Chapter 8

Students were seen walking around the school, all looking classy and affluent. It was clear that this was a school for the wealthy, and any poor student who managed to secure a scholarship often faced relentless bullying until they either left the school or, in some cases, were committed suicide.

Crestwood High School, the largest school in the country, was notorious for the way its rich students treated the poor one.

And there was Carter, who entered the school on a scholarship because Rosalie couldn't afford to pay the full tuition. Since he arrived, he had never known a moment of peace.

Every day was a struggle for him, and not a single day went by without facing bullying. He felt powerless to change his situation.

He sat alone on a bench in the schoolyard, reading the book in his hands slowly.

With his striking looks, he was undeniably the most handsome boy in school, which only fueled the jealousy of others, leading them to bully him every day.

"There he is!" he heard a voice that always made his heart race with fear. He stood up, turning around with his book trembling in his hands.

"How dare you wander off? Don't you know you're supposed to be in class? When it's time to bully you, we wouldn't have to work so hard, huh? Poor little rat," Isabella sneered.

She was the queen of bitches of the school, one of the main bullies, and her mother was the principal and that gave more power to bully and the principal never intervened.

"I... I'm..." Carter stuttered, his gaze fixed on the floor. He was on the verge of tears but didn't want to break down in front of Isabella and her two dogs, Ellie and Lucy.

"I don't want to stress myself out, so just get to work as usual," Isabella said with a mocking smile. Carter felt restless among them, knowing that if he try to fight back, he would only get in trouble.

He dropped to his knees, as usual, preparing to clean their shoes with his tongue.

He always wanted to fight back, but he knew that doing so would only lead to his expel. He didn't want to disappoint Rosalie, especially since she was already dealing with their mother's illness.

As he leaned in to start licking their shoes, Isabella and her friend laughed at him. Suddenly, a voice rang out, stopping him just before he could put his mouth on their shoes.

"Didn't do it!"

Carter lifted his head to see Gabriella, Isabella's twin sister. But she was completely different from Isabella.

Gabriella was cool and gentle, yet she never interacted with anyone at school, not even when Carter was being bullied by Isabella.

What was happening right now surprised him.

Gabriella and Isabella hated each other, and they never crossed paths without getting into a fight-just like what was about to happen now.

"Why did you stop him? Idiot, stay in your lane like you always do and don't even think about meddling in my business!" Isabella yelled.

"I didn't come here to fight you; I just came to take him," Gabriella said softly, gently helping Carter to his feet.

"Are you mad? How dare you..." Before Isabella could finish, Gabriella began to lead Carter away. Isabella tried to go after them, but her friends pulled her back.

"Are you both nuts? Why did you pull me back?" Isabella yelled angrily at them.

"We're sorry, Isabella, but we just think you should let your sister be for today," Lucy replied. In response, Isabella furiously started hurting their head on each other, her frustration boiling over.

"We're really sorry, Isabella. Please forgive us," they pleaded, but Isabella didn't relent.

"How dare that idiot take that poor rat away from me? Is she going nuts or what?" Isabella mumbled angrily, finally stopped hurting them, but they were already bleeding.

__

Rosalie's POV

It was already late at night when I returned to the hospital with the money, and I rushed into the doctor's office.

"Doctor, I'm back with the money!" I said excitedly. I didn't want to think about what would happen if I hadn't found someone to borrow such a large sum from.

It wouldn't just affect me; it would impact Carter as well. Even though my mother is sick, I still can't bear the thought of losing her. She has endured so much for us before falling ill.

"Miss, I need to make something clear to you. Please take your seat," the doctor said, and I slowly sat down opposite him.

"What's going to happen, doctor? Nothing will happen to my mother during the surgery, right?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear. The doctor sighed.

"I want to be clear: I can't guarantee her survival in the operating room, nor can I promise that she will be cured after the surgery..."

"So be prepared for the worst," he said, dropping the bombshell. I couldn't help but feel a wave of fear wash over me once again.

"Why are you just telling me this, Doctor? You could have told me earlier," I sobbed.

"I'm sorry, but even if I had told you sooner, I'm afraid it wouldn't have changed anything," the doctor replied. I slowly stood up from the chair and walked outside, feeling a deep sadness.

I never thought I would cry this much today, but I couldn't control my emotions. It was my mother who was on the brink of death.

I walked into my mother's ward, feeling utterly miserable. My heart sank as I set my eyes on her lying in bed, broken and fragile; she had fallen into a coma.

"I can't let you die," I sobbed, staring at my mother's body, connected to various life-saving machines.

"I know you would have stopped me if you knew what I was about to do to get the money for your treatment, but I'm sorry. Please, survive for me and Carter," I mumbled. Just then, the alarm on my phone rang, signaling that it was time to go to the club.

I wiped my tears away. "I'm sorry once again, Mom, but I have to do this," I said at the door, glancing back at her one last time before rushing out of the ward.

I got into my car as soon as I stepped outside and decided to call Athena maybe she could help me find something to wear since it was already too late to go back home.

I dialed her number, but suddenly I heard movement from the back of my car and before I could turn around, someone covered my nose with a sedative handkerchief. I struggled to pull it away, but after a few seconds, I felt dizzy and then everything went black.

___

Inside the VIP room, Cameron sat in the dim light, everything prepared according to the arrangement Rosalie had signed earlier and he was waiting for her to arrive.

He had think about every possible way to make her regret disrespecting him and a smile creeping across his face at the thought.

After thirty minutes...

Rosalie still hadn't shown up, and his impatience was growing.

"Did she fool me?" Cameron muttered to himself.

"She's fooling herself if she thinks she can make a fool out of me. But She won't even dare," Cameron smirked before calling a guard from the door.

The guard rushed in immediately. "Yes, boss," he mumbled, bowing.

"Do you know the new stripper I just hired?" Cameron asked, and the guard nodded.

"Do you know her friend who's working as a waitress here as well?" Cameron inquired again since he didn't know Athena's name, and that was the only way he could describe her.

"Yes, boss, I saw them talking to each other a few times," the guard replied, and Cameron nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Then bring her here," Cameron ordered. The guard nodded with a bow before walking out.

Cameron couldn't help but scoff, wondering if Rosalie had truly fooled him.

He was still lost in thought when the door opened and Athena walked in.

"Good evening, boss," Athena greeted, bowing her head.

"Where's Rosalie?" was the first question Cameron asked.

"I haven't seen her today, so I'm not sure where she is," Athena replied.

"Can you give me her address? She's really taking on more than she can handle. I tried to help her, but she ran away without fulfilling her commitments," Cameron said, feeling his anger rising.

"Rose, can't do that, maybe..." Athena began, but Cameron cut her off angrily.

"She can't do that! Then, where the hell is she?" Cameron asked furiously, causing Athena to flinch.

"I'm sorry, boss. I'll try calling her now," Athena mumbled, pulling her phone from her pocket with a shaky hand. Just as she was about to dial Rosalie's number, the phone rang and Rosalie was the one calling.

"Thank goodness," Athena thought, answering the call and putting it on speaker.

"Hello, Rosalie, where are-" Before she could finish, Rosalie's scream echoed through the phone, causing Cameron to jump to his feet, concern etched on his face.