Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Shocking Betrayal

Ethan discovers the truth about Tessa's intentions.

Tessa and Ethan grow closer, but during a heated argument with Derek, she accidentally reveals that she initially befriended Ethan to make Derek jealous.

Devastated, Ethan confronts Tessa, who admits the truth but claims her feelings for him have changed.

Ethan feels utterly betrayed and isolates himself, determined to no longer trust anyone.

The faces, the look, made Tessa walk away without saying a word. Ethan was lost. His gaze met with Dylan's, who looked at him with the expression, "I told you so." 

"Loser." Derek said with a smirk etched on his face. Without saying a word, Ethan walked out with a lot of gaze falling on him. He knew Derek had only called him to the party for one reason: to embarrass him. 

Dylan ran after Ethan as he walked with his face down to the earth. "Ethan!" Dylan shouted, making him stop abruptly. Ethan turned to look at him. "Why did you come? You knew this wasn't meant for you." 

"I... I just wanted to show Derek that I wasn't scared of him." Ethan replied. Deep inside he knew he was lying. 

"Was that all? Or you wanted to impress her." Dylan asked, leaning against the blue Ferrari spider beside him. "Who?" Ethan asked 

"Don't play dumb with me, Ethan. We both know Tessa is way out of your league. C'mon dude, she won't even side with you in the open. That should tell you something." 

"What should I do?" Ethan asked. He was practically failing at his love life. It wasn't the arithmetic or equation he would just solve with ease. "What do you mean? You let her go before it is too late, Ethan. Ladies like Tessa are only after one thing." Dylan smirked. 

"What is that?" Ethan asked 

"She is going to break your heart. You can either walk away or suffer the humiliation, and trust me, you don't want to face that." Dylan smiled like he knew more than he was letting on. "I need to hear it from her. I need to hear Tessa say it." Ethan replied, walking away. Dylan watched as he walked into the darkness. With a sigh, he walked back to the party that was beaming with lots of noise and music. 

[THE FOLLOWING DAY AT SCHOOL] 

Everyone couldn't stop talking about how Tessa had embarrassed Ethan right at Derek's party. "She was just using him. I told you someone like Tessa would never settle for someone like Ethan." One of the ladies said with laughter. 

"Who won't like a piece of Derek, by the way? He is handsome, well built, and gosh, he is rich." Another student said, "I would do anything to have someone like him." 

Ethan sat down with his hand clenched in anger. He looked around, and he could see some of them staring at him with a hideous look. 

"Try to focus more on your book. It will surely pass." A voice said right from behind. Ethan looked and saw it was Dylan. "Don't they have anything better to do with their time?" Ethan asked with anger. "Like I said, all you need to do is leave Tessa all alone. She is not toxic to you." 

"Speaking of Tessa, I haven't seen her today." Ethan said, looking around. "She is with her clique. They are the richest and also the wealthiest in the school. I am sure you must have met them by now." Dylan looked at Ethan, and the look he had on said it all. 

"The result is out." A student shouted, and everyone stood up to check their result. 

It was the first midterm test, and many of the students were eager to see who was going to come out on top. Derek charged forward as everyone made way for him. He looked at the result and grinned. "He is the first again." A voice said silently. 

"Who?" 

"Ethan Cross," one of them said. Ethan was amazed as they all parted the way for him just like they did for Derek. He looked at his scores and smiled. "You need to start tutoring me. I will pay for it." Dylan said, smiling. He also checked his result and saw he was thirtieth. 

"Move!" A feminine voice said through the crowd. Ethan recognized the voice and turned to see Tessa walking towards him. He quickly checked for her name and saw she was third on the table. Right under Derek. 

"You did it." Fiona looked at Tessa, who let out a small smile. "I am sure your father would definitely let you go on that trip to France with us." Cinderella smiled. 

Tess pretended not to see Ethan and walked out on him. "Did you see that?" Ethan looked at Dylan. 

"Just let it go, man. Leave her alone." But before Dylan could finish his words, Ethan ran after her. 

He held her hand and stared at her face. "Don't you owe me an explanation?" 

"Explanation? To you? Why would I do that?" Tessa asked. 

The student gathered again with amusement this time. It was the first time they would see Tessa and Ethan confront themselves in the open. "Do you think I care about you?" Tessa said with venom in her voice 

"What are you talking about? You said you loved me. You said I was special." Ethan looked at her. 

"I lied. I only did what I did to make Derek jealous. I have always had eyes for just one man, and that is Derek." Tessa said with her hands akimbo. 

"You are just some charity case I used to get what I want. Do you honestly think someone like me would date someone like you? Gosh, you are not even up to the dry cleaner who makes sure my clothes are washed." Tessa opened her bag and brought out some dollar notes. She sprayed it on Ethan, who stood still and didn't know what to do or say. "Here is for your troubles." 

[STUDENTS LAUGHING] 

Ethan was short of words. He watched as Tessa and her friends walked out of sight. Without a word, he dashed towards his dorm and slammed the door behind him in regret. He should have seen this coming, but he chose to be a fool. 

Ethan's phone beeps each time with tons of messages on the school wall. It was all about him and a video of how Tessa humiliated him. He threw his phone towards the door but then his gaze caught the brownish envelope he had missed at his doorstep. He walked towards it and picked it up, but then he froze seeing the crest on top of it. "It can't be." Ethan said slowly as he stared at it with trembling hands.