Carolyn Okoli never asked to be noticed. She was just a scholarship student, an outsider among the wealthy elites of Covent High. All she wanted was to study, survive, and stay invisible. But from the moment she stepped into the school, she made an enemy out of the worst possible person—J.J. Johnson. J.J. is ruthless, untouchable, and feared by everyone. As the heir to the Johnson Empire, he controls the school with a smirk and a whisper, deciding who rises and who falls. When Carolyn dares to stand up to him, he makes it his personal mission to break her.
View MoreCarolyn’s POVTina didn’t even look at me in the hallway.She passed by like I was air—no nod, no smile, not even a flicker of hesitation. And that hurt more than anything J.J had ever done to me directly.Because Tina?She was my safe space.My softness.The only person who didn’t treat me like a scholarship case or a project or a punching bag.Now she was gone.And for what?I didn’t need anyone to tell me J.J was behind it. I didn’t need to ask.It had his fingerprints all over it.The kind of control that left no blood but broke bones all the same.I sat in the back of class that morning, eyes fixed on my textbook but seeing nothing. Even when the teacher asked a question, my voice barely left my throat.“Carolyn?” she prompted again.“I—I’m sorry, ma,” I whispered.She sighed and moved on.That was how the whole morning went.Like I was disappearing.And I was letting it happen.Until I decided I wouldn’t.Not anymore.I waited for the final bell.Waited until I saw him in the co
J.J’s POVI pulled into my usual spot, engine humming softly beneath my fingers. For a second, I stared out the tinted windshield, watching the school building loom in front of me like some perfect, silent statue. The same school where I reigned. The same halls that whispered when I passed. The same place where no one dared to defy me—at least, not for long.But today, someone was waiting.Tina.She stood by the edge of the curb, arms crossed, shifting nervously. Her uniform was neat, her braids tied with a red ribbon, but there was something about her posture—rigid and too still—that told me she wasn’t just here to say hello.I debated driving right past her.She wasn’t worth my time.She was Carolyn’s friend. That already made her a problem.But as I pulled into the spot and cut the engine, I saw her step forward.And I didn’t like that.Not one bit.I grabbed my bag, slammed the car door, and began walking, ignoring the way her eyes followed me. She stepped in my path.“J.J, please
J.J’s POVI thought ignoring her would help.I thought maybe if I gave her space, she’d come back. Crawl back. Whisper another apology like before. Offer her silence as some kind of surrender.But she didn’t.She walked past me in the hallway this morning like I didn’t exist.No glance. No hesitation.Just… walked.And I hated it.I hated the way it burned.It was the same fire that came after a challenge, except this time, it wasn’t about pride or power—it was about control I had lost. And the fact that Carolyn, of all people, had taken it from me?Unforgivable.I sat in the lounge for most of the day, jaw clenched, heart pounding with that sick, tight rhythm that came whenever something slipped through my fingers.I couldn’t think straight.After school, I messaged George."Let’s go out. Tonight. I need to blow off steam."He replied almost immediately.You thinking the usual spot?Yes. Bring Julius. I don’t want to think. Just drink.We met up around 6PM. Julius had to sneak out o
Carolyn’s POVThe day dragged on like heavy chains tied to my ankles.Even though I was physically present, my mind was far away—stuck in that cafeteria, reliving the sound of food slapping Tina’s face, the gasps, the laughter, the eyes watching like it was entertainment.Tina didn’t deserve that.The rest of the day blurred past me in a fog of silent fury.I sat in class, eyes forward, but my mind wasn’t on the whiteboard or Mr. Ayoola’s notes. My thoughts kept drifting to Tina—my best friend, the one person who made this entire nightmare bearable.She wasn’t just absent.She was hurt.At home.Sick.The rumor in class was that her mother had called the school to report that Tina was experiencing “high fever and emotional fatigue.” I didn’t need anyone to explain further. I knew what that meant.Tina hadn’t just been embarrassed.She’d been shaken.By J.J.By Emma and her minions.Because of me.I pressed my palm hard against my thigh, trying to ground myself. I hated how powerless I
Carolyn’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not really.All I could see when I closed my eyes was Tina’s face—her stunned silence, the way the food clung to her braids, the way her mouth opened in confusion and pain as everyone laughed.And J.J.Standing there.Watching.Doing nothing to stop it.Because he had ordered it.Because I had refused to serve him.I kept tossing in bed, twisting the bedsheet in my hands like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. I was furious. Not just at J.J—but at myself. For trusting him. For liking being around him. For confusing cruelty with something else. Something softer.Something I hoped was real.But what he did to Tina?That was a line.And he crossed it.The next morning, I didn’t wait for him to come to me. I wasn’t going to be the girl who stayed silent anymore.I stood at his usual parking spot, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the gate as the morning sun climbed over the buildings. I didn’t care if people stared. Let them. Let them whisper about the scho
