You Are Just A Mistake

Chapter 1

Namida's POV

"You're too early for the next subject."

Even before I could enter the classroom, our teacher's face greeted me. Whispers began to fill the room again.

I looked down in embarrassment. This wasn't the first time I was late. Not just once, twice, but almost always. Every day seemed unlucky for me. Well, I'm used to it.

"S-sorry, ma'am."

Instead of saying anything, she just turned her back on me. "Make sure, Ms. Navarro, that you won't be late for my class again, or I won't let you in anymore. Take your seat."

"Y-yes, ma'am," I responded with my head down and started walking toward my seat.

I hadn't even made it there when I suddenly tripped and fell to the floor.

Loud laughter erupted around me.

I expected this. Not a day goes by when they don't gang up on me.

"Serves you right! You're such an idiot!" I heard someone say.

I bit my lower lip as I felt the pain in my body. They always hurt me both physically and emotionally. Well, I'm used to it. Hearing their laughter while suffering in pain, I'm used to it.

"Silence!" our teacher scolded them, but they didn't care and continued laughing.

I quickly stood up and faced the guy who tripped me. Jerome Lee Chavez-one of the bullies on this campus.

I walked toward him. Instead of retaliating, I just smiled, which made him stop laughing.

"Sorry, I won't be so clumsy next time," I said with a smile.

But as I turned away, my smile quickly faded and was replaced by a bitter one. I'm used to this.

I could still feel their disgusted looks as I sat down, but I ignored them and pretended to write something. Pretending not to care, but inside, I was hurting. This is me, good at pretending. I've learned to pretend that nothing happened every time they make fun of me.

Crying in front of them, in front of bullies, is something I've never done. It's just that... I don't want to show or let them know how weak I am.

"Excuse me, is Namida Sloane Navarro here?" I looked up when I heard my name from outside.

I saw a guy standing there. Ethan James Jimenez-the SSG president.

I stood up, and he immediately noticed me.

He stared at me for a few seconds before speaking. "Ah, the Dean wants to talk to you," he then turned to our teacher, "may I excuse her for a while, ma'am?"

"Okay, go ahead."

I started walking out, but before I reached the door, the whispers inside the room began again.

"Maybe the Dean wants to get rid of trash in this school. HAHA!"

"For sure, she's going to get scolded again."

"Argh! I really hate her!"

"She should be expelled from this school!"

"Yeah, I agree, she doesn't belong here!"

I just bowed my head because of what I heard and continued walking.

"Don't mind them," I heard Ethan say.

This was the first time he had spoken to me, and I could see the pity in his eyes. He's the SSG president, but he can't do anything to stop them, even the teachers are afraid to scold any of them. They just pretend not to care because, like me, they are powerless. Sometimes, I can't help but regret why I even enrolled in this school.

"Don't worry, the Dean just wants to talk to you. He won't harm you," he said after a while as we neared the Dean's office.

I just nodded. Maybe the Dean knows everything, but like them, he did nothing.

"We're here. I'm sorry, but I can't accompany you inside." His eyes were filled with sadness as he looked at me.

I wanted to tell him that it was 'okay,' but I chose not to say anything. Instead, I just smiled at him, assuring him that it's fine.

He smiled back. "Okay then, see you around, Nami," he said and started to walk away.

He seems kind, but I can't trust him. I trust no one on this campus but myself.

"Come in," I heard the Dean say from inside after I knocked.

"Good morning, Dean," I greeted him politely as I opened the door.

"Good morning, please take a seat," he replied formally.

I swallowed nervously. I didn't know why he had called me here.

"Someone reported you to me again," he began, causing me to look at him.

"Yesterday, someone caught you stealing money from Ms. Rodriguez's bag. Is that true?"

I clenched my fists. They're at it again, accusing me of something I would never do.

Isn't there a CCTV here to check the truth before making accusations?

"That's not true, Dean," I said, telling the truth.

He sighed. "I understand your situation, Ms. Navarro. But I just want to remind you that this is not the first time I've received complaints about you," he said seriously.

"P-please forgive me, Dean, but I would never do such a thing. I could never steal-" He cut me off.

"Do you think I'll believe your excuses again, Ms. Navarro? I already know you. You're good at making excuses. You won't fool me this time," he said impatiently.

I just lowered my head. My fists clenched as I tried to hold back tears. Even if I tell the truth, they won't believe me.

He sighed again. "I'll let this pass, Ms. Navarro, but..." he trailed off and clasped his hands together. "Make sure this doesn't happen again," he added as he leaned back in his swiveling chair. "It would be a shame to waste your scholarship if you throw away this opportunity. Don't disappoint me again, Ms. Navarro, considering you're the top student in your class."

