Chapter 1
“Hannah! Guess what?!”
A shriek rang out, making Hannah cover her ears in fear of an ear bleed.
“What?” she replied, already feeling exhausted.
First, her ex-best friend was dating her longtime crush, who now gave her cold shoulders. Then suddenly, she felt a painful sting on her forearm and yelped.
“What was that for?!” she yelled with a hiss, rubbing the spot. “Janice, I seriously hope whatever you have to say is useful, or you’re getting your own dose.”
She was slowly losing her patience, and from the intensity of her glare, Janice could probably tell.
“Paolo Jacobs is coming back!” Janice clapped excitedly.
Hannah’s heart skipped.
“No, not Paolo… no… no… no. Just kill me already,” she groaned.
Janice only shrugged. Hannah couldn’t blame her. Janice knew little about her past. Sometimes, Hannah wished she were as social as Janice. Or maybe her previous friendship had ruined that part of her completely.
“It’s Barbara and Jim Jacobs. They look cute together,” Janice gushed.
Hannah immediately wished she could disappear, but Jim had already spotted her.
“Hey, Hannah! Fairy!” he called again, jogging over to her.
Okay… what was he up to now?
Forcing the fakest smile possible, Hannah waved awkwardly.
“Hi, JJ.”
“I heard Paolo is returning. Is that true?” Janice asked.
“Is that really what you want to confirm?”
Barbara’s voice cut in sharply as she held onto Jim possessively, almost as if she were marking her territory. The gesture felt more like a warning directed at Hannah.
Hannah rolled her eyes, but she still couldn’t stop herself from staring at their locked arms.
And yes, it hurt.
“Can my day get any worse?” she muttered under her breath.
“Sweetheart, do you need help? You look thin. I know a dietician who could help you. The fees aren’t even that high,” Barbara said with a taunting smile. “I even have a few coupons if you want.”
Hannah smiled coldly.
“It seems like you’re the one who needs help. I still have Mr. Fin’s contact, just in case you need psychological assistance.”
Barbara nearly stumbled into Jim.
Janice stared at the trio, trying to figure out what exactly was happening around her.
“I hate to say this,” Hannah added, “but your dog needs a stronger leash.”
Then she walked away.
Janice followed immediately.
“You can ask your questions now,” Barbara scoffed while Jim continued staring at Hannah’s retreating figure.
“Do you have any history with Jim and Barbara?” Janice asked once they were alone.
“Yes, we do. I used to have a huge crush on Jim, and Paolo was my bully in high school. So you can see why I’m not exactly happy about his return,” Hannah admitted with a sigh.
Janice’s eyes widened behind her sunglasses.
“What if you use Paolo?” she suggested.
“Please don’t start.”
“Just listen to me first. What if you seduce him? You never know. Maybe you could use him to forget Jim.”
Hannah stared at her before letting out a dry laugh.
“How do you expect Paolo, a renowned playboy, to fall for a girl? After his last breakup, that guy completely lost it. He’s a dead end — the type of guy parents warn their daughters about.”
“You’re doomed,” Janice teased. “I already like him for you.”
Hannah rolled her eyes.
-----------------------
“So, we’ll be going back in time to the medieval era. We won’t say much for now. Who can tell us about Socrates’ dialogue and what you understand about it?” the lecturer asked.
The class suddenly became noisy for no reason.
“Anybody? Nobody? Seriously?!” the lecturer exclaimed in frustration. The noise slowly died down. “Honestly, I’m very disappointed. I thought you all would have reviewed it like I advised during the previous class. For crying out loud, you’re in your second year and this is happening?”
“Not like your preaching will change anything.”
The deep voice belonged to Aaron, the boy who believed money could solve anything and everything.
“Aaron, you do not speak while I’m talking. It’s very rude of you,” the lecturer warned.
Aaron scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“By next week, a professor will be taking my place. As you all know, I’m being transferred,” the lecturer continued, adjusting his spectacles.
“You’re leaving us?” a student asked from among the crowd.
“Yes, miss. I advise all of you to behave yourselves. Also, the question I asked concerning Socrates will be your assignment presentation.” He packed his books together. “The class ends here. See you all next week then.”
