Bad boy CEO'S second chance

Jenny's Pov The cafeteria was as loud as ever, filled with laughter, chatter, and the clattering of trays. I sat at the farthest corner, trying to be invisible, picking at the dry sandwich Aunt Lucy had thrown together for me that morning. My gaze stayed low, darting occasionally to the people around me. It wasn’t that I wanted to interact with them—it was safer this way. Out of sight, out of mind. “Jenny!” Vanessa plopped down beside me, her tray brimming with fries and a soda she had probably grabbed last-minute. “You’re hiding again, aren’t you?” “I’m not hiding,” I muttered, my cheeks flushing as I stuffed my sandwich back into my bag. “Just… keeping out of trouble.” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “You mean keeping out of Rachel’s way. She’s not the queen of the universe, you know.” “She’s close enough,” I mumbled. Rachel Madison, the self-proclaimed queen bee of Greenridge High, had made it her personal mission to torment me since the day I transferred here. She called me “chari

Jenny’s POV The gym buzzed with the sound of sneakers screeching against the hardwood floor and the steady bounce of a basketball. It was crowded, chaotic, and alive—everything I usually avoided. But Vanessa, ever the optimist, had dragged me here, claiming it would be good for me to “get out of my own head.” “You’re staring into space again,” Vanessa whispered, nudging my arm. “I’m not,” I lied, tearing my eyes away from Rexford Blankson, who was on the court, effortlessly commanding everyone’s attention. His every move oozed confidence, from the way he dribbled the ball to how he flashed that signature smirk at his friends on the sidelines. Vanessa wasn’t fooled. “You’re hopeless, Jenny. He’s a waste of time.” “I wasn’t staring,” I muttered, tugging my hoodie tighter around me, wishing I could disappear. “He’s trouble,” Vanessa continued, ignoring my denial. “He’s never looked twice at a girl unless there’s something in it for him.” I glanced up briefly, and sure enough, Rex

Jenny’s POV One afternoon, while hanging out with Rex, he said, "I'm heading to Oxford University after prom."“Oxford?” I repeated, staring at Rex as if he’d just told me he planned to fly to the moon.He leaned back in the grass, propping himself up on his elbows as we lounged under the old oak tree behind the school. “Yeah. That’s where I’m heading after we graduate. And you should come with me.”I blinked, caught off guard. “Rex, I’ve already applied to Stanford. It’s my dream school.”“And what happens if you get in?” he asked, his tone sharp. “You’ll leave? Move across the country? Away from me?”I hesitated, feeling a lump form in my throat. “It’s not like that. Distance doesn’t have to change anything between us.”He scoffed, shaking his head. “Jenny, you’re being naïve. Long-distance relationships don’t work.”“I think they can,” I argued softly, looking down at the blades of grass between my fingers. “If two people love each other, distance shouldn’t matter.” Rex sighed, r

Jenny’s pov I paused mid-step, his words wrapping around me like a vice. Do you think I don’t love you, Jenny? For a split second, I almost turned back. Almost let myself believe there was even a shred of truth in his words. But then I remembered the whispers, the laughter, the gut-wrenching humiliation when I realized I had been nothing more than a conquest to him. I clenched my fists, shoving down the pain clawing at my chest. "It doesn’t matter anymore," I said without looking at him. "Because I don’t love you." The lie burned my tongue, but I forced myself to say it. To believe it. I walked away, my heart pounding in my ears, refusing to let him see the tears that threatened to spill. The days that followed were a blur of avoidance. I stopped waiting in the usual spots where we met, skipped lunch in the cafeteria, and ignored every text and call from him. But it didn’t stop Rex. He was everywhere. Waiting outside my classes, lingering near my locker, trying to get Van

Jenny’s POV My heart pounded as I stared at my phone, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. My mind was screaming at me to leave it alone, to walk away and never look back. But my heart—foolish and stubborn—wanted closure. With a deep breath, I typed the message. Jenny: Meet me at the park tomorrow at noon. We need to talk. I hit send before I could change my mind. There was no point pretending I wasn’t affected by what I saw. Rex’s name on the Stanford admissions list had shaken me more than I cared to admit. He was supposed to go to Oxford, miles away, an entire ocean between us. That was the plan. That was what he wanted. So why was he coming to Stanford? I needed answers. --- The next day, I arrived at the park ten minutes early, nerves coiling in my stomach. It was a quiet place, the same park where we had shared so many memories—the place where he had first held my hand, where we had spent hours talking about our dreams. I hated that it still felt familiar. I