“Leila! Hurry up!”
A petite high school girl ran towards Leila who was tying her hair with a silky red ribbon. The red color emphasized her beautiful ebony hair. Her fair skin was glowing under the sunlight.
Leila Parker and Rui Yoon hurried after their friend Phyllis Lu. They were all dressed in blue checkered skirts and navy blue blazers. The only difference is the color of their ties. Rui Yoon was wearing a navy blue tie for senior students while the other two ladies were wearing muted blue ties for middle school students. One can know the level of students of Centriona School of Gifted by looking at their neckties. In this case, Rui Yoon is already a graduating student, while Leila and Phyllis are middle schoolers.
After a long and tiring school day, Leila and Rui were dragged by Phyllis to a nearby mall to see a mall show.
Phyllis stood behind a pillar, far away from the stage.
Leila confusedly looked at her friend, who was trying to hide herself from the artists on the stage. “Why are we here? Can we sit in front?”
Phyllis shook her head. “No…”
“Why? Rui’s cousin is literally on the stage! Why can’t we go?” Leila continued to ask.
“I–I’m shy… Aias will know that we’re here…” Phyllis meekly said.
Rui’s brows raised. “Huh? He’s our childhood friend, Lis. Why are you feeling shy?”
“I–I… I don’t know!”
Leila took a peek at the people who were preparing on the side of the small stage. There she saw a handsome tall man with a smooth and clear face. His playful smile captured Leila’s heart in a heartbeat.
‘Cute…’
Her young and innocent heart fluttered at the sight of a mature and hardworking man. She watched him carry all the boxed equipment before distributing it to the members of the group.
“Who… Who is he?”
Phyllis heard her question and answered, “Ah… That’s Taylor Lown. Son of the mayor of Dixon City. He’s also the CEO of Aias’ entertainment agency.”
Leila slowly nodded as she watched him bicker with the members of the group Luna. She just couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
“Is he your crush?” asked Rui.
Leila smiled. “I think he is… He’s my first-ever crush!”
“Wow! So you like mature guys, Leila. We’re the same!” Phyllis excitedly shared.
“Well, we all know you like Zacharias and he’s older than us. And Rui’s in a relationship with Shane who is also older than her. So that makes the three of us, huh?”
The three girls giggled as they talked about the boys who filled their young hearts. They all had fun as they watched different groups perform from afar.
Leila couldn’t stop thinking about the young and handsome CEO of GEM Entertainment. He’s still on her mind even when she’s on her way home. His cheeky and seemingly mischievous smile was etched on her mind. She came to like him even more because of what she heard from Phyllis. Despite coming from an affluent family, he could have a carefree and easy life. It seems that most of his family members are lawyers. He studied political science as his undergraduate course. He was expected to take after his father, who is also a lawyer. However, he chose to start a business with his friends.
‘How’s he cute and hardworking?’
She giggled at this thought. Her head was in the clouds and she did not notice that she was already home.
“Miss, we’re here,” said the driver who stopped in front of the mansion’s front door.
“Ah! Okay, thanks!”
She alighted from the vehicle and enthusiastically entered the house.
“Oh… Dad, you’re here?” she asked in dismay. Her good mood dissipated at the sight of her father, reading a book in the living room.
Allen Parker gave his daughter a quick glance before turning back to his book. “Leila, take a seat.”
Confused with his sudden request, she lightly frowned. He would usually talk to her if her mother was around. But if she’s not, he treats her like she doesn’t exist.
Still, he’s her father so she sat on the other side of the L couch. She awkwardly sat there with her school bag on her side. She took a glance at her father, who was still not speaking.
‘Why did he ask me to sit if he’s not gonna say anything?’
Later on, she notices a teenage boy entering the door with his parents.
His father’s serious face instantly changed as he stood up to greet the family of three. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Yu, I’m glad you made it!”
“Julius, you’re a grown-up now!” He greeted the boy who was wearing a uniform from Leila’s school.
‘He’s a senior…’ she inferred by looking at his tie.
“Leila! Come and greet them!”
Her father’s sudden call startled Leila. She walked up to the family and bowed at them.
