Love? No, thank you

"Brother! What's wrong with you? Status, status, status! Since when did you start to care about someone's social class? You don't even seem like the brother I met five years ago! You have changed!"

Lysana jolted, got up from the sofa, and slammed the door behind her as she entered her room.

She was enraged beyond what words could define. How could her brother, who had always warned her not to judge anyone based on their social status, suddenly place more weight on these matters?

She was perplexed, enraged, and, most importantly, disgusted.

She detested those who thought that way, including her former best friend, who bullied Selene because he didn't like the fact that she was poor.

Selene wasn't exactly poor, but neither was she wealthy, and that mattered little to her whenever it came to her friendship.

Selene was called by Lysana. She became even angrier when her phone was turned off. She needed to talk to Selene to let out her rage, and she also needed to figure out why she hadn't told Lysana about her joining the art club. She would have assisted her in any way she could.

***

Selene was going shopping for food for her grandmother to use in the kitchen.

She ran into someone familiar as she was wandering the grocery store.

She ignored the person, quickly averting her gaze in the opposite direction, hoping he didn't see her. Until she heard her name, she carried on walking.

She stopped to take a look behind her.

She was panicked upon seeing that young man's face once more.

Her ex-boyfriend, the man she wanted to kill the most, even more than her father, was standing in front of her. He used her for his own benefit, only to walk away from her with inane justifications.

The terrible things he did to her suddenly made her regain consciousness. The nightmare she had concealed for the past year was right in front of her: Damian.

"Selene," he said tenderly, smiling at her.

Damian came up to her and held her hand quickly yet gently.

Selene flinched as he held her hand, but she quickly released it from his grasp.

"Don't you dare," she said with a firm statement, and she ran quickly out of the mall, forgetting to take the items she had intended to purchase.

She rushed quickly to a quiet location. a location where no one could see her. neither hear her. She then began to cry. She cried until her eyes became puffy and red. She just couldn't stop crying, even though she knew it wouldn't help. She had promised herself that she would never cry, but the pain may have become too much for her to bear.

Selene's grandmother was already asleep when she got home. It was past eleven o'clock. Selene has never returned home so late. She was aware that her grandmother needed to take her medications, but unless Selene reminds her, she tends to forget.

When she looked at the bedside table, she noticed that one pill had gone missing since the previous night, indicating that her grandmother had taken her medication.

A delicate grin showed up on her dull face.

She didn't bother her grandmother by arriving late, at least.

After changing, she went to bed, but she didn't eat dinner.

Again, it's likely that her father was drinking until late at night.

She hasn't seen him in a while. but she wouldn't begrudge it. She feels less awful the less she sees his ugly face.

***

Selene resumed her classes after a full week's break. She called and told the secretary that she was sick, and her grandmother was thankfully too busy to notice that she stayed home, although she wasn't really sick. She stayed locked in her room and only came out to eat.

Lysana was very concerned for her.

She texted and called her, but she got no response.

When Lysana saw Selene at her desk when she entered the classroom, she slammed her desk hard.

"I am so glad to see you alive, my dearest friend!" "If you hadn't shown up, I probably would have planned your funeral and invited the entire city to say goodbye."

Although Lysana was smiling, it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she was extremely mad.

After looking up at Lysana, Selene returned to her book and continued to read.

Lysana couldn't believe it. Did she simply disregard her?

"Selene!"

She yelled out of anger.

"Talk to me!"

Selene continued to read while pulling the chair for Lysana to sit with her right hand.

Lysana ignored that and continued to stare at Selene, who forced Lysana to sit with her right hand and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Selene."

Lysana's voice seemed to have slowed down after she sat down, compared to before.

After all, Selene was her best friend, and she was completely aware of how to control her. Lysana would only overreact and not listen to her if Selene had responded to her. She would interpret Selene's words incorrectly and make her own assumptions about the situation.

"Yes, Lys?"

Finally, Selene replied with a soft smile that raised her eyebrows.

"Where did you go? I was so worried."

Selene could hear Lysana's low but audible mumble.

After entering the classroom, the math teacher began her class.

"After class, I'll tell you."

***

"Dad."

Samuel entered his father's office.

"Yes, Samuel Archen? How can I help you?"

