Chapter 1
UNFATHOMED
Chapter 1 | The Beginning
Evangeline had a family.
But she had never truly experienced what it meant to be loved by one.
Her father had two wives.
Her biological mother was his second wife. Unfortunately, she passed away when Evangeline was young, leaving her behind in the care of her father's first wife.
Her stepmother had a son from her marriage to Evangeline's father. He was Evangeline's stepbrother, and he was the only child her stepmother had ever truly cared about.
Evangeline was never welcomed into that house.
Not with love.
Not with warmth.
Not even with basic understanding.
Her stepmother had never liked her. She constantly criticised her, hurt her with words, and treated her feelings as though they meant nothing.
And her father?
He always listened to his first wife.
Whatever she said, he accepted. Whatever she wanted, he followed.
But when it came to his own daughter, he was rarely there.
Evangeline had grown up in a house where love existed...
Just never for her.
Still, she remained soft-hearted.
Kind.
And painfully sensitive.
She was the kind of girl who gave love without expecting anything in return. She cared about people deeply, forgave easily, and always tried to see the good in everyone.
Perhaps because she knew what it felt like to be deprived of love, she never wanted anyone else to feel the same way.
But the love she gave was rarely returned.
And yet, she continued to smile.
Evangeline was a calm girl. She avoided unnecessary arguments and kept most of her pain hidden behind a quiet expression.
She was also afraid of blood. Even the sight of it made her uncomfortable, and she had a few other fears she preferred to keep to herself.
Despite everything, she lived a fairly ordinary life.
She was a university student pursuing Fashion Designing.
Her college life had recently begun, and she had a small circle of four or five friends. She wasn't the type of girl who needed a huge group to feel happy.
A few genuine people were enough for her.
She enjoyed talking, laughing, and participating in class. She was attentive during lectures and genuinely interested in her studies.
To everyone around her, Evangeline was just a normal college girl.
A soft-hearted girl with a quiet life.
But there was one thing she had never been interested in.
Love.
Not because she didn't believe in it.
But because love had always been unfamiliar to her.
She had never received the kind of love that made someone feel safe, valued, and wanted.
So, romance had never been a priority.
She wasn't searching for anyone.
She wasn't waiting for anyone.
She was simply living her life.
Until one day, someone decided to change that.
### A Few Days Later
Evangeline was sitting in her classroom, carefully writing down the notes from the lecture, when a boy approached her.
“Evangeline?”
She looked up.
“Yeah?”
“You're being called to the library. I think it's a lecturer.”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
“Me?”
The boy nodded.
“Yeah. You should go.”
A little confused, Evangeline closed her notebook and stood up.
She had no idea why someone would be calling her.
Still, she made her way to the library.
When she entered, she looked around.
Nothing.
No lecturer.
No students.
No one.
“Hello?”
Her voice echoed softly through the empty space.
She took another step forward.
And then...
A boy suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Hi, Evangeline.”
She stopped.
The boy smiled nervously.
“I'm Jude.”
Evangeline stared at him.
“Jude?”
“Yeah.”
He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to say what he had come there to say.
“I've noticed you since the first day of university.”
Evangeline remained silent.
“I've been watching you for a while, and...” He paused.
His nervous smile returned.
“I think I've fallen in love with you.”
For a moment, Evangeline didn't know how to respond.
Love?
That word had never held much meaning in her life.
She lowered her gaze before looking back at him.
“I'm sorry, Jude.”
His smile slowly disappeared.
“I don't feel the same way.”
Her voice was gentle, but her answer was clear.
She had rejected him.
Not because he was a bad person.
Not because she wanted to hurt him.
She simply wasn't interested in love.
And that was enough for her.
Unfortunately, the news didn't stay between them.
By the end of the day, almost the entire university knew.
Jude had confessed to Evangeline... and she had rejected him.
After that, whenever someone thought about confessing their feelings to her, they already knew what people expected her answer to be.
A rejection.
Evangeline became known as the girl who never accepted proposals.
But she didn't pay much attention to the rumours.
She continued attending her classes, spending time with her friends, and living her ordinary life.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Until one particular day.
### The New Student
“Excuse me, sir.”
A deep voice interrupted the lecture.
The entire classroom turned towards the door.
The professor lifted his head.
“Who are you?”
A boy stood at the entrance.
He was unfamiliar.
Tall, composed, and strangely calm.
“Sir, I'm a new student.”
The professor studied him for a moment before nodding.
“Oh. You must be the new student.”
The boy stepped inside.
“Alright. Before you take your seat, introduce yourself to your classmates.”
He turned towards the classroom.
His eyes slowly moved across the room.
Then he spoke.
“Hi, everyone. I'm your new classmate. I'll be studying here from now on.”
He paused briefly.
“My name is Cedric Alastor.”
A few students exchanged curious glances.
The professor gave him a brief explanation of the class and continued with the lecture.
Cedric looked around the room.
Almost every bench was occupied.
There was only one empty seat.
The seat beside Evangeline.
Without saying anything, he walked towards it.
Evangeline noticed him approaching and shifted slightly, making space.
Cedric sat down beside her.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
He seemed hesitant.
As though he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.
Evangeline, completely unaware of what was about to enter her life, simply turned her attention back to the lecture.
And Cedric remained silent beside her.