An uproar immediately broke out after he left.
“Who could the new professor be?”
That question lingered in the minds of many students, but Hannah’s thoughts were still fixed on Paolo’s return. She didn’t even notice Janice’s worried expression.
“Hannah! Come back to Earth!” Janice snapped her fingers in front of her face.
Hannah jumped slightly.
“Yeah?”
“Let’s go attend the next class.”
“What’s the code again? Sorry… and the venue too? How long is it?” Hannah asked tiredly, her eyes dull with exhaustion.
“POL 225, Block 8, and it’s three hours long,” Janice answered with a frown.
“I want to skip it. I have a migraine, and you know I won’t pay attention anyway,” Hannah complained, holding her forehead dramatically.
“Really? Okay, go home then. I’ll sign in for you. Take care of yourself, okay? Love you!” Janice said quickly before hugging her.
Hannah cringed internally. She really wasn’t the touchy type.
Still, she forced out a smile.
“Bye. See you tomorrow.”
She waited for a cab before getting in silently. As the car drove past the buildings lining the streets, she stared outside the window without saying a word.
-----------------------
“Excuse me, sir,” someone said, interrupting the lecturer.
“Yes?”
“I want to talk about Jean-Jacques Rousseau since we’re discussing political culture.”
“What’s your name?” the lecturer asked.
“Barbara Simpsons,” she answered with a smile.
Janice rolled her eyes.
“Continue, Miss Simpsons,” the female lecturer urged through the megaphone.
“Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a good philosopher, no doubt, but I’m honestly upset by his foolish actions. Why would someone grow up poor and still die poor? He should’ve helped his family, spent money flamboyantly, and actually enjoyed life. It’s honestly ridiculous,” Barbara said, her face twisting in disgust.
“That’s...”
“Are you stupid, or are you just desperate for attention?” a voice interrupted sharply. "I paid attention because I thought you actually had something important to say. Ma’am, please continue with your lecture.”
Barbara instantly recognized Janice’s voice from her seat.
“A surprise awaits you,” Barbara mouthed toward Janice before sitting down with an annoyed huff.
The lecturer gave Janice a curt nod before continuing.
“Since we are discussing Jean-Jacques Rousseau, let’s go deeper into his philosophy.”
“Dig deep my ass,” Aaron muttered to his friends, making them chuckle.
Janice sneered in their direction after overhearing him.
“Ma’am?” a girl wearing glasses raised her hand.
“Yes, child?”
“He was originally a Calvinist, converted to Catholicism, and later returned to Calvinism,” she explained confidently.
A smile spread across the lecturer’s face.
“You are absolutely correct. I’m glad I still have intelligent students in this class. Thank you.”
Barbara folded her arms angrily.
“So what I said earlier was senseless? What the hell?”
“We all know you think through your backside. Shut up already,” Aaron laughed.
“Settle down!” Mrs. Bravata snapped. “Just because I’m not as strict as before doesn’t mean you can all become unruly. I’m still Mrs. Bravata, and I still have children.”
“Here she goes again,” Janice murmured under her breath.
“My first son is happily married, my second child is in Spain with her husband expecting a baby, and my third and fourth children are currently in their fourth and fifth years respectively,” she continued proudly.
“We’re sorry, Mrs. Bravata,” the class chorused.
“You’ll be grouped for your assessment. Get your textbooks — they cost ten euros. You can purchase them at the administrative office or a bookstore. Also, study for your test.”
With that, she left the class.
A few minutes later, everyone’s phones chimed simultaneously. The groupings had been sent to their emails.
“Oh, Hannah!” Janice gasped after opening hers.
She grabbed her handbag and rushed out of the auditorium, immediately dialing Hannah’s number. Hannah picked up on the third ring.
“Hi,” Hannah greeted casually.
“Have you checked your mail? Have you seen the grouping for Mrs. Bravata’s assessment?” Janice asked breathlessly, completely ignoring the greeting.
“You’re panicking. Did you run? Did you trigger your attack?” Hannah asked worriedly from the other end.
