Chapter 3 My hero

Chapter 3

Aria POV

I was still fuming from our argument earlier in the afternoon. Ethan and I hadn't spoken since then, and I was fine with that.

I was chilling in my room, watching swimming tutorials on my phone, when Ethan suddenly burst in. "Get downstairs, dinner's ready," he barked, not even bothering to knock.

I rolled my eyes. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see I'm busy?" I snapped, annoyed by his sudden interruption.

I thought, "He's so rude. Would he barge in even if I was naked." And who said we have dinner at a specific time? My mom just brings back food and I eat whenever. Things are really different here.

I walked downstairs, my footsteps quiet on the stairs. As I approached the dinner table, I heard Mr. Francis and Ethan talking.

"Did you call her?" Mr. Francis asked, not noticing my arrival.

"Yes, I did," Ethan replied, his anger palpable. "But, Dad, why did you keep insisting I do things for that girl?"

Ethan's words stung, and I felt a surge of annoyance.

Mr. Francis's voice was calm and gentle. "Ethan, not just that girl. She's your sister now. Please accept the fact and move on. All you have to do is protect her."

Ethan's response was laced with sarcasm. "Gosh! At first, I was supposed to be her errand boy, and now I should be her protector?"

I'd had enough. I walked up to the table, and Mr. Francis chuckled as he saw me.

"I can really protect myself," I said, looking directly at Ethan. "You don't have to."

Ethan rolled his eyes, but I didn't care. We prayed, and everyone began eating dinner in silence.

My mother spoke up, "Aria, I really think you should note the time. Dinner is done here at 6 pm."

I nodded, taking a bite of my food. "Noted," I replied.

I glanced at Ethan, giving him a disgusted look. He hadn't eaten much, and I thought to myself, "Such a dramatic boy."

My mother noticed Ethan's lack of appetite and asked, "Why aren't you eating, Ethan?"

Ethan dropped his spoon, his expression sulky. "I really don't have an appetite. It's difficult eating with a lot of people around. Even since I was young, I ate with my dad alone."

I saw my mother's face fall, and I felt a twinge of satisfaction. I thought to myself, "It serves her right. If she had let us have our lives, it would have been better. Now she doesn't have to deal with just me, but also this rude Ethan."

Mr. Francis spoke up, his voice firm but gentle. "Ethan, you have to learn to adjust to this new life, understood?"

Ethan nodded, and then changed the subject. "Dad, did you remember the school party I told you I would be going to this evening? It's in an hour's time, and I will have to be on my way soon."

Mr. Francis nodded and smiled, then looked at me and Ethan, and then he dropped the bombshell. "You should take Aria along with you. She will be transferring to your school."

Ethan and I were both shocked. "What, Dad?" Ethan exclaimed.

Mr. Francis nodded. "Yes."

Ethan's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why would she transfer to my school? What about her school?"

I scoffed, still trying to process the news. "The distance is far away," Mr. Francis explained, "so we think she should transfer to your school. Isn't that fine by you, Aria?"

I nodded, still in shock. "I really think so. Going 200 km every day isn't easy."

Mr. Francis nodded in agreement. "You see why she would have to transfer to your school. So, please take her along to the party so she can make new friends."

I spoke up, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "You really don't have to force it on him. I'm fine with just staying at home."

But my mother chimed in, "You should go with him, Aria. It will help you get along."

Ethan's frustration boiled over. "Seriously, everyone is getting on my nerves. And I'm wondering if this is even my house," he said, standing up and storming out of the dining room.

Mr. Francis chuckled, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. I wondered why he found the situation amusing.

"He can really be very stubborn," Mr. Francis said. "You should give him some time."

I chuckled, understanding Ethan's prickly nature.

Mr. Francis urged me to get ready for the party. "You should go and get dressed."

I headed to my room, scanning my closet for the perfect outfit. Since I didn't know the party's theme, I opted for a simple yet stylish combo: a jean trouser, a flowy skirt and a cropped top. I added a coat to ward off the evening chill and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

As I entered the living room, I saw Ethan dressed in a sleek black Giorgio Armani suit. When our eyes met, he flashed a mysterious smile. I wondered why he was so formally dressed for a casual school party.

"Can we go now?" I asked, and he nodded enthusiastically. His excitement puzzled me - I thought he was just supposed to drive us.

But before we could leave, a driver pulled up in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz. Ethan strode confidently to the back seat, then stopped me from joining him. "Sit in the front," he said, rolling his eyes. "We don't need to sit together like we're a couple."

I slammed the door and moved to the front seat. Ethan snickered, "I guess you're not used to cars like this, that's why you want to break it."

I decided to ignore his jab, realizing not every silly comment deserved a response.

The thirty-minute drive passed quickly as I focused on my phone. When the driver stopped, I realized we had arrived. Ethan got out, followed by me. "I'll call you to pick me up when I'm done," he instructed the driver, ignoring me.

As we stepped aside, Ethan glared at me. "We're here, let's pretend not to know each other," he said, his voice low and sarcastic. He strode away, leaving me to take a deep breath and follow.

Upon entering the venue, I was surprised to find that it wasn't a casual gathering as I had thought. The opulent decorations and upscale guests made it seem like a high-society event, perhaps even a birthday party for a president's wife.

I felt out of place, and Ethan's earlier smirk now made sense. He had intentionally failed to warn me about the dress code, which made me resent him even more.

A lady's voice drew attention to me. "Who's this?" she asked, her tone filled with disgust, as she stared at me irritated.

My gaze fell on Ethan, who was surrounded by a group of ladies. I realized he wasn't just rude, but also a charming ladies' man. I expected him to come to my defense, but instead, he shocked me.

"Maybe she's one of the waitresses sent to attend to us," Ethan said with a smirk. "What do you think?"

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. "I'm not a waitress," I protested. "I'm a student. I didn't know about the dress code."

But my words were met with mocking laughter from the group, and Ethan's smirk only grew wider.

Ethan's words cut deep. "If you're really a student, you must be a disgrace," he sneered. "I'm sure you're just some poor, lowlife, cheap girl who transferred in on a scholarship or something."

The group's laughter grew louder, and I felt my anger boil over. I was furious, but I couldn't retaliate. Instead, I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and walked away to a quiet corner.

I should have just gone home, but I was new to the city and had no idea how to get back. The party raged on, a stark contrast to my own misery. I had never felt so out of place in my life. And I had never met anyone as wicked as Ethan.

"I really regret coming to this party," I muttered to myself. Just then, a guy approached me and sat down beside me.

"Hey, pretty, do you smoke?" he asked, his tone sleazy. I felt a wave of disgust wash over me.

"I don't smoke. Please excuse me," I said, trying to brush him off and focusing on my phone.

But he wouldn't take the hint. "You're so full of yourself," he sneered, snatching my phone from my hand. I stood up, anger flashing through me, and tried to grab my phone back. But he just teased me, holding it out of reach.

In a split second, I slapped him hard across the face. He raised his hand to hit me back, but someone grabbed his arm from behind and twisted it.

"I've been watching you," a low, firm voice said. "You don't disrespect ladies like that, idiot." My hero handed me back my phone and pushed the guy away.