I kept my head down as I listened to him. Unable to defend myself. What can I do? They won't believe me anyway.

A few seconds of silence passed before the door opened, and one of the girls who made my life miserable at this school entered. Natasha Lyrine Rodriguez-the granddaughter of Dean Randolf Rodriguez.

"Good morning, Grandpa." She greeted the Dean with a smile, but it quickly faded when she saw me. I saw her smirk.

"You can leave now, Ms. Navarro."

As soon as the Dean said that, I stood up and started toward the door, but I hadn't even reached it when I was stopped by his final words.

"Oh, just a reminder, Ms. Navarro, this is your last chance. If you do something wrong again, I'm sorry, but I won't hesitate to expel you."

Expel. The word I fear because my future depends on this school. What will I do if I get expelled? I worked hard to get a scholarship just to enter this university and continue my studies, but it will all be ruined by people I can't even fight against.

"They're so cruel," I sadly whispered.

My shoulders slumped as I made my way back to our classroom. What should I do? They're accusing me without even finding out the truth. They hurt me without even thinking about how I feel.

When it's about me, they're quick to report it just to get me expelled, but when it comes to their bullying, no one even reports it to stop them. What kind of school is this? What kind of people are they? Why are they doing this to me?

I continued walking when I suddenly bumped into someone. I looked up but immediately bowed my head when I saw those gray eyes staring blankly at me.

It's him.

The son of the owner of this school. The guy who caused all the misery I've been through. The one who turned my life into a living hell at this school.

"Are you blind?! Or are you just pretending to be blind? Can't you see that someone is walking?" he said coldly, with a hint of irritation.

"S-sorry," I apologized nervously.

It's been a week since what happened on the rooftop. He didn't retaliate. He didn't do anything to me, so now I'm scared because I've noticed that this guy seems to be watching me. What could he be planning?

I saw his jaw clench. "You know, I'm getting tired of your ugly face," he said in an irritated tone, smirking at me. "It's disgusting to see trash like you wandering around this school."

Instead of getting upset by what he said, I pretended not to care. I needed to control myself because I didn't want any more trouble, or who knows what he might do to me next.

Slowly, I raised my head and met his furious gaze.

I smiled at him. "Sorry again," I replied and immediately walked past him.

But before I could take a few steps, he suddenly grabbed me forcefully.

"Your life will always be a living hell because I am your greatest nightmare," he said coldly, his eyes glaring at me. He tightened his grip on my arm and spoke again. "I won't let you live a happy life. Always remember that," he said coldly before roughly letting go of me.

I couldn't stop a tear from falling as I watched his figure walk away.

His words were like daggers to my heart...

'Why do you hate me so much? I've done nothing to you. Why are you doing this to me, Winston Blake?'

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2

I don't get it. Why does it feel like the world is against me? As if I've done something wrong. Was I so sinful in my past life that I have to suffer like this now? All I want is to live happily in this world.

"Just a little more, and this will be over," I said while continuing to clean the floor.

It's already five in the afternoon, yet here I am, still inside our classroom, left alone to clean up.

This is always the scene at the end of the school day. I'm always left alone while my classmates head off on their own.

I heard footsteps approaching, so I stopped cleaning and quickly checked outside, but I saw no one. I looked around, but still, no one was there, so I dismissed it and returned to cleaning. Maybe it was just my imagination.

A song suddenly came to mind, and since no one was around, I figured it was okay to sing.

"You with the sad eyes~"

I sang the first line of the song as I pulled a chair aside to clean the dirt on the floor.

"Don't be discouraged, oh I realize~"

I continued singing while pulling another chair.

"It's hard to take courage~

In a world full of people~

You can lose sight of it all~

The darkness inside you~

Can make you feel so small~"

I bitterly smiled as I absorbed each word of the song.

When will I be free from this dark world? When will I rise from the pain and sorrow I've endured? Will I ever experience happiness?

"Show me a smile then~

Don't be unhappy~

Can't remember when~"

I stood up properly, pretending I was on a stage, singing in front of a crowd.

"I last saw you laughing~

This world makes you crazy~

And you've taken all you can bear~

Just call me up~

'Cause I will always be there~"

I closed my eyes and used the broom as a microphone.

"And I see your true colors~

Shining through~

I see your true colors~"

I slowly opened my eyes with a smile on my lips.

"And that's why I love you-ahh!"

