Chapter 8
When Isabel was inches away from Anderson, he suddenly shoved her away. "Isabel, know your boundaries. Do not attempt anything debasing. I'll have the driver send you home."
With that, he ignored her and tossed his jacket onto the bed. He opened the windows, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shoved one between his lips, and lit it.
Isabel was discouraged by his indifference. Staring at him with a look of loneliness, she said pleadingly, "Anderson, I've brought myself to do this. Do you know what I want? I willingly offered myself to you. Besides, shouldn't I be doing this as your fiancée?"
He flicked away the cigarette ash on his hand and gave her an impassive stare as though he wouldn't be tempted even if she stripped in front of him. "Isabel, it's not that we can't sleep together, but this is not the right time for it. I'm not in the mood.
"Put on your clothes. If you don't want to leave yet, I'll get the maid to set up the guest room for you."
"Anderson, why are you refusing to touch me?" she questioned as he wandered toward the study without looking back.
The moment the bedroom door clicked shut, Isabel could not hold back her sadness. Tears streamed down her face.
…
Mayra didn't exactly have a good night's sleep. Grimacing, she murmured in her sleep. "No… Don't come near me…"
"Ah!" She jolted awake and sat up in bed drenched in sweat. Strands of hair stuck to her cheeks as she heaved.
She stared vacantly at the dimly lit room and heard the whistling of winds outside the windows, which seemed to signal a downpour. The room felt a little stuffy. Thankfully, it was all just a dream. All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
Mayra hurriedly shut the windows. For days, she experienced the same nightmare in which she was tortured by Lucian. Her dream always ended with her being buried in the filthy and smelly landfill. The suffocating feeling upset her.
Feeling rather thirsty, she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. A while later, her racing heart finally calmed. She checked the time and realized it was only 3:00 a.m. Since she had class the next day, she went back to bed and turned on a nightlight before falling asleep again.
Sometime later, she heard her 5:00 a.m. alarm ringing. She groggily washed up in the bathroom and took a good 15 minutes to get ready before leaving.
She ran to the bus station in a fresh outfit and her backpack, nearly missing the bus that morning. Thankfully, the bus wasn't packed at the early hour.
She took a seat by the back door as usual as it was easier to alight the bus later, not to mention enjoying the passing scenery from the windows.
A bunch of old ladies boarded the bus at the next stop. Seeing that, Mayra offered her seat to one of them. The bus was fully packed after picking up commuters at three bus stops. The driver urged the commuters to head further into the bus. "Move further to the back, everyone!"
Standing close to the back door, Mayra was pushed into a corner by the crowds. She clutched her backpack tightly.
Just as the bus took a sharp turn, she was thrown backward as she didn't have the time to grab the pole. But instead of falling onto the ground, she bumped against someone's solid chest.
She noticed a familiar scent. It was Gordon! Holding her breath, she felt her heart racing.
Dressed in a black outfit with a school logo pin on his chest, he rolled up his sleeve. He carried a sling bag. His hand rested against the pole.
Standing at nearly six feet tall, he stared out of the window, enjoying the passing views with a determined look.
In contrast, Mayra was very petite. Wearing a ponytail that day, she looked protected by Gordon, who stood behind her. His arms separated her from the other people on the bus, offering her a tiny but private enclave in the chaos.
The bus drove on shakily. Since Mayra had nowhere to grasp, she could only hold onto the same pole as Gordon, her hand underneath his. Their backs occasionally brushed against each other.
Lowering her head, Mayra couldn't help but smile. The familiar scent of laundry detergent on Gordon's shirt provided her with a sense of security, as Gordon was the only person who had unconditionally stood by her in her past life, no matter how evil she became.
She was a devil in her past life, and Gordon was the only person who had said to her, "Regardless of how you turn out, you'll always be my precious Mayra."
In her past life, Gordon had spent a fortune on her birthday celebration when he became the owner of a tech unicorn, something that Anderson had never done for her.
While she reflected on the memories, the bus had arrived at the school. It took her a while to collect herself and leave the bus.
She sauntered, but Gordon did not attempt to overtake her. He dutifully followed behind her.
When they were close to the school entrance, she stopped in her tracks. "Gordon Thorp." She mustered her courage to call out his name.
But when she turned around, she found him expressionlessly walking past her, treating her as invisible. He walked at a fast pace, and it was difficult for her to catch up.
When she entered the school grounds, she found him donning a red volunteer vest and standing at the entrance to check the IDs of the students.
At that time, Gordon didn't seem interested in paying her any attention. It appeared that her insults last time had crossed a line. Head hanging low, she walked into the school with a disappointed expression.
While at school, Mayra made multiple attempts to speak to Gordon in private and apologize to him, but she failed to find a chance.
After the morning flew past, Mayra sat in an exam in the afternoon. She was seated at the back of the classroom, where she could see Gordon's classmates in PE class and playing basketball on the field.
For 25 minutes, Mayra had to sit through the pop quiz which consisted of foundational math problems. Her classmate next to her gently reminded her, "Mayra, what are you staring at? Answer the questions. We're turning in the paper soon."
Snapping back to reality, she was shocked to find the exam paper totally blank. She gathered herself and tried to write her name but filled in Gordon's name instead.
Noticing Mayra's behavior, Emily gaped at her in surprise. "Mayra Sadler, are you crazy? Do you know whose class you're in? How could you write Gordon's name on your paper?"
Mayra frantically tried to erase the name on the paper, but the ink refused to come off. Left with no choice, she crossed out the name and used whatever time was left to answer the questions.
After answering the first three questions, it was time to submit the paper. After the papers were collected, Mayra only had one thought in her mind. "I'm screwed!"