Alice in the café felt as if the very air inside had turned toxic. Each step she took away from the lingering scent of coffee and the memory of Lucas' sneering face felt like a desperate gasp for air. She didn't know where she was going. Her only instinct was to leave the café. Her lungs burned with the effort, mirroring the burning shame that occupied her stomach.
The sounds of the city which were usually a comfort only assaulted her ears, car horns blared into accusations, and the chatter of passerby felt like cruel whispers. Each glance at her direction felt like judgement, she clutched her arms tightly around herself trying to contain the raw vulnerability.
Tears welled in her eyes blurring
the shape of buildings and the people walking past her. "Crying will only draw more attention and make me weaker," she thought. She had to be strong.
She found herself walking aimlessly, the familiar streets of the campus dissolving into a confusing labyrinth. The library, usually her sanctuary, felt miles away, an unreachable haven of order and logic in the swirling chaos of her thoughts.
With each block she walked, the
shock began to give way to a gnawing ache. Chloe, her best friend , who was with her through the late night studies, awkward first dates, and every day anxiety of college life had betrayed her. "How could she have done this?" The question echoed in her mind. She still couldn't get over the fact that Chloe had betrayed her.
On her way into the library she met Grey and as she was about to confront him, Chloe swung right into his arms: gave him a hug and a kiss.
This went into Alice's heart like a sharp sword. A dull throb started behind her eyes, a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil raging within her. It wasn't just the kiss and Grey too, though that stung. It was the deliberate calculated nature in Chloe's actions, the cold efficiency with which she had dismantled Alice's life. The realization felt like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of her .
The initial wave of panic subsided slightly, a flicker of something else began to ignite within her: anger. It was a small spark at first, but buried beneath layers of hurt and confusion, but it was there nonetheless. Anger at Grey's weakness, anger at Chloe's deceit and of course anger at herself for being so trusting and naive.
This anger, however nascent, provided a fragile anchor in the storm of her emotions. It gave her a direction, a sense of purpose, however vague. She couldn't let Chloe and Grey manipulate her life.
Driven by this need for answers, Alice found herself retracing her steps, not back to the café, but towards the one place she knew Chloe was bound to be:the usual table in the campus cafeteria. The thought facing her filled Alice with dread, but the alternative-remaining in this aimless limbo was even more unbearable.
The cafeteria was bustling with the lunchtime crowd, air thick with the aroma I'd lukewarm coffee and microwaved meals. Alice scammed the room,her heart pounding in her chest and then she saw them. Chloe and Grey, sitting at the table she always says at with Grey. And there they were, chatting and laughing. It was as if they were celebrating her downfall, basking in the wreckage of her life.
Taking a deep breath, trying to quell the trembling hands, Alice walked towards them. Each step felt heavy, as if she were wading through which mud, but she didn't stop. She had to face them. She deserved answers .
As she approached their table, Chloe's laughter faltered, her eyes widened in surprise, then a flicker of something that looked like guilt. Grey's expression shifted from being happy to being uncomfortable.
"Alice?" Chloe said, her voice a little too high and a little too bright. " What are you doing here?"
Alice stood before then her gaze fixed on Chloe. " I think you know exactly what I'm doing here. Chloe". Her voice was surprisingly steady, betraying none of the turmoil she felt inside her.
Grey shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding her gaze. Chloe, however , met her state, a defensive going in her eyes. "Look Alive, I…'
"Why him too? Why?" Alice interrupted, these words hung in the air between them.
Chloe's carefully constructed composure began to crumble. Her lips trembled slightly and her eyes darted around the cafeteria, as if seeking an escape route. Grey reached out for her hand offering a silent form of support.
"It just … happened," Chloe mumbled , her voice bare a whisper. " Things got complicated".
"Complicated?" Alice repeated, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You told my parents I was pregnant without my consent. You… you took Grey from me. You've probably slept with him already. How's that complicated?"
Unknown to Alice: The reason Chloe and Grey started dating was because he accidentally had a one night stand with her because of how emotionally hurt he was with everything that had happened with Alice. Also, he thought it was the perfect way to get his revenge on Alice .
"He wasn't happy, Alice", Chloe retorted, her voice gaining a sharper edge. "You were always so focused on your studies, on your perfect future. You never had time for him. For us."
"That's not true! We had plans and we were happy!" Alice protested .
"Your plans didn't include hum Alice. He always came second to your books.." Chloe countered, her voice with a resentment Alice had never heard before .
Grey finally looked up, his expression a mixture of shame and defensiveness. " Chloe's right, Alice. We… We connected. You were so distant. I put up with you for so long and the best you could do was have a one night stand and get pregnant for some random dude! She was there every time you had something else to do. Even when you cheated on me."
Alice stood there feeling the guilt run down through her body . Was this true? Had she been so consumed with her academic ambitions that he had neglected Grey? The thought was a painful one.
"It was a one night stand. I was drunk. I didn't mean any of it. I wasn't in my right mind". Alice said as tears ran down her cheeks.
As she wiped her tears, she couldn't help but have the doubt creep into her mind. She couldn't shake off that there was more to this than Chloe's wounded pride and Grey's perceived neglect. There was coldness in Chloe's eyes, a calculating glint that suggested a more deliberate motive.
"And telling my parents?" Alice pressed, refusing to let them deflect. "Was that also about me being distant?"
Chloe's gaze flickered away again. "They had the right to know, and it was only right I told them, you needed their help".
"They had the right to hear it from me" Alice countered, her voice rising slightly. You had no right to betray my trust like that.
The argument drew the attention of a few nearby students, the hushed whispers adding to Alice's sense of humiliation. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to run away. But she stood her ground, she needed to understand.
"Can I ask something ?" Alice asked, fixing a strong gaze at Chloe. "What did you gain from this?" "Did you think ruining my life will make yours better" she continued
Chloe didn't answer, her gaze fixed on intertwined hands. Grey squeezed her hand reassuringly.
A wave of disillusionment washed over Alice. She had come seeking for answers, seeking some semblance of understanding, but all she found was a hollow justification built on resentment and betrayal. There was no remorse in Chloe's eyes, no hunt of the friend she thought she had known.
Turning away Alice felt a profound sense of loss. Not just the kiss of Grey, but the thought of her friendship with Chloe, the loss of the future she had so carefully envisioned. But beneath the pain, the small spark of anger she had felt earlier began to grow. She wouldn't let them define her; she wouldn't let their actions derail her entire life.
As she walked away from the cafeteria, the whispers of the other students fading behind her, a new resolve began to solidify within Alice. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew one thing: she wouldn't be a victim. She decided she would rather face the father of her child and all the dark secrets that linger around him.
Around the town was David.
David was still thinking of a method to which he was going to use to explain what Lucas had earlier told Alice about her child being the heir of Thompson & Co. David's father was a man who built his legacy solely on determination and hardwork. Lucas as the first born was originally supposed to be the CEO of Thompson & Co. But, he wasn't as smart and fast calculative as his younger brother David. The hatred he had for David lingered around the fact that David, who was not only the second wife, but the child of his father's mistress had become the CEO. David's father had initially said that whoever could become the CEO of his company would have the opportunity to let his blood line lead the company. David knew the type of life his child would have to live to climb the ladder he did.
So in his mind he thought: would he take responsibility for the child he had brought to this world and let the child grow up li
ke he did? Or will he deny any and every connection he has to Alice?.