J.J’s POV The cafeteria held its breath for a moment.Then it happened.Oge reached Tina’s table first. Carolyn looked up from her tray, confused. She probably thought they were just walking past. They weren’t.With no warning, Oge raised her tray and smashed it onto Tina’s head—right in front of half the cafeteria.Jollof rice, fried plantain, stew—everything exploded across Tina’s braids and blouse.Gasps filled the air.Tina froze for a second, the food dripping down her face like some horror movie scene. She looked like she didn’t even know what had happened. And Carolyn? She shot up like lightning. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” she screamed, grabbing napkins, trying to help Tina wipe her eyes. Bola stepped in next. Her tray hit the table, splashing juice everywhere, narrowly missing Carolyn’s skirt. Emma clapped slowly, theatrically. “Well, well, well… looks like your friend’s lunch got an upgrade.” My heart thumped once. Carolyn’s eyes shot toward the back of the
J.J’s POVMonday morning came too quickly.The same white walls, the same polished floors, the same students pretending to care about grades while scheming behind their designer backpacks. The school looked the same, but something had changed.Me.Or maybe not.Maybe I was just realizing that Carolyn Okoli—yes, Carolyn, the charity-case girl with the odd blue eyes—was still stuck in my head long after that final debate round ended.It made no sense.She defied me, embarrassed me, won... and then ignored me like I was irrelevant. She hadn’t even looked at me since we got off the plane from Lagos. And for someone who used to practically shake in my presence, that silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.I hated how much that bothered me.I hated that I noticed her absence in the lounge this morning.George did too. He looked at me over the rim of his smoothie, one brow raised.“She’s not coming today?” he asked casually.“Why wouldn't she?” I snapped.George gave me a look. “
Carolyn’s POVI don’t know how long I sat there.At some point, George passed by. He slowed when he saw me, then thought better of it and kept walking. Maybe he knew. Maybe J.J. had told him what happened. Or maybe George had seen the way J.J. looked at me lately like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ruin me or rescue me.Not that it mattered.I needed silence.And the stairwell gave me that.There, in the echo of my breathing and the hum of the building, I allowed myself to feel it all. The shame. The confusion. The self-disgust. The subtle flicker of pain that came from knowing that despite everything—despite the cruelty, the games, the manipulation—a piece of me still wanted J.J. to see me.And not just see me—but understand me. Respect me.But maybe that was my problem. Hoping for empathy from someone who had made it his life’s mission to keep people beneath him.I stood up slowly and walked to the nearby mirror in the hallway. My reflection stared back—messy braids, faded lip balm,
Carolyn’s POV We were leaving Lagos in a few hours, but I had already packed. I didn’t have many things, and truth be told, I wanted to be done with this place. The hotel, the debate venue, the heavy applause I never asked for, the quiet side-eyes from students who didn’t believe I deserved the win—it all clung to my skin like smoke from a fire I didn’t set. I stood by the window in the lobby, watching the morning traffic move like a slow dance of chaos. Cars honked, vendors shouted, and buses groaned as they swerved in and out of lines. It reminded me of home—chaotic but familiar, safe in a weird way. My hand rubbed my arm absently, still feeling the bruise from where I slammed into the locked hotel room door yesterday. I could still see the cleaner’s shocked face as she opened the door, and I could see the dust floating in the light behind her. I’d smiled then, politely, hiding the mess inside me. I hadn’t said anything to the teachers. No one. Because what was the point? I knew
Carolyn’s POVI stood in front of Covent High School, my stomach twisting with nerves.The school’s tall gates stretched before me, their sleek metal bars polished to perfection. Beyond them, the school grounds looked like something out of a magazine—lush green lawns, towering buildings, and students dressed in crisp uniforms.This wasn’t just any school. It was for the rich, the children of senators, business tycoons, and celebrities. Here, kids arrived in chauffeur-driven cars or drove themselves in luxury vehicles.I swallowed hard. What am I doing here?At fourteen, I was the only child of my mother, who had raised me alone in a ghetto slum. Life had been hard, but I had studied relentlessly and earned a full scholarship to Covent High School, one of the most prestigious and expensive private schools in Nigeria.Now, here I was. A girl from the slums, about to walk into a school full of kids who had never known hardship.I forced my legs to move forward.Just as I reached the gate...
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