บท 7: Chapter 7
As expected, the news that Daniel and Evangeline broke up spread like wildfire, surprising no one. The only thing that people said, 'It was about time that Daniel broke up with her.'
Daniel and Sisley remained as friends. Too guilty for what they did. Besides, Daniel still had lingering feelings for Evangeline. But as of now, Sisley dominated his entire heart.
Daniel never spoke to Evangeline after that. He was too ashamed and embarrassed to even talk to her. He had girlfriends in the past, and not once did he break his code of loyalty. He never dared cheat nor entertained the thought of it –– until today that is. Which was an accident, a slip of emotion.
Honestly, he didn't know what he should do. He even changed seat with Max and now was seated beside Sisley while Max had the unfortunate privilege to sit beside the Queen.
Daniel knew that he was in the wrong and his priority was to apologize to Evangeline. But how exactly –– I had no idea.
Just peeking at the icy face of Evangeline was enough to make him shrunk in shame and guilt much less talk to her.
Daniel didn't like the feeling he was having now. His mind was filled with nothing but complicated emotions he couldn't control. Everyday, he thought he could never live with the guilt and shame and the fallout from his integrity. He didn't like the feeling and swore he wouldn't ever cheat again. It was not worth it.
What he lost outweigh the gain. His values and honor crumbled. It was like he lost a part of himself, and he was traumatized by his actions.
I have to apologize to her!
He thought by apologizing to her would elevate some of his guilt and bring back something he had lost.
In contrast, Sisley tried everything to avoid Evangeline. But even though she didn't say it, besides the guilt and shame, she was thrilled.
Happy that she could be closer to Daniel now.
But of course, after that incident, they mellowed down. They kept their secret meetups to a minimum mostly for the reason they didn't want to ruin their reputation at school.
They secretly thanked Evangeline because she didn't spread any stories of what exactly happened. Well, even if she did, no one would believe her. And who would she spread the rumors to? She didn't have any friends at school.
At first, Daniel wanted to talk to Evangeline. To say sorry and asked for forgiveness. Breaking up in good terms and to ask her to keep what happened at that time a secret. Mostly because he didn't want Sisley to be the object of scorn and hate. He also didn't want to ruin his name. After all, he came from a respectable royal lineage.
But as time progress, it was becoming harder and harder to speak to her. It was even harder to glance at her without feeling embarrass.
Hence, when the days passed by, and Evangeline didn't spread any rumors, his apology was pushed in the back of his head. He knew Evangeline didn't like to gossip, not because she was nice, she was far from that, it was because she didn't care about anyone except herself. Others existence simply bore her.
At present, the students went on with their gossiping and cursing about the outcome of the sports fest, which the management course came out fourth place from the last because Evangeline forfeited her every match.
The management students were all angry at her. If not for the boys, especially Daniel and Max's effort, their department would have come out last. And they would carry that humiliation for the rest of the school year.
"Hey, do you know the latest rumor about our rotten Queen?" one of the girls whispered.
"What is it?"
"Look at this."
A group of students clustered around a phone the girl brought out. On the screen, there was an old man giving money to a beautiful woman at a park around night.
The students gasped, their fingers covered their mouths. The girls snickered while the boys looked at each other in disbelief.
"Turns out, this Evangeline is a slut who will prostitute herself to old men for money."
"But she's rich." One of the guys defended.
"Don't you know that she's been disowned by her father?" the girl countered. "And now that Daniel is no longer her boyfriend, who do you think will sustain her luxurious lifestyle? I'm sure she's using the money she got from those old men because her father wouldn't give her anymore, and she can no longer extort money from Daniel."
The girls sneered and continued to giggle and gossip. While the boys smacked their lips tight. There was logic to that. Two years ago, at exactly Evangeline's eighteenth birthday, the world was shock when Mr. Krisnov, CEO, and founder of FROZEN international, announced that Evangeline was no longer his daughter. No one knew why she was disowned. People dismissed it that the respectable business tycoon could no longer handle his estranged daughter's personality and cruel ways.
"Well, it's most likely . . . ," another chimed in. "You see, I saw her one time with a group of thugs."
"Really? Did you snap a picture?"
"Yes. Wait, it's on my phone."
Students huddled once more as the girl flashed her phone. On the screen, Evangeline was together with a group of boys with tattoos, piercings and unusual colored hair. Graffiti and bikes decorated their background as bottles of beers scattered around the ground. It was like they were –– a biker gang.
Evangeline was prettily sitting at the center like an Empress, holding a bottle of beer while the boys laughed merrily around her.
"Wow, I didn't know she was this heartbroken after Daniel dumped her. She would even hang out with goons now."
*gossip
*gossip
The gossips continued while the lone woman, who was the object of scorn, remained oblivious to it all. She continued staring at the scenery outside the window. Her expression portraying boredom.
Evangeline held her chin like always as she watched the leaves fall on the ground, greens and orange intermixed as the season turned to Autumn. The cold air caressing her face beckoned for the end of summer. She didn't care one bit about the rumors nor gossips that circulated around her, nor care about the man, who was sitting diagonally behind her, nor anyone else for that matter. At this moment, all her thoughts were occupied by her love ones.
Her furry, lovable pets.
Spring, the cute fluffy hamster. Summer, the hot-blooded energetic pink piglet. Fall, her prim and proper Maine Coon cat and Winter, her white lazy-cozy Alaskan Malamute.
She sighed, worried if those boys had already fed and bathe them.
Her long lashes quivered as the cold wind splashed across her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, below the second story of the four-story building, she saw that messy-haired guy.
Her eyes narrowed, pupils constricting as she stared at the man. He was removing his eyeglasses, wiping it with his clothes.
Below, Eric sensed that someone was observing him. Staring up –– and like nature knew its cue –– the wind blew his messy hair away from his face.
Evangeline didn't blink even when the breeze stung her eyes. Her vision remained captive by those silver poles hidden beneath the messy hair and thick glasses.
She didn't even know that she was already holding her breath.
Eric blinked several times, wanting to know who was looking at him from above. But all he saw were blurs. He put on his eyeglasses and his sight zoomed to a woman of fire and ice.
A Goddess who looked down at the mortal world.
He didn't give it much thought though. He arranged his backpack on his shoulder and sauntered inside the building.
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