[Editing]

Friday's soft morning sunlight spilled over the grounds as I walked toward the gate, mentally bracing myself for another day of keeping up appearances.

Usually, I had my driver drop me off right in front of the gate. But just this once, I asked him to stop a few minutes away. I wanted the brief silence, the space between the car and the school, where I could delay the inevitable drama and headaches this place brought me.

My shoes clicked softly against the pavement, the rhythm a small comfort in the quiet. But then something cut through the mundane, the faint, high-pitched sound.

A meow.

I froze mid-step, ears straining to locate the sound. Another meow followed, this one more insistent. I glanced around and finally spotted it, a chunky, gray-and-white cat nestled in the bushes by the campus wall. Its bright eyes locked onto mine, curious and unafraid.

I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to walk away. This wasn't me. Petting a stray? That's something a normal person would do, someone who didn't have a mother who would raise a perfectly sculpted brow and ask why I was wasting my time on something so meaningless.

But then, before I knew it, I crouched down. The cat padded closer, brushing its soft fur against my legs. It didn't run away. Instead, it looked up at me with wide, trusting eyes, as if it somehow sensed something in me, some hidden loneliness that matched its own.

I lifted my hand, hovering it awkwardly in the air before slowly lowering it to touch the cat's fur. The warmth of its body against my palm, the quiet purring that followed, sparked a forgotten feeling deep inside me. I hadn't realized just how numb I had become.

For the first time in forever, I smiled. A real smile. Not the fake one I plastered on my face for everyone else. This one was a small, unfiltered reaction I hadn't even known I was capable of anymore.

As I continued petting the cat, memories of my childhood flickered to life, back when I had Coco, my dog. Back when I could still be myself, back when things were simpler. Before my mother twisted my world to revolve around her ambitions. Before I had to become her perfect heir.

The warmth in my chest bloomed, one I hadn't felt in years. It was more real than any fleeting moment of approval I'd gotten from my mother. It felt...like me.

But reality quickly nudged back in. The time. The day ahead. The version of me I had to be once I stepped through those gates. Reluctantly, I stood, giving the cat one last gentle pat. It meowed again as if to say goodbye before it wandered back into the bushes.

I brushed off my hands and continued walking toward the gate, but the smile lingered, a secret I wasn't ready to let go of just yet.

๋࣭ °࣪ ִ⭑․𓃠⭒˚.• ݁

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter, the scrape of chairs, and the clatter of trays. I sat at my table near the back, taking small sips of iced tea as I scrolled through my phone, pretending to be immersed in the latest social updates. I had a reputation to maintain, after all.

Not a minute had passed when Jaclyn Yae sauntered over, her presence instantly commanding attention. Without waiting for an invitation, she sat across from me, flashing me that predatory smile she was known for.

If I was the angel of the school, she was the devil everyone feared. But I couldn't afford to alienate her, not yet.

"Audrey's really clinging to Wallace, isn't she?" she said, her voice thick with disdain. "Kind of pathetic, don't you think?"

I glanced up from my phone, forcing a gentle smile. "Audrey's not my concern, Jaclyn." My tone was light, calm and perfectly sweet.

Jaclyn raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Not your concern? Please. Everyone knows Wallace is supposed to be with you. You could do something about her. Easily."

Her words were designed to provoke, but I had mastered the art of control.

I leaned forward slightly, keeping my voice soft. "Jaclyn, I'm sure you mean well, but I'm not interested in making things difficult for anyone. Especially someone like Audrey."

She scoffed."You're too kind, Desiree. Girls like Audrey will walk all over you if you let them. Why don't you let me handle it? I could—"

"Jaclyn," I interrupted gently but firmly, "I really don't think that's necessary. Wallace and Audrey will figure things out on their own."

Besides, watching Wallace play his little games was more entertaining than anything Jaclyn could offer.

Jaclyn, however, wasn't so easily deterred. Her eyes glinted with a challenge as she leaned in. "Come on, Desiree. You could have Wallace back just like that," she snapped her fingers, "and you know it. You don't even have to get your hands dirty. I can make Audrey disappear in no time."

I tilted my head slightly, giving Jaclyn a small, almost pitying smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather not cause any trouble. Audrey isn't worth it."

Jaclyn's smirk faltered, her eyes narrowing in slight frustration. She leaned back, clearly annoyed but trying to mask it. "Suit yourself. But don't come crying to me when she gets in your way."

