Eveline marched out of the building, ignoring everyone's expressions. She was a popular student, not because she was gorgeous or the daughter of the owner, but because she excelled academically. Moreover, she stood out as the sole female who cultivated a close relationship with the two most attractive men at the college.
Eveline didn't mind being the center of attention back then, but she'd rather disappear and live a normal life now.
"Hello, little sister," Eveline flinched as Stefan unexpectedly stepped in front of her. Stefan had a habit of causing her heart palpitations.
"Why has everyone been scaring me since morning?" Eveline asked, trying to calm her pulse. Eveline snapped while trying to ease her pulse. Ever since her encounter with Tiffany and Gabriel earlier, she felt like her life had been nothing but a pendulum, swaying back and forth.
"What's up with this gloominess, and by the way, where are you heading?" Stefan asked, puzzled by Eveline's internal monologue. Stefan inquired, perplexed by Eveline's internal monologue.
"Do you still feel offended by Gabriel?" Stefan laughed heartily, unable to think Eveline, who had been constantly harassing Gabriel, would ever be unhappy with him.
Eveline scoffed as she looked at Stefan, who appeared amused by her situation. It's not surprising that he found it difficult to trust anyone.
"Would you like me to cease making fun of you, or do you wish for me to strike you in the face?" Eveline warned, stealing Stefan's smile immediately.
"W—what did you say?" Stefan stammered, still unable to understand Eveline's words.
"You heard the same thing," Eveline casually said.
"Are you OK, Eve? Why do you feel like you banged your head so hard when we collided?" Stefan reached out to examine her, but she jerked his hand away.
"Nothing is wrong with me. I am fine," she replied, ignoring his concerns.
Stefan sighed with relief, yet his brow wrinkled. "So why are you acting like that? Did something happen to make you upset with Gabriel, or did you finally accept that he will never fall in love with you?" Stefan put his hand over Eveline's shoulder casually, and they continued their stroll.
Eveline was like Stefan's younger sister, and she enjoyed discussing her difficulties with him. When he confronted Eveline about her feelings for Gabriel, he advised her to give up.
And she finally understood why.
"Look, you're spacing out once more. I'm sure you're not feeling well; else, you wouldn't be talking to yourself. So please tell me what's wrong and why you're furious with Gabriel."
"Who is upset with whom?" a familiar voice inquired, capturing Stefan and Eveline's attention.
Gabriel looked at the two before fixing his eyes on Eveline. "I asked you something." Who is upset with whom?"
Gabriel had resolved to ignore everything, but when he saw Stefan and Eveline together, he couldn't resist following them.
Eveline's gaze hardened as she stared at Gabriel with equal intensity and said, "Were you eavesdropping on us?"
Stefan gave Eveline a scared expression. Stefan was taken aback by Eveline's cold response to Gabriel.
Despite his surprise, Gabriel quickly hid his feelings and moved toward Eveline.
"What if I was?" he inquired, keeping his gaze fixed on her.
While Eveline was alarmed by their proximity, she refused to leave. She'd always been obedient to Gabriel and tolerated his arrogance in the name of so-called love.
She hoped that one day he would recognize her affection and warm his heart, but that never occurred. Instead, he ended up watching her fall from the balcony without showing any sympathy.
"Have you forgotten your manners?"
Gabriel's lips twitched at her attitude, but he remained calm. He wondered what he had done to earn Eveline's impolite manner.
"I was not eavesdropping; I just wanted to talk to Stefan, who happened to be with you at the time," Gabriel lied, clearly intimidated by her gaze.
Stefan unexpectedly remarked, "But you said you wanted to be alone," leaving Gabriel speechless.
His jaw clenched as he shot a seething glare at Stefan. He expected his friend to comply but instead exposed him.
'Stupid guy'
"Anyway, brother Stefan is yours," Eveline remarked, taking a step back and turning to leave.
Gabriel watched her receding form. His heart torn. Something about Eveline struck him as unusual, but he couldn't figure out what.
"So, why were you looking for me?" Stefan inquired, taking a step closer to Gabriel, who simply shot him a glare and walked away. Stefan inquired, taking a step closer to Gabriel, who simply shot him a glare and walked away.
Eveline spent the remainder of the day avoiding Tiffany and concentrating on class.
When it was time to depart, Eveline exited the classroom ahead of Tiffany and walked directly to her car. Tiffany, however, hailed Eveline from behind before she could enter.
Eveline tightened her grasp on the handle and turned to face Tiffany, who was sprinting behind her before tripping and falling to the ground with a thump.
Eveline's eyes clouded as she recognized what Tiffany had done, but to avoid suspicion, she raced to her side and helped her stand.
"Ah, it hurts," Tiffany exclaimed, stumbling about.
Eveline scoffed mentally as she examined her strategy. She had obviously noticed that there was no stone Tiffany might trip on. She staged an act to get a ride home.
"Eve, could you just take me home? With this agony, I don't think I'll be able to travel by bus."
'There you go.'
Aren't you thinking we should first consult a doctor? What if the sprain is too severe?" Eveline inquired, surprising Tiffany on the spot, and she stuttered through her words.
"No, I don't think I should see a doctor.Just take me home, please."
Eveline realized Tiffany was lying, but she didn't dwell on it too long before agreeing to take her home.
Tiffany helped herself into the car, as Eveline watched and fumed before walking to the other side of the vehicle and getting in.
Tiffany quickly exited the premises in her car, having obtained what she desired.
****
Eveline glanced at Tiffany from the side, but her focus shifted to her phone.
She wondered how her so-called buddy had earned her trust, to the point where she never doubted her.
Perhaps she was overly friendly, allowing her to play with her emotions until the end.
Eveline couldn't help but mock her misfortune.
"You seem perfectly fine." Eveline's words surprised Tiffany, causing her to smile awkwardly.
She hurriedly slid the phone into her pocket and turned to face Eveline.
"Yes, I believe so. Look, I can move my leg, too." Tiffany rotated her ankle to demonstrate to Eveline the improvement.
"So, shall I drop you off here? I see you're okay to go on your own now."
Tiffany's smile faded as she heard Eveline's comments, but she quickly smiled, breaking her concentration.
"I'm kidding. I am not heartless enough to leave my friend alone, especially after you hurt your ankle." Eveline forced a smile, perplexing Tiffany with how rapidly her expressions went from chilly to chirpy.
Tiffany gave an uneasy smile and nodded her head in approval.
"Haha, yes."
Tiffany felt nervous in front of Eveline. The girl, who always listened to her and followed her around like a lost dog, made Tiffany nervous.
Tiffany remembers meeting Eveline and how quickly she earned her trust, eventually being her lone friend and well-wisher.
But now she was questioning whether she hadn't gotten to know Eveline more intimately.
"Leo, please pull over," Eveline instructed, jolting Tiffany out of her daydream and bringing the automobile to a halt.
"We have arrived," Eveline remarked with a smile.
Tiffany made a habit of requesting Eveline to pull over away from her home. Tiffany did not want Eveline to witness how bad her life was with her inebriated father or how impoverished she was, not because she couldn't get her there.
Tiffany smiled and turned to exit the vehicle, but Eveline stopped her.
"Tiffany, what is it that you talked about with Gabriel?"
Tiffany glanced at Eveline with a dubious gaze and mumbled, "W-what did I say?"
She inquired, pretending ignorance even though it was clear that she understood what Eveline was saying.
Eveline surprised Gabriel this morning, but when she saw Tiffany rush to him, she paused and attempted to see through her lie, all the while continuing to brainwash Gabriel.
"I hope you did not badmouth me."