Mr. Archen sarcastically asked while doing some paperwork.

His desk was piled high with papers and folders that were yet to be looked at.

"I'm thinking of staying here and not returning abroad."

"How could you have thought about that? It's too risky! I told you, right? Don't be stupid. Tomorrow, you're leaving for the UK."

"No. I won't listen to your every word anymore. I'm an adult already. The person who wants me dead can still reach me even if I remain abroad. I should remain here, establish my own power and influence, and locate my hiding opponent. I must also be aware of their intentions and why they are after my life. That's the least I can do."

Samuel made his decision with sternness. The thing that could change it was assuming he was killed and sent to another country. Samuel's decisions can't be changed once he has made them. He would stick to it and make sure it was right, even if he knew it was wrong.

Claude Archen, his father, was well aware of that. He knew Samuel well enough, despite the fact that he didn't spend a lot of time with him. That's how Samuel's mother was, after all. He was a copy of his mother. although he more or less resembles his mother in appearance. Appearance-wise, he didn't acquire her red hair, yet his character comes from her. That was the scariest part. Claude could only hope Samuel would not become like his mother.

But little did he know that Samuel was already like her…

Samuel went straight to a bar to hang out with his friends after leaving his father's office.

***

Samuel met his online friends at the club. He once ran into them in the UK. However, because everyone became busy with their own lives, they were unable to meet one another after that.

"Samuel!"

He was greeted by a young blonde man who waved at him from afar.

"Dave!"

As he invited him to join him at his table, Samuel waved back.

However, David was indicating the same thing to Samuel: to join his table. All of their friends had to join Samuel, even though Dave was with them in the first place even before Samuel came.

When it came to persuading others to act in his way, Samuel was extremely successful.

"Are you serious, Sam? You could have joined us already!"

"That's right! I'm telling you, you're too much," Izak complained. He was a person who didn't like to move around much, but he loved doing sports. People often called him weird for it, but he couldn't care less. After all, that combo wouldn't make sense, yet there he was.

One of their friends, Chris, decided to change the subject since Dave and Izak started complaining about Samuel's behaviour.

"Any of you have met a girl? Or do you have any partners?"

Chris inquired, observing everyone.

He was a very joyful person, and he loved poking his nose in other people's business, although no one ever got mad at him thanks to his handsome appearance.

While Samuel was silently listening, the other three started talking about their girlfriends.

Samuel was reassured by their complaints that it was good that he didn't have to go through all of these difficulties for the sake of love.

Samuel thought that love was not real. How can everyone fall in love every two seconds if love never existed? They get their emotions manipulated, but they prepare to be manipulated once more when the other convinces them to change. Yet they never change.

Samuel, who was most concerned with making money, found it hilarious. Although he was rich, he wanted to make more money. What for? He didn't know. But he knew money was important.

Love could only waste his time, energy, and money by giving him nothing.

After all, girls only date wealthy men for money. Samuel avoided having girlfriends as a result. He didn't want anything related to love, which seemed fake to him.

***

When Selene got home from college, she noticed that the whole house was in disarray. She knew who the man was, so she couldn't even shout "thief." It was her own father.

He would go after her grandmother's money whenever he was unable to locate his own. For money, he would do anything. When they are unable to provide him with money, who knows what he will do to them? sell her somewhere else? Who can say what is on his mind?

"Granny."

Selene set off in search of her grandmother, panicking. God knows what that man did with her while she was away.

Sitting on the ground, Gianna was crying.

That annoyed Selene. Why would she shed so much emotion and tears for a coward like him? It was foolish. She also found it absurd that she used to cry out for him to come home at night as a child. She was no longer, however, a child.

She was capable of looking after herself and her grandmother.

However, her grandmother insisted on remaining in this house because it was her grandfather's final resting place and she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. For a long time, she lived here, and she wanted to remain there until her death.

Selene couldn't break her grandmother's heart, which is why she didn't often disagree with her about important matters. Selene needed to get by in this damnation for her well-being, and she needed to live for her own selfish love.

Even though Selene never experienced true love, she knew what it was like to have a deep love for someone, and she didn't want to hurt her grandmother by making her do something she didn't want to do.

For sure, Selene didn't want to fall in love with anyone at the very least.