I screamed in shock when I saw someone standing at the door, arms crossed, with no expression on his face, staring at me with his gray eyes.

It's him...

"Aren't you done cleaning?" he asked sarcastically.

My face heated up from embarrassment. "A-almost."

He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Ha! How can you finish cleaning if you keep singing like a contestant, tsk!" he said irritably and left the room in a huff.

"How embarrassing!" I whispered to myself after he left. I never expected that Winston, of all people, would hear me singing. How embarrassing!

A few minutes passed, and I was almost done cleaning the mess on the floor. I knew they deliberately left the mess for me to clean. There was a janitor assigned here, but they warned him not to clean this room. That's how mean they are to me, but I endured it because if I didn't, I'd get into more trouble the next day.

"Nami?"

I looked up at the familiar voice from outside.

"Pres..."

"Why are you doing that? We have a janitor, don't we?" he said as he entered the room.

"Just leave it, Pres," I replied bitterly and continued what I was doing.

"Just call me by my name, Nami," he said with a smile as he approached the chalkboard to erase what was written.

"I-I'll take care of that, E-Ethan," I tried to stop him.

"No, just let me help you," he said seriously while continuing to wipe the board. "Is this why I often see you leaving late because they make you clean up?"

I didn't answer, so he stopped wiping and looked at me.

"I'm sorry," he said sadly.

"H-huh? Why?"

"I'm sorry because I can't do anything to stop them."

I bowed my head. "I-it's okay, it's not your fault, and besides, I understand, so you don't have to apologize."

He didn't say anything more, so I started arranging the chairs.

After he finished wiping, he immediately helped me. I wanted to refuse, but he insisted, so I just let him.

Ethan was right; this is why I usually take so long to leave after school. I'm thankful they haven't made things too hard for me today. In the past few days, I almost wanted not to come to school because of the exhaustion.

They gave me a week-long punishment for something I didn't even do. They made me clean all the bathrooms. They had me carry boxes of bond paper from the storage room to the faculty room. And even worse, they made me clean the entire gymnasium, so I was completely exhausted back then. Well, it's always like that, but I'm used to it.

"Thank you," I said as I locked the door. I finished quickly because of his help.

"My pleasure," he said with a smile.

We started walking towards the stairs when he spoke again.

"By the way, did you hear someone singing earlier?" he asked as we approached the first floor.

"Huh? Was there?" I lied. He can't know it was me.

Was I singing that loudly for him to hear? Well, the place was really quiet, so maybe that's why he noticed.

I suddenly remembered the embarrassing thing I did earlier. I know it was a small matter, but to me, it was a big deal. I used a broom as a microphone! And I didn't even notice someone was watching. How embarrassing!

"It seemed like the voice was coming from here," he said uncertainly. He looked at me and smiled. "The singer had a beautiful voice. It's a shame they didn't finish the song. Did you know that the song they sang is one of my favorites?" His eyes glistened a bit.

I quickly looked away. "R-really? I'm sorry, I didn't hear it," I lied again.

He just smiled at me, and we continued walking until we reached the parking lot.

"Let me give you a ride home," he offered.

"N-no need," I replied shyly.

"Why? Are you afraid of me? Don't worry, I don't bite," he chuckled.

He pressed something, causing a black car parked nearby to light up and make a sound.

"N-no, my place is nearby, so I'll just walk," I lied again for the third time. The truth is, my place is actually quite far. I just didn't want to trouble him, and besides, I didn't want others to get the wrong idea if they saw us.

"No, I insist. It's almost six o'clock, and there might be troublemakers around. You could get hurt or something," he said, insisting.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. Don't worry, Ethan. You don't need to take me home."

"But... come on, Nami, I just want to make sure you get home safely," he persisted.

I scratched my head, frustrated by his stubbornness.

"Thanks, but you should go ahead, Ethan. I'll be fine." I smiled at him and even opened his car door myself. I gently nudged him inside and closed the door. I just wanted him to leave.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked with a laugh as he rolled down the car window.

He sighed. "Okay then, I'm leaving. Take care, Nami."

I just smiled at him. But as soon as his car was out of sight, my smile slowly faded. This is who I've become, adept at masking my pain with a smile, yet deep inside, I carry a wounded soul.

"Tsk!" I stopped when I heard a familiar sound of irritation behind me.

It's him again...

"Are you trying to flirt with that guy just to have an ally?" he asked sarcastically, but I remained turned away from him.

"Or maybe you're just trying to earn his trust because you have some evil plan for him."

I secretly clenched my fists, feeling insulted by his words. If I let my anger take over, the situation would only get worse, so it's better not to respond.

