Chapter 3 0003

After lunch, Abigail offered to show me around the school, and I quickly said yes.

She held my hand as we walked through the hallways, pointing out different parts of the school.

The place was huge-I felt like someone could easily get lost in it.

As we walked, she explained how things worked and told me about the school rules.

When we were done, we slowly made our way back to class, chatting and laughing along the way.

When we got back to class, I sat down, reached into my backpack, and pulled out my phone. I saw a few missed calls from Dad.

I knew he was probably just checking in to see how my first day was going. That man is just too sweet. Smiling, I quickly called him back, and he picked up right away.

"Hello, beautiful," Dad said warmly.

"Hey, best Dad ever," I replied with a grin.

"I tried calling earlier. Were you in class? I thought it should be lunchtime," he asked.

"Yeah, I went to have lunch but left my phone in my bag," I explained.

"Bella, you need to keep your phone with you. You're in high school now-you can't trust everyone around," he said with concern.

"Are you saying there are thieves in my school?" I laughed.

"Well, you never know," he chuckled. "Anyway, how's your day going?"

I was about to answer when a female teacher walked into the class.

"Dad, I've got to go now. Class is starting," I said quickly and ended the call.

Hours later, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Students began packing up their books, chatting as they left the classroom one by one.

I stood up and stuffed my things into my backpack.

"Belle, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Are you taking a cab home?" Abigail asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Nope, my dad's picking me up," I said with a smile.

"Alright then. Bye, take care!" she said, waving as she walked out the door.

A few minutes later, I grabbed my backpack and walked out of the classroom.

I stood outside the school gate, waiting for Dad. While I waited, I pulled out my phone and started watching TikTok videos to pass the time. Suddenly, someone bumped into me, and my phone slipped from my hand, crashing to the ground.

I quickly looked up to see who it was-and froze. It was a guy. And not just any guy. He was handsome. Like, movie-star handsome. His brown eyes locked with mine, and my heart skipped a beat.

Belle, what's wrong with you? Snap out of it! my inner voice shouted. I gave my head a tiny shake, trying to come back to my senses.

"Sorry," the guy mumbled, then turned and started walking away.

I bent down, picked up my phone, and groaned. The screen was cracked.

"Hey!" I called out, hurrying after him.

He stopped and turned around. "What?"

I held up my phone. "Do you think just saying 'sorry' is going to fix this?"

Without replying, he took off his backpack, pulled out some cash, and tossed it at me. Then he turned and walked away, heading straight for a sleek car where someone-probably a guard-was already holding the door open for him.

I stood there, frozen, as people around me laughed. I felt so embarrassed.

I didn't even bother picking up the money. I just walked away from the spot, my cheeks burning.

A few minutes later, I spotted Dad's car and rushed over to it, relieved. I seriously couldn't wait to go home. This day had been a total mess.

"Dad, good afternoon," I said as I got in and buckled my seatbelt.

"Afternoon. Are you okay?" he asked, glancing at me. I just nodded.

One thing about my dad-he always knows when something's off.

"You'll tell me everything when we get home," he said gently as he started the car.

We got home, and I went straight to my room.

"I'll be in the study room," Dad said as I walked past him.

I took off my clothes, had a quick shower, and changed into something more comfortable. Then I lay on my bed and picked up my phone, staring at the cracked screen. The memory of what happened earlier flashed through my mind, and I felt so embarrassed all over again.

I set the phone aside, grabbed my laptop, and put on a movie to distract myself. Eventually, I fell asleep.

A few hours later, I woke up, still feeling a bit tired. I went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face. Just then, I heard a knock on my door.

When I opened it, Dad was standing there. "Dinner's ready," he said.

I nodded and followed him to the dining table.

"How was school today?" he asked, dishing some rice onto my plate.

"Well... not great," I replied, hesitating. "Maybe it's just because it was my first day. I guess I'll get used to it soon."

"That's good to hear. Did you make any friends?" he asked, looking at me with interest.

I nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Her name's Abigail. She's really kind, and I like her."

"That's really nice," he said warmly.

Then he glanced at me. "I noticed your phone screen was broken. What happened?"

I coughed nervously, surprised he had seen it. "It fell," I lied.

There's no way I could tell him the truth. I know my dad-he'd march straight to the school and try to talk some sense into the guy's head. I didn't want that.

"Just be more careful next time," he said. "I'll get it repaired over the weekend."

"Thanks Dad" I said.

After dinner, wash the dishes and went back to my room.

---

James had just finished getting dressed. He was ready to hit the club and party. After putting on his wristwatch, he checked the time-it was 11 PM. He planned to return by 3 AM, catch a few hours of sleep before daybreak, and then get ready for school.

He sprayed some cologne on himself before stepping out of his room. As he walked into the living room, he saw his dad, Mr. Walter, working on his laptop.

"Dad," James called casually, heading for the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Mr. Walter asked, closing his laptop and setting it on the side table.

James stopped and turned to face him. "I'm going to the club," he replied honestly.

Mr. Walter stood up, walked over to James, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Dad!" James shouted, holding his cheek in shock.

"Say one more word, and you'll see a side of me you've never seen before," Mr. Walter warned, his voice sharp with anger.

"Dad, I'm not a kid anymore. You have no right to hit me," James snapped back.

"Oh really? Then maybe you're grown enough to leave my house!" Mr. Walter shouted.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Walter asked, hurrying down the stairs after hearing the yelling.

"Mom, Dad just hit me," James said, still upset.

"Be quiet, James! What is wrong with you?" she scolded. "Now go to your room!"

James hesitated for a moment, then let out a loud hiss and stormed off to his room.

Mr. Walter shook his head and picked up his laptop. "Honey, you better talk some sense into your son-because one day, I swear, I'll disown him," he said before walking away.

James stormed into his room and threw himself onto the bed, fuming with anger. He grabbed his phone and quickly texted Demien: "I'm not coming to the party anymore." Right after that, he switched his phone to airplane mode. He knew Demien would try calling, but he didn't feel like talking to anyone-not right now.