4

CHAPTER 4

MIMI’S POV

Yes, I was officially heartbroken, I don't know whether to scream or collapse at this moment ... .my chest felt like I was being crushed into so many pieces, this is the first time I understand how it felt to be heartbroken.

The main point was being crushed by that one person I have loved with all my heart and stood up for so many years growing up, telling me right in my face that I owe someone an apology.

Not just someone, but Sandra who made my childhood a living hell, someone who had done nothing but manipulate and cause me so much pain.

My throat tightened almost holding back my breath and my eyes burned…I could feel the cruel sting of fresh tears building up in my eyes. I was at least expecting him to ask me about what happened to find out the truth or my own opinion but he didn’t, that was when I realized that he doesn't actually care about me or like me at all….he cares about his girlfriend and his reputation.

I knew my feelings were useless and invalid because he didn't even know that I had a crush on him, he saw me like nothing more than a stepsister, that someone to scold, threaten and dismiss when she misbehaves.

It's all her fault! I would be in Danny’s bad side from now on…Sandra’s have always had a perfected art of pretending to be innocent to get what she wanted ... .I wasn’t surprised.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, my legs weakened and I could barely hold myself up together..even though i tried so hard to blink back the tears, it was useless.

I was still lost in thoughts when Sandra’s voice drifted me back to reality.

“Babe, I didn’t do anything! I promise you, it’s just that Mimi and I didn’t get along in high school. I was just trying to be sweet to her, to earn her trust, and to make things better between us and be friends. I didn’t know she would turn out to hurt me like this.”

She said weeping profusely, dripping with fake innocence and pretense. She held Danny’s hand tightly to herself as if it was the most precious thing in the whole world.

But it seems like I was the only one who could see through her act of fake cry, she's nothing but a lying, manipulative snake. My heart sank and lips fell open, at some point i couldn't help but to laugh out on how she cooked those lies smoothly.

This girl is a master at deception, a cunning actress who had seemed to rehearse every single gesture she made to perfection. Danny’s expression softened as he stared at her and patted her back.

He turned to me in that cold expression again and said,

“Mimi, I don't know what happened between the both of you, but you should know that high school is over…you have to learn to get along with her, this is college and you need to grow up for once. Stop acting like a child!.”

My blood boiled in anger. How could he say stuff like that to me? How is he expecting me to let go of everything that Sandra did to me just because she cut herself and his reputation? I opened my mouth desperately to explain to him what she did but he cut me off before I could even speak.

“I don't want to hear any explanation from you, mimi! Apologize to Sandra and let bygones be bygones.” He said casually…he knew I always do as he says each time, but I’m not planning to be that girl now.

“No. You don’t understand,” I shouted, my voice trembling yet firm. “Why can’t you let me speak? Why won’t you hear my side of the story? Don’t you want to know what she did to me in high school? She was the one who hurt me instead! You’re only defending her. You don’t care about me at all!”

Danny’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tight. “I don’t want to hear any more. I don’t want to know what she did to you. It’s obvious you hurt her somehow. Just get out of here Mimi…Get out!” he yelled at me and my eyes widened instantly.

“From now on, we are just stepbrother and stepsister, and nothing else. I can only talk to you when I'm ready, when my head is clear for both of us.”

My chest hurts from his words like a punch but I didn't want to look nerdy again…determined I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and picked up my bag with a shaky hand and stormed out of the room.

Tears streaming down my eyes, I couldn’t believe what just happened ... .everything happened so fast, from having an encounter with Frank, Sandra and now betrayal and heartbreak from Danny. Today is just the worst day of my life!

All the love, devotion, loyalty to him and sleepless nights I spent thinking about him felt like none of them mattered to him at all. His attention was completely on her, only if he knew who he was trusting and dealing with…she would ruin him slowly and right now, I was determined to let go for good.

I stumbled down the corridor leading to the field when I heard footsteps behind me, I turned and it was still Sandra and Danny…I ignored them and continued walking, I just needed to get away from here.

I took another step when someone or rather someone blocked my path with a bucket of water and I tripped over it and fell as the bucket of water splashed all over my body. I fell to the hard wet floor with a loud thud and felt a cracking sound on my hips…I winced in pain.

I turned to see Sandra laughing out loud, I needed no one else to tell me that she was the mastermind of this…it is her plan. She deliberately wants to humiliate me even after taking Danny’s love from me? My clothes clung to my body uncomfortably, it was cold and I felt my head spinning, my entire world crashed in a bit.

The fact that I fell down wasn't the main problem but the fact that my handbag toppled over the floor and all the contents in it scattered around me—including the novel! The same one that Frank found out about my erotic writing for Danny.

Oh no! My face burned as I realized that it was spilled on the wet floor. Without a second thought, I scrambled on the floor to gather it before anyone else saw it. I was desperately picking them up without minding the laughter coming from the crowd gathered around me.

But then, it seems like I wasn't that lucky today…Sandra grinned at me and quickly snatched the papers from my hand. My eyes widened as I stood up immediately and tried to take it back, loud uproar and laughter erupted from the crowd making tears tush down from my eyes again.

But she moved away from me and dusted it off, she opened it immediately and started reading it out aloud.

“The way he plays in the rink, the way he scores the goals … made me fall a thousand times for him. The way he smiles whenever he hits the ball makes me have butterflies swooning in my belly….” she read, her voice dripping with amusement.

I felt like dying with embarrassment and the worst part was that Danny was just standing there laughing with the rest of them watching me get humiliated by her. My face burned with shame and my hair plastered to my cheeks from the water.

“No! Sandra, give it back! It’s private!” I shouted, my voice breaking.

She only laughed louder, holding it up teasingly. “Private? Wait…mimi were you referring to Danny? Because for all we know..the only star player who smiles at everyone immediately he hits the ball is him. Do you have a crush on your stepbrother?.”

She asked and I swallowed hard, my palms were sweaty and my lips trembled. Finally, my secret has been exposed, my knees weakened and I felt completely frustrated.

“She is a loser!”

“Does she really think she's good enough for Danny? He's our hockey star player and I know Danny is mortified.”

“I would be very embarrassed if my stepsister was this obsessed with me.”

“Look at Mimi, I'm sure she would rather crawl in a hole and die right now, she's a nerdy!”

Gasps spread through the crowd, and my heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. Danny turned to me with shock in his eyes and said to me,

“Mimi..wait, this isn’t true right?” He asked and I stared at him. My lips trembled and I tried to open my mouth but no words came out.