The lecturer, of course, didn't make things easy for me.
He fired question after question—mostly on anatomy—but I answered every single one without hesitation. It was the one thing I could control. The one place I never felt lost.
My intelligence.
Dad always said I got it from Mum.
That thought alone made something warm flicker inside me.
After what felt like forever, he finally nodded. "Impressive. But don't let it happen again. Intelligence is not an excuse for lateness."
"Yes, sir," I murmured before quickly finding a seat.
I ended up beside a pretty blonde girl who was already staring at me like I had just performed a miracle.
"Hi! I'm Mable," she said brightly.
I gave a small nod. "Bella."
She smiled even wider.
I could already tell—she talked a lot.
The lecture dragged on for three long hours, and by the end, we were divided into groups of five. Seniors were assigned to show us around the university.
Of course, Mable was in my group.
She had practically attached herself to me.
I answered her questions politely, even though I could feel irritation creeping in. I wasn't used to this much interaction… not anymore.
Maybe it was time to try.
Maybe.
And then—
Everything changed.
Amara walked into the class.
My body went rigid instantly. Every muscle tightened, my chest constricting as anger surged through me.
And then I saw it.
Her hand… wrapped around his.
My breath caught.
My chest tightened painfully as something unfamiliar twisted inside me.
Jealousy.
But why?
How could he just… let her?
The sight burned into me, sharp and unbearable.
Had I really…?
No.
There was no way.
Then he spoke.
"Let go, Amara."
His voice was calm, firm.
But it echoed in my mind louder than it should have.
Did he notice?
Was my jealousy that obvious?
Did I even like him enough to feel this way?
And more importantly—
Did I even have the right to feel it?
The questions flooded my mind all at once, leaving me overwhelmed.
Then I saw her smile.
Fake. Calculated.
And suddenly, my chest tightened even more.
Jessie
I was in the middle of explaining something to my twin sister when she walked in.
And just like that—
Everything stopped.
She was… unreal.
The most beautiful girl I had ever seen.
We both froze, staring at each other like we had met before.
If I had seen her before, I would remember.
I wouldn't forget someone like her.
Her strawberry-blonde hair fell effortlessly down her back, even though it was tied in a loose bun. She wasn't even trying—and yet, she had everyone's attention.
The entire class went quiet.
Like an angel had just walked in.
My sister pinched me.
Hard.
I tried to respond, but for the first time in my life…
I couldn't speak.
The girl looked around, like she was searching for something. Then she turned to leave—but not before glancing at me again.
And in that moment—
Something shifted.
I turned and saw Amara beside me, trying to get my attention.
I frowned, irritated.
I didn't even know why.
Amara waved at her, but the girl ignored her completely and walked away.
Interesting.
After she left, I tried to get information out of Amara. It was obvious they knew each other.
But she said nothing.
Not even when I let her hold my hand—something I usually hated.
Still nothing.
Whatever was going on between them…
It wasn't simple.
Later, we were assigned to guide the new students around the school.
I hated it.
But I didn't have a choice.
Dad always said, "A man is valued for what he can offer."
I rolled my eyes at the thought as I headed toward the classroom.
And then—
I saw her again.
The girl.
My chest tightened slightly.
This was my chance.