Chapter 4

The next morning.

Cassandra woke up, feeling tired as usual because of her chest pains and seizures. She had an episode of seizure last night before she fainted, it was her aunt who tucked her in bed. She was getting really frustrated with her health condition, but it didn't stop her from preparing for school. She brushed her teeth and took a hot bath. She wore her light blue button up shirt and tucked it in her black knee-length flair skirt. It was the uniform for the students majoring in Medicine. She hung her tote bag on her shoulder and left the room given to her by her aunt.

"Morning, Aunt Jess." She greeted, taking her sit on the dining table. Breakfast was already prepared. Her aunt made bread toast and egg with yogurts.

"Morning, sweetie." Aunt Jess, still in her pyjamas, greeted back. "How did you sleep?" She asked Cassandra who had already started munching on her bread. She was a good eater but eating too much wasn't good for her health condition.

"I slept good, auntie." Cassandra ate her food quickly and left the house after kissing Jess goodbye. She boarded the public bus, it was forty minutes ride from her aunt's house to the Institution.

She arrived early, she was one of the punctual students in the school and she had won award for it severally. But it wasn't like anyone cared about it. She didn't come early to win award but to study harder.

She hung her bag on her chair and brought out textbooks relating to her major and started reading. A girl, Michelle, who she didn't talk to — and was part of her bullies — hit her hand harshly on her table and said;

"You're already in school, huh? Early bird." The girl was a brunette with brown eyes. "Who's he? The guy you're always early for, hm?" She chuckled evilly and glared at Cassandra.

Michelle's major problem with Cassandra was that the girl was excessively beautiful. She was very pretty and boys in the school had their eyes on her, though they didn't show it nor tried their luck was because they all knew the girl would never accept. Even the famous guy in school, Michael. His parents were the richest and biggest sponsors of the school, he too had his eyes on Cassandra.

Sometimes he'd bully the girl, but not out of hate, it was because he was infatuated and his bullying with her wasn't too extreme, and sometimes he would shun the students who bullied and disturbed her. He was a fourth year student in the same major as her.

Cassandra wasn't unaware of this. In fact, she was fully aware that Michael liked her but she didn't care, that wasn't what she was in school for. She just wanted to focus and graduate, she didn't want to have anything to do with any guy in the school. She didn't even like the Michael of a guy. Though he was handsome but she just didn't feel anything for him, she'd only wave whenever she saw him.

And her health condition was also a problem, a big one. She didn't want to fall inlove with anyone knowing she'd die soon. She dreaded the idea that she was going to die soon. She was scared, she didn't want to die. She didn't want to die young. Her seizures and chest pains had gotten to a point that if she didn't agree with surgery, she would die in less than a year – her doctor said.

"Why don't you try and guess?" Cassandra asked back with a scoff.

Michelle widened her eyes, it was because she had not expected the girl to speak back at her. She thought the girl would ask to be left alone and beg her, but Cassandra didn't and would never. "So you can talk back now huh?" Michelle chuckled. "Is it because of him, Michael?!" She growled but Cassandra just laughed out loud. They were the only ones in the classroom of twenty students.

"Oh Michelle. If only you knew how silly you looked right now." Cassandra ended her laugh with a sigh. "I have no interest in the man of your dreams, so can you let me be now? Get out of my table." Cassandra had stopped smiling and looked at Michelle with hidden glare in her eyes.

Michelle clenched her fists before she shamefully left the classroom. She was lucky that they were only the two of them in there, or else people would've mocked and laughed at her. She clenched her fists tightly enough to injure her palms. "She should just wait."

Cassandra sighed when she saw the girl leave. She thought she was fully out of their bullying but she'd guessed she's not.

The day went by as usual. Cassandra didn't get to see Elijah, though she hoped she would. She had more milk than solid food, and did random exercises in the school's field. That was the good thing about this school, no one would bother you if you didn't have classes.

Now she was inside her room in her aunt's house, preparing to go out. She wore a black long sleeve body-hug blouse and tucked it in a beige miniskirt. She wore black Chelsea boots. She didn't tie her cherry pink hair.

"Aunt Jess!" She called out to her aunt who was seated on the couch, watching a kdrama series, she was obsessed with them. She said from behind her, "I'll be going out, auntie. See you later." It was the time of early evening.

"Where are you going?" Aunt Jess turned her head around to see Cassandra all dressed up.

"Job hunting. It's time I start making a living. I can't live with you forever, and you know better than anyone that I don't want to go back to that man's house." She rolled her eyes, she was referring to her father.

"Cassie, you know I don't have a problem with you living with me forever, maybe until I get married. I'm totally fine with that, dear, don't think you're bothering me at all, I can take care of both of us." Aunt Jess said. She didn't want Cassandra to feel like a burden to her, she wanted the girl to be free. Cassandra did not want to go back to her father's house and she wouldn't want that either.

"Aw, what a lovely auntie you are. Mr James is so unlucky for leaving you." She twitched her lips. She came to and crouched before her aunt, so the latter's neck wouldn't start hurting her. "You know I'm a third year student, auntie, and even if I don't start now, I'd eventually have to work later. So it's totally fine, besides I'm still here aren't I?" She chuckled and kissed her aunt on the cheek. "I'll be back before midnight." She said and left the house with her purse.

She didn't want to work just anywhere. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars wasn't small money, and it'd take her months to get that amount. She looked forward to working either as a hotel receptionist or a five-star restaurant waitress, they paid very well. She was intelligent and knew how to speak, so

it wouldn't be hard to get a good paying job.