Chapter 5

Ivan's POV

Love isn't a crime, but it became one when I fell in love with my homeroom teacher, Miss Roselyn.

No one supported me for it, instead, I was condemned and rejected by all, especially my parents who took it to a whole other level.

In that very moment when Miss Roselyn was caught in an accident, and I was the one who reached out for assistance, I had followed her there to let her know to keep a low profile from my parents who were on their way with a legal case against her because of me, when in truth, she was completely innocent.

I was the one who loved her, the one who had confessed my feelings to her and got a straight-up rejection from her who didn't even want to hear about it not to talk of giving it a thought.

At that moment, when I had just finished dropping off Miss Roselyn at the hospital with the ambulance, I came out to behold my parents who immediately rushed me, my father landing a series of slaps on my cheeks.

“What in the world do you think you're doing, Ivan? How come you don't listen? Why are you bent on destroying your life, for crying out loud, Ivan?” My mum asked, hitting me lightly on my shoulders, as she wailed in pain.

“Love doesn't destroy, Mum, it makes you alive rather, and I'm not ashamed that I am in love with her” I responded, my father now brushing me off my feet as I immediately fell to the ground.

"Alright, let's do this, Ivan! Let's see who comes out on top. I'm ready to give it my all.”

“First, I'll kick things off by having her taken in by the cops for messing with you. And I wouldn't even bat an eye that she just got into an accident. As you're aware, we've already gotten a lawsuit against her and would have served it up if not for the accident!” My father's words sent chills down my spine.

I couldn't even wait for him to go any further with his words or even carry out any of the threats as I quickly knelt before him, crawling onto him with my knees and pleading in tears, “Please Dad, I'm sorry, I agree, I am wrong. I'm the one in the wrong… so please… spare miss Roselyn. She didn't do anything wrong. You can come at me for everything, but please leave her out of it”.

“And why should I? You will have to give me a reasonable reason to do so, and the only reason I want to hear from you is that you stay away from her, and for life.” He declared, his demand causing my heart to break into pieces.

How am I supposed to have nothing to do with Miss Roselyn, not even for a while, but for life? It was too much of a request that I almost didn't want to accept, but then, it was better than seeing her in pain because of me.

So I gave in. I gave in to my father who supposedly won the fight, and a contract was even handed over for me to sign, sealing the deal between us.

I was just 19 years old when all of this was going on. It was also the first time I had ever felt such intense love for someone that it seemed like my heart might break. In other words, Miss Roselyn was my first and only love.

Along the line, I was unable to take it and dropped out of school. It was so difficult to focus on school and my studies. Yes, it was so bad that it made me drop out of school. My parents were disappointed in me to the extent that I had to run away from home.

Outside, I found myself contemplating my future and aspirations. It was then that I decided to pursue a GED.

I Balanced multiple part-time jobs as I chased my dream of becoming a lawyer, I eventually earned admission into a prestigious law school and even got awarded an award in my fourth year.

“The top award in the International Legal Writing Competitions is awarded to Mr Ivan Smith, a student from Veritas Law Institute,” declared the MC from the stage as I made my way up, heading towards the stage to accept the prize with a wide grin on my face.

“Would you mind sharing with us some insights on how you achieved this award at such a young age? What motivated you to reach such a level of success beyond the realms of academia?” The interviewer asked me as I basked in the spotlight, surrounded by reporters and camera flashes, clutching my award tightly.

“To be completely honest, I honestly have no idea how it all went down, and I don't have a lot to spill to you guys either. But one thing was crystal clear to me.”

“I was eager to grow up and become an adult as soon as possible. I wanted to be someone significant and influential, and it was all because of this special person I had a crush on. So it's safe to say that person was my driving force, propelling me towards success.”

After saying that, there was a big commotion at the gathering, with reporters, media, and everyone else present at the event curious to know who this person was. But I kept it to myself, locked away in my heart.

After the event, I made my way to the alumni party for my high school. It was my first appearance at the gathering, as I had shamefully left the school early.

“Oh my gosh, who am I seeing right now?”

“Is this Ivan Smith, the International Legal Writing competition's youngest first-prize winner?”

“How is he only here now? No matter how strongly we invited him in the past, he never showed up”.

“Hey there, Ivan, why don't you come sit next to me? It's great to catch up after all this time!” Harper, the girl I used to compete for first school place, greeted me warmly.

Along the way, she turned to face me and asked a pointed question. “Don't tell me you still have feelings for Miss Roselyn, and that she was the person you mentioned in your interview a short while ago, was she not?”

“There's no assurance I won't do what I did to her back then, Ivan, so let it not be the truth”

“In case you don't know, I was the one who gave that compromising photo of the two of you at the school trip to Miss Catherine, who had used it against Miss Roselyn on her wedd

ing day.” She revealed, my mouth dropping wide in shock.