Chapter 35

KATELYN.

My mind has been floating, constantly thinking about the words Eligor said. It's as if I've been deafened by his words earlier, and until now, I'm still confused.

Is he serious about what he said? Is he really sure about his feelings?

What if he just pities me? Especially since he knows everything I've been through and my problems.

Eli has always been so kind, maybe he's just showing pity and that's why he treats me this way.

But I can't help but feel that he was serious with the words he said. Actually, it's the first time I've seen him that serious, with his eyes not averting from me, with his words deeply resonating with me.

I want to believe Eli, I want to give it another try, but I'm still afraid. The wounds Gadreel left are still fresh, and the bitterness lingers in my taste for that man.

"Kate, have you packed your things? It's our last day today. I don't want to go to school anymore," Aimee complained, having just come from a meeting, and we're leaving soon.

"We don't have classes when we come back. We still have two days before going back to school," I replied. Honestly, I don't want to go back to school either. If I could take a break for a week, I would file for leave.

I don't want to see Gadreel for now, I don't want to run into him or even catch a glimpse of his shadow.

I'm frustrated. Even now, as I think about him, I still cry. I can still feel how he deceived me; it's not easy to forget someone, especially when they hurt you without a fight.

Because you want revenge, you want to make him realize all the things he wasted and convey to him that everything he said was wrong.

"And during those two days, try to unwind. Go out or visit your aunt, make sure you're always accompanied, okay?" Aimee said, making me smile because she really cares about me.

"Well, come with me so I won't be sad," I teased her, knowing that she also has many other things to prioritize.

"Do you want to go to the beach? But you'll be a third wheel to Charles and me, so we should invite Eli," she suggested, and I shook my head, feeling embarrassed for Eli because he has already done so much for me.

"No, let's not. Maybe he wants to rest, it seems like you two have planned that for a long time," I replied, and she nodded.

"You witch, no. Let's go if you want to. It's just difficult to walk alone, especially if we travel together." She had a point, especially nowadays when even at our age, we're still at risk.

"Just let me know if you want to go on an outing, the holiday is coming up soon anyway. After our sports fest, it will be the students' break." I nodded because I know Aimee wants to help me too.

Maybe it's a good idea for me to unwind, and it wouldn't hurt to invite Eli either.

I stepped out of our tent and looked at the children playing, enjoying their camping experience. As I gazed at the lake, I saw Gadreel walking into the woods, followed shortly after by Claudia.

My brows furrowed, unsure of what they were going to do or discuss. It hurts, but I no longer have any part in their relationship. I don't want to get hurt anymore, so I turned away and--

"Oh, my horse!" I looked up at the guy I bumped into, and there was Eli, smiling broadly at me.

"Hey, I'm not a horse, but you can ride on me if you want," he replied, accompanied by a smile that made me blush. I playfully hit his arm, finding it silly.

"Are your things okay now? Let me help you with your tent."

"Are we packing up already?" I asked, and he nodded. We walked back to our tent, and on the way, we saw some of our students exchanging flirtatious glances.

"Yeah, we need to leave early because the weather is bad. There's a storm coming," he explained, and I couldn't help but feel shy with the looks they were giving us.

"So, I'll help you, so you won't have a hard time with your stuff," Eli said, holding my hand. I looked at him in surprise, wondering why he was doing this, but when I saw his face, he was just smiling, exuding pure joy.

It's far from what I thought Gadreel sincerely showed me before. Those smiles he used, he also used them on other girls to deceive them.

"Ms. Kate, I hope we all get someone like that," some of the students teased, and we just laughed along.

***

In the late afternoon, everything was finally in order. We were ready to go home, and each adviser was just doing a roll call with their students to make sure no one was left behind.

"Guys, has anyone seen Claudia?" I turned around as Mrs. Evans asked, clearly worried about Claudia's disappearance.

"I saw her earlier this morning, but I don't know where she went," one of Claudia's classmates replied.

"Try calling her, and everyone, please go inside the cabin while we wait for Claudia." All the students and the teacher went into their respective cabins.

I glanced out the window and noticed that it was getting dark outside. I wanted to report that I saw Claudia earlier with Gadreel, but I didn't want to jeopardize her or get her expelled because of their relationship.

If only Gadreel would be the only one affected, I would have done it already. But that young girl is also a victim here. She has a promising future, and I don't want it to be ruined just because of one guy.

I immediately searched for Gadreel and discreetly approached him when I saw him.

"Where is Claudia? You were talking to her earlier, right?" I asked in annoyance, but I didn't want to show him that I was still affected by what happened.

"I don't know," he replied curtly, lowering my fist.