“Hello,” she shyly said.
‘His glasses make him look smart. Is he smart?’
Leila scrutinized the serious-looking teenager who was wearing eyeglasses. He was tall and slim. He towered over the adults around. Judging from her father’s polite reaction, she understood that they were more powerful than his father.
Allen led them all into the living room and asked the maid to serve some refreshments.
“Seat there,” said Allen as he pointed to an empty space next to Julius.
Leila pursed her lips and awkwardly sat next to Julius.
“Oh~ you two look good together!” Julius’ mother, Kimberly, commented.
Jackson Yu, Julius’ father nodded in agreement. “Well, I didn’t think that it would be a good idea. But now that I’m looking at them now, they’re definitely a good match!”
Allen laughed heartily. “Leila is such a reserved girl. She’s maintained excellent grades. Settling her marriage prospects early would give her a clear goal for her future.”
“I agree with that! I don’t want my son to meet random girls and waste his time on the wrong girl.”
Leila’s frown deepened as she listened to the adults' words. She couldn’t help but question their words.
“I’m sorry but what agreement?” she asked.
Kimberly smiled widely. “Of course, it’s about your and Julius' marriage!”
Leila froze. Her heart dropped upon hearing her words.
“Marriage?”
She turned to Jullius at her side, who was indifferent to what his mother said.
“Just go along with it for now. We’ll figure things out later,” he whispered to her.
For some reason, his words gave her the comfort that she needed at this moment.
“Okay,” she softly agreed, unconsciously trusting his advice.
“So? What happened to your face, Lei?” asked Phylian Lu, who was comfortably resting his arms on top of Phyllis’ head. From the moment that Leila woke up, she’s been in a bad mood. She doesn’t know how to take in what her father just arranged for her. ‘Marriage?! I’m still too young for that!’ ‘Does mom know about this? When is she coming back from Paris? I need to see her…’ Her frown deepened as she thought about what happened. Just then, Phyllis yanked her twin’s arms away from her head. “Get off, asshole!” “Hey, I’m your older brother, watch your words!” “Oh, yeah? Older by a minute?” Phylian snorted. “I’m telling Mom!” “Go tell mom, you suck up!” Phyllis fearlessly argued back. Phylian couldn’t help but pinch his sister's nose in annoyance. “Isn’t that you? You even suck up to Grandma and Auntie!” Phyllis did not back down and delivered a flick on his arm. “They favor me because I’m pretty and you look like shit.” “We’re twins! We look alike!” Listening to the twi
Leila rushed out of the office and went straight back to their classroom. Phyllis and Phylian who just made up with each other both noticed the change in her mood. But since the afternoon class was about to start, the twins did not bother to ask her. RING~ The class bell rang once the class hours ended. One by one, Leila’s classmates all went out of the classroom to attend their extracurricular activities. “So? What happened to you?” asked Phyllis, who was fixing her bag. She was getting ready to attend a practice for an upcoming dance competition.“I… I’m getting engaged…” she said with so much difficulty. She couldn’t bear to think of the engagement, much less speak of it. “Pardon?! With whom?!”“HOLY SHIT?! With whom?”The twins’ loud voices echoed in the classroom. Both Phyllis and Phylian were surprised to hear about this news. They couldn’t believe that at their age, Leila would get engaged.Leila’s eyes watered as she suppressed the anger in her heart. She doesn’t want to b
“Laura…”Laura Ning glanced at her friend, Hillary. “Hmm?”“What if Leila wants to be engaged with that boy?” Hillary curiously asked. “There’s no way! She was crying when the kids brought her here yesterday! She hates that boy!” Margaret answered for Laura. Laura just looked at Hillary, crestfallen. The question made her think of the what-ifs. No matter how absurd the idea is, at the end of the day, Leila’s happiness is her top priority. “MOM!”Leila yelled in joy as she saw her mother waiting in the living room for her. She hurried down the stairs to hug her mother.Laura welcomed her daughter with a tight and warm hug. “My Leila, how are you?”“Mom! Dad, arranged a marriage for me!” she complained straight to the point without dilly-dallying. She did not bother hiding it from her mother. She has always been very close to her mother to the point that she shares everything with her. From the minor annoyances that she feels to the happiest moments of her life. Her mother knows it a