I sighed and slowly smiled.

I faced him. "S-sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. W-whatever you saw earlier was just a coincidence, and I have no bad intentions toward him," I said calmly.

I was about to turn my back on him, but he suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly, making me shut my eyes tightly in pain.

"We're not done talking yet," he said firmly. I could see his jaw clenching.

"Let go of me, I don't want any trouble," I said flatly.

"Why? Are you scared to stand up for yourself? You're weak, and I enjoy seeing you suffer," he said with emphasis, his voice full of anger.

I endured the pain and looked him straight in the eyes. "Y-you may enjoy seeing me suffer, but one day, karma will catch up with you. All the consequences of your actions will find their way back to you," I said meaningfully. My voice was slightly trembling, but I managed to summon a flicker of courage.

"Don't you dare talk back to me!" he said coldly and with emphasis. He tightened his grip on me even more.

"I've done nothing to you. Why are you doing this to me?" A single tear fell from my eye.

He let out a mocking laugh, filled with sarcasm. "Yes, cry! It's so fun seeing you cry."

"Enough," I responded coldly and yanked my hand, which he quickly released.

He grinned at me. "What? Are you brave now, huh?!" He clenched his fist.

He was about to grab me again, but I quickly stepped back and punched him hard in the face, causing him to fall.

"You can keep hurting me, but I will never let you break me," I said coldly.

I was about to turn my back on him, but my eyes suddenly widened when I realized what I had done.

What did I do? Sh*t!

"S-sorry, really sorry," I said nervously and quickly ran away.

"Arghh! We're not done yet, Namida! You will pay for this!" I heard his angry shout, full of rage, but I just kept running.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3

Winston Blake's POV

I hate her! I hate everything about her!

And... I don't know why.

I don't know why I feel so irritated every time I see her. I'm annoyed by her presence, and I hate seeing her smile because I don't like her smiles!

Right now, I'm in the parking lot, fuming with anger as I watch Namida walk away.

Tsk! Skinny! Stupid! She doesn't know how to take care of herself. She may have clothes, but her style is awful! And worst of all, she may have a face, but she's not even pretty!

"Arghh! We're not done yet, Namida! You're going to pay for this!" I shouted with all my might, full of rage. I wanted to explode in anger because I couldn't even get back at her!

It felt like the demon inside me suddenly woke up. I let it slide when she threw her d*mn shoe at me, but I won't let her get away with punching me. She's done it twice already!

Fuming, I stood up and kicked the car parked nearby with all my might.

"Fvck!" I cursed in annoyance.

That loser! How dare she punch me-the well-known and respected son of the owner of the school she attends!

Really? After almost two years of bullying her, she finally learned to fight back now?

"Arrgh!" I screamed in anger and kicked the parked car again.

My emotions boiled over. I felt disrespected, humiliated, and stripped of my dignity! How dare she punch me! That loser! I will definitely make her pay!

I suddenly stopped and clenched my fists tightly when I heard a faint giggle coming from behind the car.

"You morons! Why don't you just come out instead of hiding your disgusting laughter? Tsk!" I sarcastically muttered, trying to hold back my anger.

Two monkeys immediately emerged from hiding, clutching their stomachs. Tsk!

I shot them a cold glare.

They immediately elbowed each other and exchanged a meaningful look, trying to suppress their laughter-

"BWHAHAHA!" they laughed together. Tsk!

Really? Is that funny? What kind of friends are they? Worthless friends!

"How's your first time, bro? sarcastically asked the first monkey, Jerome.

"Does it hurt being punched by a woman, Winston? added the other monkey, Dave.

I let them indulge in their bothersome musings while fixing them with an intense gaze.

My brow furrowed in frustration. Can't they stop laughing? They're really getting on my nerves!

"You were knocked down so fast, bro!!"

Tsk! Couldn't I have just been caught off guard?

"That was cool! I never expected her to be such a good puncher! !"

"Wow, I didn't know that girl could throw a punch!"

Tsk!

I tightly balled my fists, veins pulsating with tension, as I gave them a piercing death glare that immediately silenced them.

"Done praising her?" I coldly asked, full of sarcasm.

The laughter from earlier was instantly replaced with silence.

"Does it hurt, bro?" asked the first monkey seriously. Tsk!

He was about to approach me, but I shot him a sharp look.

"Why? Are you eager to give it a shot? Should I offer you a taste of my fist as well?" I asked sarcastically, which immediately shut his mouth. Tsk!

