Chapter Five

Heaven____

I didn’t stop walking until the city blurred out in my eyes. My palm hurts from slapping him; I can’t believe I slapped him. I slapped Daniel Reddington. I was standing at the edge of the sidewalk, holding my jacket like my life depended on it. I hailed a taxi and pulled out my phone, but I couldn’t muster the energy to type; I don’t even remember what I was looking for in my phone. My body was shaking, and my heart wouldn’t stop aching. The cold evening breeze was hitting me like a mother would whop her kid, and my hand won’t stop burning.

I hailed a taxi again, and a yellow car appeared almost immediately. “Finally,” I said. I climbed into the back seat, sinking into it like it was meant for me. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror, but I couldn’t look at him. I mumbled my address and closed my eyes for a while, hoping to feel better. When I opened my eyes, I was already in my neighborhood. I paid the driver, not bothering with the change, and stepped out into the windy night. I stood before my apartment building and looked up at my room window; it was dark. I got into the apartment building and took the elevator to the third floor. My legs felt heavy. I got to my door and was struggling with the keys when I noticed the door was open. “I am very sure I locked this door before leaving,” I said to no one but myself. I opened the door, scared to death when Faye popped out in the dark with a big hoodie. I instantly turned on the light.

“Why is the door open?” I asked, my voice sharper than I meant it to be, emotions everywhere.

“I—I saw you coming up from the window and opened the door for you,” she said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Hey,” Faye said quietly, taking a few steps forward. “Are you okay? You look... like you’ve committed a crime.”

I shook my head, trying to act normal. “I think I did… I slapped him.”

“Huh… What are we talking about, and who did you slap?”

“Daniel,” I said. Saying his name made my chest tighten. “I slapped Daniel Reddington.”

Faye’s mouth fell open. “Okay,” she said slowly, “you definitely committed a crime.”

“Come sit, and tell me exactly what happened,” she said.

I didn’t argue. I sat on the couch for a moment; my eyes were just teary, and I fought to hold it together. I told her everything. My voice wavered.

“I don’t even remember standing. One second we were talking, the next my hand was on his face.”

“I didn’t mean to slap him,” I said quickly. “I just—something snapped. I felt so small, Faye, like I was in the orphanage again.” Tears blurred my vision, and this time I didn’t fight them.

“Those words he said to me were true; I can’t stop thinking about him and that time we spent together, but they made me feel less of myself, and I don’t like that feeling.”

“What do I do now?” I asked Faye, like she has the solution to all my problems.

Faye took a deep breath, her eyes serious. “First, we need to get you dinner.” Before she could finish that sentence, my phone buzzed. I picked it up, and my eyes widened as I read the notification:

"University of Ottawa: Tuition fees have increased for the upcoming semester. Current outstanding balance: $5,500 CAD. Payment deadline: unknown till further notice. Financial aid options will be available." I read it to Faye. “Did you also get a message? We’ve got outstanding payments of about $10,500 CAD. I felt a pit in my stomach.

“Approximately eleven thousand,” Faye murmured. “That’s—”

“—a lot,” I finished. Faye hadn’t slept; neither had I. I opened my laptop, determined to apply for every scholarship, every emergency fund, anything just to keep us in school.

We scrolled through options, deadlines, and requirements. I found something: “Reddington scholarships offer full tuition coverage for students of the University of Ottawa.”  My heart skipped a couple of beats. “Faye, look what I found.”

Faye's eyes widened. “Reddington? You mean Daniel Reddington?”

“Yes, should we apply? Apply for a scholarship from the company of the guy I slapped?”

Faye chuckled, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “With the way you say it, it sure sounds really stupid.”

I laughed, feeling more confused. “I might as well be his fake wife. Wait, what if we apply and he doesn’t know?”

Just as I was about to click on the apply button. Faye’s phone buzzed with messages from her friend in school: “Isn’t this Heaven? Your girl is trending.”

Faye immediately clicked on the link that directed her to an I*******m page, @OttawaGossip.

“Daniel Reddington Involved in a Shocking Incident! Billionaire bachelor SLAPPED by a mysterious lady at a cafe in Ottawa. What could have transpired between them? What are your thoughts?" #Reddington #Ottawa

My eyes widened as I stared at the clip that showed where I slapped Daniel Reddington across the face.

“Oh my goodness, Faye, what do I do?” I whispered. “I’m trending on I*******m; what if he sues me? I can’t even afford to pay for my tuition.”

Faye bit her lower lip, her eyes moving around like she was calculating. “You need to deactivate your socials till this blows over.”

As I was typing on my phone deactivating my socials, my laptop screen flickered to life, popping an email notification. Faye clicked on it as she read out loud. “University of Ottawa: Outstanding tuition payment deadline extended to tomorrow at 6 PM. Failure to comply will result in academic dismissal.

I felt a cold sweat down my spine. “Dismissal means we will be kicked out of school?” I asked. My voice shaking.

Faye nodded with tears in her eyes. “Yeah, we’d have to withdraw.”

The thought of withdrawing sent a wave of panic through me. We didn’t come this far to end up like this. I took my phone and sent a message to Daniel Reddington.