The HATED BULLY is the SECRET FIANCE has come to its end.
Thank you everyone for taking time to read Leigh and Rocky's story.
Allow me also to mention my sincerest thanks to my editor Sameen Watson for guiding me through this whole process.
And to all of you who was with me from chapter one up to epilogue.
Thank you for patiently waiting for daily updates.
Thank you for the votes: Lean Cantara, Alexandria Barnes, Melissa Agee, Criselda Sanchez, Kashika Jain, Lei Esturas, Mariam Jyoti, Susan Black, ariel raplinger, babybimps, Patience Madileng, Keri Ann Lane, Nicebin A Sangma, Wanda Stewart, Lizette Abigail Corpuz.
Special thanks to Melissa Agee. She was my very first voter. Thank you for the first 8 gems I got for this story. And also for reading my other story The Billonaire's Replacement Bride.
Special mention to Lean Cantara, Alexandria Barnes, Criselda Sanchez and Lei Esturas for commenting in the chapters. Your comments actually inspired me to continue writing even on days when I don't feel like writing.
Your comments and reviews mean a lot.
See you on my next books.
Love,
J Cruz
Existence versus Living. Old Mr. Wickers enunciated the three words while he talked in front of the class, putting emphasis on the first and the last words before fixing his stern gaze on Leigh. “Leigh Michaels,” he commanded, “How do you differentiate the two? ” Leigh kept her gaze on the floor as sweat beads on her forehead. She hated it when she had to talk in front of the classroom, drawing attention to herself. Attention might be the most lacking thing in her college life, but she was grateful for being anonymous. “If you don’t know the answer, just go back to your seat. No one will mind.” A fake saccharine voice she was all too familiar with said, cutting through her anxiety. Leigh looked at the blond girl who spoke just now. While the pretty blond was pretending to study her well-manicured fingers, her face carried a bored expression that belied the sharp tongue. Her name was Regina Clark. She was Baybridge University’s queen bee and she had recently come to pick on
Leigh froze while she watched Regina walk towards them. Then She looked at Rocky who was unfazed by the mention of Regina’s name. He still held her close, but not as tight as before. There was total silence around, and like in a trance Leigh wasn’t able to move her feet away, her eyes fixed in horror at Regina Clark coming towards them.Then, she was pulled abruptly out of Rocky’s arm, breaking her off from her catatonic state. Leigh looked up and saw Sam looking annoyed. “We’re going to be late for class!” Sam intoned and grabbed her by the hand. Together, they dashed out of the hallway. Leigh took one last look at Rocky Bolton, surprised he did not move an inch from where she had left him. Their eyes met. He was watching her!She turned her head around, embarrassed while she let Sam drag her away. “What are you doing with that girl?’ She heard Regina confronted Rocky. She wanted to stop to hear what Rocky would say, but Sam was dragging her. They were too far out to he
In exasperation, Leigh unconsciously put her fingers to massage her temples.“Rocky!’ She cried outraged.A mischievous smile crossed over Rocky’s face. It appeared like he was enjoying her discomfort so much, like he always does. She and Rocky had a complicated relationship. They were born on the same day to parents who were best friends since college. Since they were children, it was already drummed into their heads that they would marry one day. But she and Rocky do not share their parents’ sentiments. They do not want to be married to each other for the simple reason that they hated each other. Yes, they hated each other. The hate relationship started when they were five. But before that, Leigh remembered how they fought like mad cats and dogs. There was never peace with both of them around. They bicker with each other and annoy each other so much that when they reached their fifth birthday, the war between them had become so severe it wedged a gap that was never broken dow