"You actually look even more handsome when you're angry, Winston, hehehe."

"Fvck! Just fvcking leave me alone!" I gritted my teeth in anger as I fixed them with a death glare.

"Crap! I'm about to sh*t myself... Let's go, Jerome, before we end up dead!"

They quickly pulled each other and sprinted away.

"Wahhhhh! Mama!"

Tsk!

Once again, the image of that girl and how she punched me crossed my mind!

That was my first time being punched by a girl, and she was the one who could do it!

Fvck her!

'You will regret this, Namida Sloane Navarro! I vow to make your existence a never-ending nightmare!'

Namida's POV

My head almost tilted sideways when I was greeted with a hard slap from the woman standing in front of me. Naomi Jade Montreal-the woman I considered a mother, but who never acknowledged me as her daughter.

"Are you out of your mind?! What shameful thing did you do this time?! Stealing money from Mr. Rodriguez's granddaughter?! Goodness Namida, you're an embarrassment!" she shouted angrily.

I tried to open my mouth, but no words came out. I remained bowed and had no intention of moving. I didn't know who told her about the mistake I didn't even commit.

I'm tired. I'm tired of defending myself when no one will believe me anyway. It's always like this, they always see me as the one at fault.

A tear rolled down my cheek, which I quickly wiped away.

"You bring nothing but misery and shame into my life! You're just like your demon of a father, you're no different, both of you are worthless! I wonder why I even let you live in this world, I should have just killed you."

The tears I had been holding back finally fell. I have so many questions about why the person who brought me into this world is so cruel to me. Is it my fault that I was born?

I slowly lifted my head and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I wish you had," I responded tearfully. I could barely breathe from the tightness in my chest. "I wish you had finished me off so I wouldn't have had to live in this world. I'm so tired. It hurts so much," I said in a whisper because I was struggling to breathe due to the tightness in my chest.

"If you regret having me as your child, I regret having you as my mother-"

Another hard slap landed on my cheek.

"What did you just say? Child? Mother? Ha!" she screamed angrily and stepped closer to me. "You're not my child. You will never be my daughter, and I will never be your mother. Remember that and engrave it in your empty skull."

"Why?" I asked boldly, wiping the tears that kept falling. "Why do you have such a deep hatred for me?" I laughed bitterly. "Oh, that's right, because of me... your life was ruined. Your relationship with the man you stole from your best friend was destroyed because, what was the reason again?" I stared into her eyes again. "Because of what happened between you and my father, and I'm the result. But you wanted that, didn't you, Ms. Montreal?" I asked sarcastically and slowly stepped closer to her. "Now I'll ask you, is it my fault for the mistake you made? Is it my fault that you were promiscuous-" I was cut off when she suddenly covered my mouth.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" she shouted, almost crying in anger. I squeezed my eyes shut because of the tight grip she had on me. "You don't know anything about what I've been through! The hardships I've endured!" she yelled and roughly let me go.

"You're right, maybe I don't know what you've been through. But why? Why is it so easy for you to hurt me? I'm only human too. If you're in pain, I'm hurting even more," I said as my voice weakened.

The tears started to fall again. When will I ever experience the love I once dreamed of from her? It's unlikely. Very unlikely. It pains me to say that throughout my life, I have never felt the love of my mother.

"Not once in my life have I ever felt love from you," I said with a bitter smile while staring into her eyes. "I've never experienced even a moment where you made me feel like I was your daughter," I said, struggling to speak. I wiped away the tears that had escaped and took a deep breath. "But it's okay, I'm used to it. Like you said, I'm just a mistake, and I will never be your daughter."

"Can you shut up, will you?" she interrupted and smirked at me. "If you think I'll pity you, you're wrong because I'll never feel pity for you," she said as she moved closer to my ear. "Stop acting like you're my daughter. Have you forgotten that you're just a maid in this house?" she whispered and turned her back on me, but then looked back. "Oh, by the way, I have a family dinner tonight, so prepare everything for my family, yaya." She emphasized the last three words before finally walking away.

Her family. That's right, my mother has a different family now, while I? Well, Ms. Montreal hides the truth from her family that I am her daughter. She just lets me live in this house not to be a part of her family, but to be their maid.

It hurts! Living in this house always reminds me that my mother only sees me as a servant, not as her own child.

I looked to the left where their family picture frame was placed. The tears started to flow again. They're happy. I wonder what it feels like to have a complete family.

"I wish I had a picture with my family too," I sadly whispered, enduring the pain I felt inside. I wish I had that, but I don't.

I don't have a family, I am.

To be Continued...