“I appreciate your concern, but you should really be worried about yourself.”
“Okay… that’s weird coming from you, my attention seeker.”
Janice rolled her eyes.
“You’ve been grouped with me, Gregory Marcus—”
“That’s cool,” Hannah interrupted.
“Wait! Stephanie Marcus, the nerd, Jim Jacobs, and Barbara Simpsons.”
Silence.
“Really? But why? Why them?” Hannah cried dramatically.
“That’s everyone,” Janice replied.
The silence stretched for several seconds.
“Hello? Did she hang up?” Janice scoffed.
Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she walked absentmindedly out of the building, mumbling to herself. She didn’t notice Barbara and her friends until she accidentally bumped into them.
“You embarrassed me in class earlier,” Barbara snapped. “Imagine what Jim would do if he found out. Or maybe Paolo. You know I’m the only girl they truly want — the hottest one too.”
“To be honest, I used to like you,” Janice replied coldly. “But now? I honestly can’t stand you. I thought you were smart, but I guess I was the fool for believing that.”
She pointed toward Jim in the distance.
“Run along to Jim now. We wouldn’t want his toddler crying over fallen candy. Hi, Jim!” she called mockingly.
Jim stared over in confusion.
“I hate...”
“The feeling is mutual, toddler,” Janice cut in. “Why do you still act like you’re in high school? Even an eighth grader behaves more maturely than you. You’re a lost cause. Enjoy your Jim.”
Her words dripped with disgust, and for the first time, Barbara was completely speechless.
“You’re just going to walk away?” Minnie asked angrily.
She was petite and curvy with a pretty face, but her black eyes burned with irritation.
“I’m Barbara Jones Simpsons, remember?” Barbara scoffed. “I’ll deal with her my own way.”
A soft moan escaped her lips when someone suddenly planted a wet kiss on her neck. From the cologne alone, she immediately knew who it was.
Minnie quietly excused herself.
“Dinner at my place tonight?” his husky voice whispered against her skin.
He buried his face deeper into her neck.
“I can’t risk having hickeys on my neck today,” Barbara murmured.
He only snuggled closer.
“Just one, okay? And I’d love to come. You’ll pick me up?”
“Seven-thirty.”
He left to join his teammates, winking at her in the process.
Barbara blushed.
-------------
Barbara stared at the red lingerie laid across her bed. It was revealing, delicate, and dangerously easy to tear apart.
Perfect.
What was dinner without a little fun afterward?
After finishing her makeup, she slipped into a fitted red dress and waited impatiently for Jim to arrive.
A car horn sounded outside.
Peeking through the window, she spotted him leaning against his car looking… casual.
Too casual.
Almost like he didn’t want to be there but came anyway.
Still, he showed up.
That was enough for now.
“Hey, you,” Jim greeted once he saw her.
Barbara swore she saw him gulp.
“Hi.”
“You look ravishing tonight,” he complimented.
“Thank you, baby. You look okay,” she teased.
“Barbara, we can’t go to my house. My parents are home, and I actually want us to have dinner peacefully. Is it okay if we go to a hotel instead?”
The moment she saw how casually he was dressed earlier, she already knew he would come up with an excuse.
If he couldn’t even commit properly, then eventually they were bound to fall apart.
“Okay,” she replied with a forced smile.
“I love the oysters here. They’re so good,” she moaned dramatically while eating.
She had refused to eat at the hotel restaurant, so Jim ended up booking a room for the night instead. He had complained endlessly about the price like a child, but honestly, she couldn’t care less.
“I think we should move on to dessert,” Jim said, picking up a pink macaron.
“Oh! Something entered my eye.”
The moment he turned toward her, Barbara kissed him immediately.
He chuckled softly.
“Barbara,” he muttered against her lips as his hand slid onto her thigh.
Their kiss deepened before a phone suddenly rang.
“Let me check who’s calling,” he murmured.
“Just turn it off,” Barbara whispered desperately, pulling his face back toward hers.
She kissed him again.
The phone rang a second time.
Jim cursed under his breath before finally answering.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
Jim froze.
“Dad?”