There was stunned silence for a full minute, both moms looked at her in stupefaction.“You did what?’ Aunt Evelyn finally asked. She was the first one to recover. “But why?” Her mom piped in. She looked at Leigh trying to take it all in before her gaze narrowed and zeroed in on Rocky. Leigh knew what’s going through her mother’s head. “I want to live close to school.” She said, exonerating Rocky from her mom’s accusing eyes. She wanted to come clean, but not at the expense of Rocky. “This is more convenient. It is also closer to the University.” Clearly her mom would not understand.“I wanted to live like a normal college girl would.” Leigh finally replied in a meek voice. It was not often she blatantly disobeyed her parents. She knew that like any other parents, hers only wanted the best for her. “Don’t tell me you’re working?” A scandalized look appeared on her mother’s forehead. She looked so horrified that Leigh had to look at the floor before mumbling her reply. “I
“What? No!” Leigh cried in protest. What surprised her was the knowledge that she was not alone. Another voice, a male one cried the same with her, surprising both their mothers. Not used to Rocky’s hard voice when speaking with her, Aunt Evelyn looked affronted. Leigh could feel where this would go, so she decided to retreat to the second floor of the house to rest. But before she leaves, she sees Rocky quietly grab Auntie Evelyn into a hug in silent remorse. Auntie Evelyn, like Leigh and her mom standing at five foot two, only comes up to Rocky’s shoulder when they stand together. They looked cute especially when Auntie Evelyn opened her arms wide to receive Rocky’s embrace. She was on the stairs when she witnessed the sweet moment between mother and son causing Leigh and her mother to exchange a look of happiness and indulgence. Leigh shook her head, sighing to herself. For all his bad-boy image, Rocky is a sweet boy to his mother. “Mom, aunt Leslie, can you let Leig
Leigh's trip down memory lane left her tired. She did not realize that she had gone off to sleep. By the time she came through, it was nighttime. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling a weight on her waist. She was laying on her side, facing the window. She realized it was already nighttime when she saw darkness spread through the skies, mottled with splotches of orange and red. She checked her watch and noted that she had slept for hours!She tried to get up from the bed, but the weight on her waist stopped her. She groped around her waist to check what was keeping her down and almost cried in horror seeing a man’s large hands.Alarmed, she threw the hand that was nestling comfortably on her waist and bolted from the bed. Then she twisted her body around to glare at the man sleeping beside her. “What the h*ll, Rocky!” She lashed out.The noise she created did not bother Rocky, who was still sleeping soundly on his side of the bed. A chagrined look crossed her face when she reme
A moment passed by without anyone moving. It was like being caught in a tableau for a few tense moments. It was Auntie Evelyn who recovered first.“What is happening here? Are you finally making up or making out?" Aunt Evelyn asked in her no-nonsense, straightforward way, breaking the silence around them. Then, before Leigh could deny anything, her mom added, "Are we intruding?" Looking quite horrified in the process. Leigh could feel heat rush up to her cheeks all the way to her hairline at the suggestion. She thought she already made herself clear earlier, but it appears both mothers are not buying her explanation. They still think about what they believe. She opens her mouth to correct the misassumption, but right about the same time, Rocky moves, bolting up from his lying position on the floor like he just got out of a trance. The sudden movement caught Leigh off-guard and caused her to lose her balance. Without anything to hold on to break her fall, she prepared herself
The sound of Rocky’s laugh grated in her ears. Leigh walked faster. She did not want to hear any more sound coming from him. The more she walked away, the better her mood became.Leigh stopped at the first door she passed by and tried on the lock. It was closed. She continued walking and tried opening the next door she saw. It was also locked. She walked further into the hall and found another one which turned out to be locked, too. When she reached the end of the hall, she pulled her suitcase up and let the handle go in resignation. All the rooms on this floor were all locked. It was like the owner did not want her here. No room was prepared for her.She turned her head around to shoot a piercing glare at Rocky’s room before angrily grabbing back the handle of her suitcase. Then, she made a three-hundred-sixty-degree turn and stomped back angrily to where she started - back in Rocky’s room. ‘Rocky planned all of this!’ Her mind seethed. When she reached Rocky’s room, she re