"I saw you together earlier this afternoon, weren't you with her?" I sarcastically questioned, turning away from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What kind of teacher are you? You don't even care about your students," those were the words I left him with as I walked away because I knew he wouldn't really help me find Claudia.

I knew something was wrong, maybe they had a misunderstanding earlier, which is why Claudia hasn't returned to the camping site yet. My only concern now is that she might get caught in the forest during the storm, it's dangerous, and she might not find her way back.

I looked around, and no one was taking any action, so I approached Aimee.

"Aimee, I just need to go somewhere for a moment. If I don't make it back before the call time, I'll just give you a call," I replied to her, leaving Aimee puzzled.

"Huh? Where are you going? Do you have something important to do?" she asked, and I nodded. I couldn't tell Aimee about Claudia because there could be consequences if the news got out.

"I'll just update you once everything's okay," I replied, not waiting for Aimee's response.

"Wait, Kate!" she called out, but I quickly ran towards the back door of the cabin and headed towards the forest.

I was wearing a raincoat and had my cell phone with me. I was confident that I would find Claudia quickly, and I felt like she was just venting her anger, which is why she hadn't returned yet.

If I were to tell others about this, they would surely wonder why Claudia was there, and it might bring up the situation between her and Gadreel. I didn't want Claudia's studies to be affected by their current situation.

Because I know she's also a victim. As a fellow woman, only I can understand what she's going through, especially since we were both deceived by that despicable Gadreel.

Based on Gadreel's behavior and how he treated me earlier, it's clear that he doesn't care about Claudia, no matter what happens. He didn't even bother to call or talk to her, asking her to come back to the cabin.

I also found Claudia's phone number, luckily I had the list of student contacts from the school. I tried calling her while walking into the woods, but she didn't answer.

"If it were Gadreel calling her now, she might answer that call," I whispered, looking at the path while opening the flashlight on my cell phone.

Claudia also doesn't read or respond to messages and calls from her classmates and friends, so it's certain that she won't answer me either.

"Let's just focus on finding her," I replied, scanning the surroundings and searching for her whereabouts.

The surroundings grew dark, and I looked up as I felt the raindrops hitting my face, so I put on the hood of my raincoat.

"Claudia!" I called out to her as I continued walking.

"Claudia! Where are you? We're worried about you!" I shouted, continuing to walk through the dense forest as the surroundings grew darker and darker.

Unbeknownst to me, I was getting farther away, but I kept calling her name.

"Claudia!"

"Ms. Kate? Ms. Kate, I'm here!" I turned around and followed her voice.

"Claudia! Where are you?" I shouted back, and she shouted again. But as I got closer to her voice, I saw a deep ravine.

"Claudia!?"

"Ms. Kate! Help!" I bent down and saw her desperately seeking assistance, trapped under a large pile of rocks perched on the edge of a cliff, with a deep ravine below leading to the river.

"Claudia! Are you okay? Wait, I'll call for help."

"Ms. Kate, I'm scared! Please, help me!" Her cry sent me into a panic. My hands trembled as I typed the pass code on my phone.

I didn't know what to do in this situation; I was extremely nervous myself, afraid that the rock she was standing on might give way and she would fall down the cliff.

"Wait, I'll call them," I replied, trying to calm down. However, I noticed that my phone had no signal.

"Ms. Kate! I'm scared! Please, help me!" she called out to me, and I bent down to talk to her.

"Just hold on, Claudia, don't jump or move from where you are! I'll find help; I'll go back to the camping site! Just wait for me there," I replied, and she screamed loudly, filled with fear.

"Please, Ms. Kate, don't leave me! I don't want to be alone, I'm scared!" I became even more panicked, unsure of what to do in this situation. If I left her, she might panic and put herself in even greater danger.

"But—"

"Please, ma'am, I'm begging you. I'm terrified," I saw her trembling, crying uncontrollably, and pleading with me.

I swallowed hard and tried to kneel, reaching out my hand to her. I would try to reach her and pull her up. I had no idea what I was doing, but if I didn't try, nothing would happen.

Furthermore, I could hear the small rocks falling beneath the cliff. I had no idea how long the rock she was standing on would hold, whether it would be seconds, minutes, or hours, so I had to act quickly.

"Can you reach my hand, Claudia?" I asked her, and she tried to reach out and grab my hand.

I held her hand and held on to the edge of the cliff, trying to pull her up, but I couldn't do it alone without using my other hand.

However, if I let go of my grip, we might both fall.

"Ms. Kate, please! Help me."

I released my grip on the rock and held both of her arms with both hands. I tried to pull her up, but suddenly I heard the ground crack, and the last thing I saw was myself slipping and sliding towards the cliff.