*Gold digger. Whore. Slut.*

Clara's POV

The rest of the day blurs into a haze of lectures punctuated by fleeting moments of panic, never quite managing to slip away from the looming shadow of Nolan. Every time I step into a classroom, every lecture I attend, I feel his presence stalking the edges. It’s like he marked his territory with lies and smirks, a constant reminder of the war that’s just begun.

Jenna can read my mood, her light chatter evaporating as we sit together in the cafeteria. “You’re really going to let him get to you?” she asks cautiously, looking worried.

I scoff, shoving a piece of my lunch around the plate. “It’s hard not to when he treats me like some sort of punchline.”

“But don’t let him win,” she reminds me, her tone firm. “Don’t give him what he wants.”

As if on cue, Nolan walks in, flanked by his group of clueless followers, his laughter ringing out over the din of the cafeteria. A wave of anxiety crashes over me as I clench my jaw. Each snide remark he made echoes in my mind, the laughter from earlier still soaring around me.

Of course, he spots me.

“Look who it is—the campus wallflower,” he taunts, beelining toward our table as I feel my heart drop. “Aw, what a pity. Shouldn't you be off sniffing around for a professor who’s willing to tolerate your nonsense?”

I glare at him, my anger boiling over like a hot spring. “Get lost, Nolan. No one’s interested in anything you have to say.”

But he’s not done; he leans over casually, his voice a low, dark whisper that cuts through the noise. “What? Are you afraid the truth will hurt, whore? Maybe you should tell your mother to keep a tighter leash on you. It’ll save both of you the embarrassment.”

Anger floods my senses, drowning out the apprehension simmering beneath the surface. I push back from the table, ready to confront him—heart racing, cheeks flushed with fury.

“Leave my mother out of this!” I hiss.

“Why? Is she paying you to get good grades or just for hot air?” he challenges, eyes flickering with wicked delight as the group around him alike lets out a chorus of laughter. “You know, it must be hard being the ugly duckling all the time. No wonder you hold on to your mother’s coattails so tightly. You’re afraid even the gold you wear won’t be enough to earn your keep.”

I can’t take it anymore. My emotions surge like molten lava, and I break. “Pathetic!” I shout, rising to my feet. “The only thing ugly is your attitude. Just because you’re some handsome, spoiled brat doesn’t mean your words hold any value. You’re a coward hiding behind a façade, thinking you can bully people into submission.”

He stares at me, seemingly reveling in my outburst. “That’s the spirit, Clara. But don’t kid yourself; it won’t change anything. You’ll always be just a sad little girl trying to rise above her station. I’m just here to remind you of that.”

I want to press forward, unleash the fury of humiliation and anger building up inside me, but something in the way he smiles flickers a sense of trepidation. It’s as if he enjoys the battlefield we’ve created—a twisted version of the world I thought I knew.

“Don’t just stand there, everyone!” Nolan calls out, gesturing to his friends. “We have an audience. Someone’s got to take notes for her when she’s too busy getting destroyed in class!”

I storm out of the cafeteria, shoulders tense, fists clenched as I make my way to the bathroom, gagging on indignation and rage.

Inside, I grip the sink, staring at my reflection—my eyes blazing, my cheeks flushed. “You won’t let him win,” I tell myself, forcing my breath to steady. “You will not give in to him.”

But with each moment in his presence, I feel like I bend further under his weight, the pinpricks of his words lingering like unwanted scars.

When I finally return to the library, I sequester myself at a quiet table, pouring over textbooks, trying to drown out the chaos of the day. Yet the words Nolan flung at me replay like a broken record, each one digging deeper.

*Gold digger. Whore. Slut.*

It’s suffocating, yet I can’t shake the feeling of his gaze trailing over me, surveying me like I’m some prize to be won, tainted by hurtful assumptions. I scribble notes furiously, pouring ink into my sketchbook, forgetting the world around me as I try to lose myself in creativity.

But even the strokes of my pencil can’t erase the imprint of today’s encounters—the complete disdain and contempt he holds for me, mirroring the very insecurities I’m trying to escape.

My thoughts swirl until the light fades outside, signaling that dusk has settled in like a calming whisper. I glance at the clock, realizing I’ve submerged myself in work for hours, trying to avoid reality just a little longer.

Yet, reality waits for no one.

When I finally head back home, the nagging feeling of dread tightens around me again; it feels like stepping back into a storm. The house looms large and uninviting, a showpiece of insecurity and growing resentment.