Chapter 40 40

Chapter 40 40
Chapter 40
The Whisper of Betrayal
My brother is such a pain in the neck, always trying to make people feel like they should talk. Once my brother likes you, he’ll be involved in everything that has been done around him and love it when he’s told every single thing, so that’s why he’s so passive.
And being his little sister and the last born in the family, he’s always looking out for me, but I don’t want such a lookout. You love someone, yes, but it is not in his duty to stop me.
Now I know where the problem is coming from: the fact that we have step-cousins—that’s the main problem. And then my brother’s best friend? Come on. “Man, you can tell me anything,” he said to Damien. And then Damien cleared his throat, his expression tightening as if the weight of the world pressed on him.
“You see, what’s bothering me,” Damien began carefully, his jaw tense, “is that I’m graduating early with my master’s degree soon enough. And also, I’m going to complete my professor teaching assistant position and then start fully well at McDonald’s law firm. That’s what happened to me. so sorry I wasn’t cooperating.”
“In our hometown?” Jonathan asked, and Damien nodded slightly with smiles. Hell, I knew he was forcing it, and that's not actually his problem. So be it!
“That’s good, Damien. That’s good…amazing! Congratulations, man. You know our parents are going to be so excited! Especially to have you around more often. You know you’re like a son to my parents,” Jonathan said in excitement, his face glowing, his hand landing firmly on Damien’s shoulder.
Damien laughed and smiled, though I noticed the faint nervous twitch at the corner of his mouth. I could tell they’re really best friends, and they look out for each other.
It made me ache deep inside because if Jonathan knew the truth, that very trust would shatter into dust.
….
Today is such an exciting day. It’s the day that we are going to get the papers for our grade, and whoa, my heart is beating fast.
I knew that I did well this semester, even though I had distractions, especially from Damien—I also did my best. And I can’t wait to get my results.
I hope I get the best because my brother looks up to me, including my parents, my sister…everyone!
So, I sat down in class, and just then the door opened, and it was Damien. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. He was holding the papers in his hands, and he was the one to share them out.
The funniest part of it was that he was supposed to start from the A alphabet, but then he went straight to me. Who is C…?and gave me the paper first.
I could hear the snarling of Gladys, who was just sitting beside me. She hissed out of jealousy, but I didn’t care. He gave me the paper and said to me with a warm smile, “Congratulations, Miss Wang. You passed with an A grade plus. I’m really proud of you.”
Then he bent closer, his lips brushing near my ear, and whispered slowly so no one else could hear, “Your prize? Meet me in the room for a private tutoring tonight.”
Heat rushed into my cheeks. I bit my lip, not wanting the whole class to know. He was so reckless and naughty that it made my pulse race. Only if my brother stays out for the night, though!
Then he walked to Gladys and gave her her paper; it was a D grade.
Her face turned crimson with anger, her eyes darting to my paper like daggers. I tucked mine quickly into my case, where she could still see the edge of the grade.
I didn’t even hide it properly. Let her burn out of jealousy. She could whisper all she wanted; I wasn’t just a man stealer, I was someone who fought for everything I got.
“I passed!” Abigail smiled proudly at me as she didn't want to make noise… I winked at her playfully, and we high-fived.
Just then Mrs. Agnes walked in, her steps sharp against the tiled floor. “Hello class, good morning. As you can see, Mr. Damien has already submitted your papers to you. And this time around, it was not graded by him, but by me.”
The class turned their heads to her in silence.
“I also know that a lot of you have been anticipating joining my spring class internship,” she continued, her glasses catching the light. “Unfortunately, I’m so sorry to tell you that if you have a grade lower than B in your paper, then your offer has been thrown out.”
A sharp murmur spread across the class. Gladys’ jaw tightened, her nails tapping furiously against her desk. She had a D. Her dream was slipping through her fingers, while mine was becoming real. That's why I'm the real queen!
I was ecstatic. Finally, this was what I wanted. This was my dream. I was going to get into my dream internship. I could finally prove to everyone that I wasn’t just the little naïve freshman they thought I was.
My eyes flicked to Damien. His expression was soft and proud. His lips curved slightly, as if silently telling me, I knew you could do it.
But then, Gladys suddenly raised her hand.
“Yes, Gladys?” Mrs. Agnes asked, adjusting her glasses.
Gladys stood up immediately, her face glowing with venom. “Yes, ma’am. You see, I have something to say about Clarissa. She switched our papers. It is cheating. I think she should be disqualified for the internship. It should be mine.”
The words slammed into me like a heavy stone.
My eyes widened. My mouth went dry.
The whole class gasped, their whispers turning into a low roar. I could hear the murmurs spreading like wildfire.
What the hell was Gladys talking about? Switch papers? Did she even read her own? Didn’t she see her name written clearly at the top of her D-graded sheet?
Every eye turned to me. My throat felt tight, my pulse loud in my ears.
I wanted to scream at her, to rip that malicious smirk off her face. But all I could do was grip the edge of my desk, my knuckles white.
Damien’s eyes immediately shot to me. His jaw clenched, his brows furrowed in a protective manner.
Mrs. Agnes pressed her lips together, clearly weighing Gladys’ accusation.
The class had fallen into thick, suffocating silence.
And I sat there, frozen; my heart was hammering as the ground beneath me threatened to split apart.
What if they believed her?
What if this was how I lost everything?
“Doesn’t she see her name on her paper?”