Later, at midnight, Leila sneaked out of their house to go to a nearby playground. Inside the pocket of her cozy jacket is a tumbler filled with red wine. She always heard that one would forget their problems with alcohol. And so she went out to try it. She cannot drink inside their house since she’s afraid that their helpers will see her. The yellow streetlights shone brightly under the moonless sky. The surroundings were dark and cold, enough to send shivers down Leila’s spine. She nervously sat on the swing seat as she looked around. There was no one around. Except for the security guards who are set to roam around the village, she practically won’t see anyone. She took out her tumbler and smelled it. “Ew! It smells strange! How can anyone drink this?”Her nose scrunched up upon smelling the intense fruity scent from the bottle. Since it was new to her, she couldn’t help but feel strange. She closed her eyes and covered her nose before taking a sip of the sweet red wine. Sur
Laura and Allen hurried to the Yu family’s mansion upon receiving the call about Leila. They were still asleep, but when they heard the news from Kimberly Yu, they immediately went out to go to their house. “Allen, hurry up…” Laura urged her husband to drive faster.Allen sneered. “Isn’t Leila just like you, Laura? Sleeping around with men at such a young age. That’s how I ended up marrying you.”Laura’s gaze darkened. “How dare you?! You don’t know what I’ve been through, Allen!”Allen laughed at his wife. “Laura, we both know what happened to you. So stop acting holy and admit that you’re a slut.”Laura clenched her fist. Of course, she knows the whole story. After all, it was she who decided to keep her dear daughter, Leila. And it was a decision to involve Allen in her troubles. ‘Just until Leila becomes an adult. I’ll divorce this piece of sh*t immediately.’She turned her head to face the road as she ignored Allen. It would be more peaceful for her if she just kept quiet and i
Leila took a week of absence from school. She still can’t mentally show herself to school, fearing that someone will bully her for not being a virgin. She was afraid that someone would find out her secret and spread it to their school. She just spent her time, cooped up in her room, painting. Except for her mother, she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Not even their maids. She doesn’t want anyone to see her in this state. She feels hopeless. Like no one wants to pay attention to her side of the story. She felt alone.She knows that if she relies too much on her mother, she will harm her. And that’s the last thing that she wants. Her mother is the most important person in her life. She was the only one who sided with her. So she can’t make it more difficult for her. Not even her father paid attention to her cries, and only took advantage of the situation. And for this, she despises him greatly. He was never present in her life, and now he’s acting like a father by asking Julius to
Leila entered the classroom with her friends. Getting up from bed was such a chore for her, but she needed to go to school again. Rui and Phyllis both stayed to sleep over. Because of them, she was able to rest well and properly prepare for school again. Opening up her worries lifted a lot of weight from her shoulders. She told them about what led to her current situation currently. They all listened closely without judging the rebellious act that she did. They never blamed her for what happened, they only promised that they would protect her more from now on. This time, she felt heard; like all her feelings were valid.“Leila, are you feeling okay now?” a classmate asked. “Yeah, Leila… It’s good that you’re back but are you fine now?” Her classmates showing their concern made her happy. She couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I’m alright now. Thank you,” she answered. Leila went straight to her seat with Phyllis. She then poked Phylian who was quietly reading a book behind her and
Time passed and Leila became accustomed to Julius’ gentlemanly gestures. He would always pick her up so they could go to school together, he would also prepare lunch and snacks that they could share, and he would send her home to make sure she was safe. Every thoughtful gesture that he did for Leila melted her walls down. A lot of people envy her for having such a caring boyfriend. They would always compliment her for changing the cold and strict student council president. It was as if without her, he would go back to the trash that he was before. Perhaps, because of this, her perception of him changed. She started viewing him in a good light.She finally began trusting and opening up to him. Even if he’s her abuser. His actions made Leila believe that he has changed for the better. “Leila!”Phyllis shouted as she caught up with Leila who was walking with Julius. She then clung to her like a clingy cat and said, “I missed you, Leila! I’m not seeing you around these days!”Leila a