I smiled sweetly, as if her words had no effect on me. "Thanks for looking out for me, Jaclyn. You're always so thoughtful."

Her eyes flashed with something, anger perhaps? I didn't care. I had already won this round by staying untouchable, refusing to take the bait. Jaclyn would try again, no doubt, but my mask remained firmly in place. The perfect, sweet Desiree Hart.

Jaclyn stood, her tray clattering as she gathered it. "See you around, Desiree."

"See you," I said, waving with a smile as she stalked off.

The moment she was gone, my smile dropped, leaving only the cool mask behind. I could play Jaclyn's game if I wanted to but Audrey and Wallace weren't my real targets. They were just pawns on a much larger chessboard.

๋࣭ °࣪ ִ⭑․𓃠⭒˚.• ݁

The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow on the polished desks. Students around me scribbled diligently in their notebooks as Mr. Donovan lectured on the Peace of Westphalia. His voice, monotone with all the enthusiasm of a man resigned to teaching the same subject for decades.

I sat upright, copying notes with precision, but my mind drifted back to the stray cat. The unexpected warmth it stirred in me lingered, like a shadow refusing to disappear.

"Desiree," Mr. Donovan's voice cut through my thoughts.

My pen froze, and I met his gaze with a calm, composed expression.

"Would you care to share your thoughts on the political significance of the Peace of Westphalia?" he asked, his tone neutral but expecting nothing less than excellence.

Of course. I hadn't allowed myself to appear distracted, but I had learned over the years that teachers liked to challenge the best students to see if they were truly paying attention.

I sat up straighter.

"The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648, but more importantly, it shifted the balance of power in Europe by introducing the concept of state sovereignty. In many ways, it was the beginning of nations putting their own interests ahead of religious or imperial authority." I paused just briefly, then added, "It didn't just end a war, it changed how wars would be justified moving forward. Power started to mean borders, not beliefs."

Mr. Donovan's brows lifted slightly, clearly satisfied. "Insightful. Well said."

I returned to my notes, suffocated by the empty perfection of the routine. Despite the praise, despite the role I played so flawlessly.

The bell finally rang, and I left the room with the same graceful poise I had perfected over the years. But inside, the emptiness gnawed at me, growing heavier with each step.

As I turned the corner, fate decided to twist the knife further.

Through the large glass window of a nearby classroom, I spotted Audrey, surrounded by her friends, their laughter spilling into the corridor like a stream of sunlight.

I should have looked away, but instead, I lingered, catching pieces of their conversation.

"...being a scholar student is hard, I know." one of them said, a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"But girl, you can do it. Don't let what those bullies said get to you. You're going to enter that big university next year," another chimed in, her tone bright with encouragement. "Photojournalism, right? You're going to be amazing."

Her friends laughed and offered encouragement, their joy infectious.

Audrey's smile was radiant, her face glowing with hope and excitement as she talked about her future. Her words floated to me, each one a reminder of my own suppressed aspirations.

Her father had given her something so simple, yet so powerful. How he believed in her, pushed her to follow her dreams, and told her that the greatest gift he could give her was the belief that she could become anything she wanted to be.

I scoffed at the thought, bitterness rising in my throat.

Everything I do is for my mother. I can't even remember what it feels like to want something for myself.

A flicker of envy ignited in my chest. Audrey was free, unburdened by anyone else's ambitions, while I had never fought for my own. I hadn't fought for anything that was truly mine.

Then, like a ghost brushing past my spine, Wallace came to mind.

Suddenly, that ache in my chest shifted.

Thinking about Wallace, about the way he fought even when the world told him not to... it made something stir in me. A flicker of something I hadn't felt in years.

Hope.

Before I could talk myself out of it, my feet began moving, carrying me away from the noise and the crowd. I needed a place where I could be alone, where I could finally...write.

I found an old, forgotten room tucked away behind the science hall. Its door was slightly ajar, dust motes dancing in the sunlight. The air was stale, but it was mine.

I closed the door behind me, sealing myself in, and pulled out my laptop. My fingers trembled slightly as I set it on the battered desk. The blank page stared back at me, waiting. And then, like the floodgates had opened, I started typing. Words flowed out of me faster than I could think. Everything I had held back for years poured out, faster than I could think. It felt like breaking free from chains I hadn't realized were there.

