all I feel is pain and anger. I can’t even remember an ounce of the love I once felt for him.” Another tear traced a path down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away, but not before I saw the depth of her hurt.
Today’s conversation was the deepest, heaviest, hardest, and closest I’ve ever had with anyone, and the fact that she trusted me and saw me as close enough to share it made my heart swell with her pain. Yeah, I could feel Rubina’s pain, and I couldn’t help but cry on her behalf, secretly praying to God to give me all of her tears and grant all of my happiness to her.
“Come here,” I whispered, reaching out as Rubina’s face crumbled. I pulled her into my arms, wrapping her tightly in a hug. She buried her face in my shoulder, and I could feel the tremor of her breathing as she tried to hold back her tears. My own eyes grew heavy with tears that rolled down my cheeks as I closed my eyes, feeling the hug and taking in her pain.
To be continued…
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