We were silent and still. Joshua's gaze alternated between Gregory and me, still wearing an intrigued expression on his face."Huh, I better go then," Gregory comments, breaking the tense atmosphere, and walks past Joshua, who remained in the middle of the door.And suddenly, I become the center of his attention. I watch Joshua, waiting for him to speak up about why he's here. But he says nothing, forcing me to be the first one to say something."So... What brings you here?" I ask. Joshua shakes his head, indifferent."I guess it was a terrible idea to come here," he comments, turning to leave."Joshua, wait!" I stop him and walk towards the door. Even with his back turned, I can still deduce that he just let out a sarcastic nasal laugh. Joshua turns around again."Alice, I just wish I had been informed about your apartment by you, not by Samantha," he says, disappointment evident in his tone."And I don't even need to mention that you decided to leave without saying goodbye. And now,

I enter the room and find a spacious area filled with natural light. I see other people arriving, some with brushes and paints in their hands, others with sketchbooks and pencils. I feel a mix of admiration and insecurity as I observe the other students, all seeming so talented and dedicated. Soon, the teacher enters the room and warmly greets us. She is a renowned artist and her inspiring words calm me down a bit. She introduces us to the course program and expectations for the semester. I feel excited and determined to absorb everything I can. "Well, before we officially start, I would like to get to know a little about each of you, your career goals, and other things," the teacher says. I see a girl raise her hand, the first one to speak up. "Hi, my name is Sarah and I love painting, the feeling I get from expressing myself through my canvases is... Indescribable." "I understand that very well..." another student responds. "I feel the same way when I'm creating my sculptures."

Just as I had suggested, later that day, in the evening, we went to a restaurant. Joshua seemed to have good taste in choosing places, and he suggested that we dine at Chiltern Firehouse. We placed our orders and waited for them to be ready. Our seating arrangement at the table was somewhat random. I sat next to Joshua, while Alex, Agatha, and Nathan sat on the opposite side."This place is amazing!" Nathan commented in English, clearly showcasing his Brazilian accent. Indeed, the restaurant in the hotel was incredible. Some potted plants and chandeliers with warm yellow lights adorned the place. The furniture reminded me a bit of old-time London royalty."So, when did you two start this relationship?" Nathan asked, trying to break the silence."It's still relatively new. But we started getting involved after we arrived in London," Joshua replied."I know, it's hard not to fall for his charms, isn't it, Alice?" Nathan said with a mischievous smile, teasing me.Now I could feel my face

Why was she so cruel? What had I done to deserve that treatment? I felt powerless in the face of her poisonous words, unable to react at the moment she spoke them. Now, the words echoed in my mind, fueling a storm of emotions within me, filling me with fear and anxiety. I confess they left me in a dilemma. I didn't want to give in to her demands, but I also didn't want to face the consequences of her threats. That girl was capable of anything and she could seriously harm me. I let out a long sigh."Are you okay?" Hannah whispered to my left, from the auditorium seat, after hearing my audible sigh.I diverted my attention from the lecture to look at Hannah."Yes," I nodded. I wouldn't tell her about my problems with Madelyn."Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously. "You've been acting a little strange since you came back from the bathroom. Did someone bother you?""No, it's just that... Not everyone here is pleasant, and I didn't get along with someone," I replied."Oh, I see. That happ

Joshua, three years ago.Several times he caught himself looking at the watch on his wrist. He seemed anxious. His gaze always turned to the arrival hallway. He seemed to be waiting for someone. The longer the minutes passed, the more restless he became."Why is she taking so long?" he muttered, tapping his foot lightly on the floor. "She should have arrived fifty minutes ago." He checked the time on his wristwatch again.Joshua turned to look at the large flight schedule board. Maybe he had arrived too early, or at the wrong time. Analyzing flight by flight, time by time, he realized that the plane Madelyn was on had already landed, but she hadn't shown up yet. Getting more nervous, Joshua started pacing back and forth in the airport lounge, extremely restless.A female voice sounded among the people, causing him to quickly turn towards the direction where the voice was coming from, thinking it was his girlfriend. Without success. It wasn't Madelyn."Joshua!" It was Samantha, a frien