I wrote about the stray cat, the warmth I had felt in that brief moment of peace. I wrote about Coco, my childhood dog, the one I had loved before my mother decided that loving anything other than her plans for me was a weakness. And I wrote about the hollow ache that filled me now, the weight of always being perfect, always smiling, always doing what I was told.

As I wrote, the tightness in my chest began to ease. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was doing something that was entirely mine. No one else was watching. No one else could take this from me.

But the moment was fleeting. I glanced at the time and my stomach dropped. The driver would be waiting for me, and if I took too long, my mother would start asking questions.

I closed the laptop with a sigh, already feeling the weight of reality crashing down on me again. I shoved it into my bag before slipping out of the room.

The hallways were mostly empty now, but just as I rounded a corner, I ran straight into Wallace. His expression wasn't the usual mix of indifference and disdain. This time, his eyes were filled with anger.

"What did you do to the cat?" he demanded, his voice low, almost a growl.

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

He stepped closer, his fury unmistakable. "Did you fucking kill it?!"

It wasn't the harshness of his words that struck me, it was the question itself. It hit me like a punch to the gut. For the first time in years, I felt my control slipping. My lips parted, but no words came out. I stood there, frozen, staring at Wallace, the one person who had unknowingly shattered my defenses.

The cat died...but how? Why? I just petted it this morning...

I was so caught up in the sudden flood of emotions that I didn't realize I was showing him something he shouldn't see from me, until I felt my legs weakening, almost giving way beneath me.

But I willed myself not to fall. I couldn't fall. Not now. Not in front of him. I swallowed hard, pushing the lump down my throat, forcing myself to gather the pieces of my shattered control. I had to fix it. I had to be the Desiree Hart.

I straightened my posture, tightening the grip on my bag.

"What are you talking about?" I let indifference slip into my expression, a mask of cold disinterest falling into place.

Wallace's eyes darkened even more. "Don't act like you don't know," he snapped. "The cat you were with this morning. I saw you with it, and now it's dead."

"No," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I didn't do anything."

Wallace's glare intensified, disgust seeping into his expression. "You're disgusting," he spat. "Always hiding behind that perfect smile, pretending to be something you're not."

My heart clenched at his words. He had no idea what I'd been through, what I'd had to become just to survive and yet he was so quick to judge me, so quick to assume the worst. But I wasn't about to let him see how much his words affected me, so I took a breath, steadying myself before responding.

"You think you know me, Wallace?" I said, keeping my tone calm, though I could feel the tremor in my hands. I clenched them into fists to keep from showing any more weakness. "You don't."

He scoffed. "I know enough. Enough to know I'll never marry you."

The finality in his voice hit harder than I anticipated, but I kept my composure.

"Look," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "If you hate the idea of marrying me so much, why don't you do something about it? Stop fake dating Audrey and actually stand up to your father."

Wallace's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. "What makes you think I haven't tried? You think I want this? You think I want anything to do with you?"

"Then why did you go through with the dinner? Why did you agree to meet my family?"

"Like I have a choice!" he snapped. "My father made up his mind long before I even knew what was happening that night. It doesn't matter what I want."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. We stood there, a strange silence settling between us. Neither of us had chosen this path, but we were trapped all the same. And yet, something in me couldn't let go of the fact that he had assumed the worst of me without hesitation.

"You think you have no choice, but you do," I said quietly. "You're just too afraid to take it."

Wallace glared at me, but before he could respond, I added, "If you want to end this, there's an easy solution."

His brow furrowed, suspicion clear on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"Audrey," I said simply, watching his reaction. "Since you said you are dating her, why don't you take it to the next level? Get her pregnant. That would put a stop to this engagement faster than anything else."

His eyes widened in shock, and then fury overtook his expression. "The fuck are you saying? No! I'm not—"

I had hit a nerve, but I didn't care. For the first time in a long time, I felt something close to real annoyance bubbling up inside me. I was tired. Tired of playing these games, tired of pretending.

I took a step back, shaking my head. "Then find another way, Wallace. I don't care what you do. Just don't stand here and throw accusations at me because you're too weak to fight for what you want."

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him there.

But even as I walked, I couldn't shake the lingering pain from his words. Disgusting. That's what he thought of me.

...

𓇢𓆸

Let me know your thoughts! What do you think Desiree will do next?

And to my lovely silent readers, I hope you're just as hooked as I am while writing these scenes! 💕

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