Chapter 3

Carina’s POV

Monday came as fast as it left and I was sure of it being another terrible day in school. The mocking laughter that had all been directed at me since I stepped my feet into the school grounds this morning only reminded me of the shameful thing I had been forced to do.

I've always believed my mate was going to be someone I'd definitely love no matter what he did but instead, the memories of all three of them urging me to wipe my tears with a degrading cloth like a slut didn't get erased from my head as easily as I thought.

“Look at her. Why don't we ask her to come clean us up with her mouth when we are done in the washroom? We don't have to use the cloth again. She would be out of new cloth,” one of the male students laughed, giddily slapping the neck of his friend who also laughed along.

I bowed my head further in shame, heading straight to my locker. All I just wished to have at this point was a peaceful day like it had been in the past.

“Hey, Carina!” A familiar voice called out and right then, I knew my day wasn't just about to be peaceful. If anything, it was about to get chaotic and I had a feeLing I'd enjoy none of it after what had happened.

Pretending not to hear Henry was the best solution as I continued to pick out the few textbooks I'd be needing for my classes.

“Carina,” he called out again while taking quick steps towards me. The nearer he got to me, the faster I quickened my pace, rejoicing as I banged the door of my locker closed, turning on my heels and walking away.

Three steps had felt like a mile run up until Henry's hand came resting on my shoulder, stopping me from moving.

“Don't touch me!” I hissed, slapping his hand away from my shoulder, not trying to hide the disgust in my tone.

“Carina, I can explain. Just listen to me. I swear I don’t know what came over me, what you saw wasn’t supposed to happen,” he explained in his usual soft voice I had always thought was specially for me, his eyebrows curved into a frown, as he waited for my reply. I had the urge to burst out into laughter from the fact that he was pretending.

“Henry, I clearly understand you. Your mouth found its way to her body and it was all a mistake right? I understand but all I need to tell you is that it's over between us,” I answered back in a calm voice, forcing a smile on my lips. If he was as smart as I knew him to be, then he'd take the hint and let me be but I guess not.

Once again, he proved to me that everything he had shown me about himself had just been fake.

“Come on, Carina. Don't be unreasonable. Why would you suddenly want to break up with me for something as silly as that? You know you are the one I love, the one I want to spend the rest of my years with. Just follow me, let's go and sit somewhere so we can settle this,” while saying this, he had already grabbed a hold of my hand, ready to scoop me away to a quiet place as usual, where we would make out for what seemed to be hours.

How I failed to realize his terrible attitudes up until this moment marveled me.

“Let me go, Henry!” Screaming at the top of my lungs didn't mean I was going to get help from the crowd of students around us who were watching with keen interest.

“Carina, just keep quiet and follow me. You don't have to be a baby here,” Henry continued to say, sighing while preparing to grab my hand again but I already had enough of this.

Avoiding his contact, I sidestepped him, anger taking over my emotions and without going as far as thinking, I raised my hand, deaLing a slap to his cheek. In the bLinak of an eye, everywhere had gone silent, gasps filLing the air while Henry had his hand on his cheek, a result of the slap I had just given him.

“Baby, why did you hit me? What's the problem? You don't have to be like this. You know you can talk to me if there's anything wrong.”

Hearing this from the fucker was only adding more to my already rising anger and at this moment, I wasn't ready to hide anything again as the hurt was still very fresh in my heart.

“It's no use pretending, Henry. You can go and be with Bertha, since you enjoy sneaking around with her in empty classrooms. I guess you were so horny that you forgot to wait till everyone had gone home, before you would be all over her. You even insulted me while with her!” I scoffed, looking into his eyes.

I watched as his expression stilled, he probably had no idea that I heard all he said about me. Suddenly, he burst out into laughter.

His buzz cut hair flying in tandem with the direction of his hand movements on them.

“So, you slapped me because of that? I'm glad I don't have to pretend to be in love with you anymore. Carina, tell me, did you really think I, Henry, would love someone like you?” Finally settLing from his laughter, Henry asked in all seriousness before his expression turned to disgust.

Hearing him say this had my mouth opening slightly in shock, my eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

“Y.. you…,” was the only thing I managed to stammer as tears began to sting the back of my eyes.

“Let me tell you, Carina, I was only with you because of a bet I had with my friends. We made a bet that once I managed to get you to sleep with me, then I'd be done and over with you and you'd have the honors of getting into the list of those I've f*cked,”

Henry continued all too proudly while I hoped my ears were playing tricks on me. Did I just hear that the relationship I thought was a great one had only been but a game?

“Well, you missed your chance, so don't act all babyish about it. Now, come with me.

I know you love me far too much to care about anything I just said.”

No one had told me how much of an audacity one could have and the idiot in front of me was surely drawing far Linaes for me regarding that.

I didn't realize how much tears had poured down my face not until the students began talking and laughing, pointing fingers at me. None of them made a move to stop

Henry, only watching as he held my hand, ready to drag me away even as I struggled.

“You bastard! Leave me alone!” I screamed amidst crying but my words fell on deaf ears.

“Just be quiet and follow me silently. You don't have to be annoying about it,” without turning back to look at me or even stop while pulLing me, Henry bit back with an edge in his tone.

Fear struck at my heart, my heartbeat rising with each passing seconds as tears continued to fall like a broken dam.

“Let her go before you regret knowing her.”

The familiar scent of the triplets, my bullies who were by fate, now my mate, seeped into my nose, making my mouth water with the urge to taste it. Even before I managed to tell who the voice belonged to, all of their scents had already hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Are they here to support her?” One of the students’ murmurs caught my ears, while my ears flipped repeatedly, shocked that the same guys who had embarrassed me in front of the whole school were now supporting me.

“Um…Kowalskis. I just want to have a talk with my girlfriend,” the drastic change in Henry's behavior had me snorting in disgust. It was as clear as day how much he feared these three brothers and could only call them by their surnames.

“Get lost before you regret knowing her,” Antonio, the second of the brothers who rarely spoke piped up, leaving all three of them standing in front of me like mother hens.

All the while, I was glad to see how terrified Henry was that even his legs wobbled in fear and the crowd had a hard time hiding their shocks.

“...and by the way, don't come close to her again. Last I remember, you prefer having your dick to yourself, don't you?” Miguel's question was the final blow to Henry who reflexively placed his hand on his crotch and with one last glare thrown at me, he scurried away, pushing through the crowd to escape this embarrassment.