All Chapters of University Series 1: Tangled Ties: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“What? Mom, are you insane? Dad passed away only two years ago, and now you’re telling me you’re going to marry this man? How could you?!” I exclaimed, seething with anger as I sat on the sofa, my mother sitting beside the man she claimed she was going to marry. “Laura, please, don’t lose your respect. I’m still your mother,” she said, her voice laced with restrained irritation, but I didn’t care. “This is Edward. He was a close friend of your father’s—we’ve known him for a long time, and I know he’s a good man.” I let out a dry, bitter laugh. “And then what? After Dad’s funeral, you two found comfort in each other’s arms? And now, two years later, you want to replace him—” A sharp slap cut me off, silencing me instantly. A stinging sensation spread across my left cheek, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood at the corner of my lips. “You have no right to question my feelings for your father. You have no idea how much I suffered after losing him. I nearly died from the pain of hi

“What the hell is happening?” I don’t know how many times I’ve whispered that while staring at my laptop, watching a serial killer documentary. I couldn’t focus on what I was watching because my mind was still stuck on what happened at dinner earlier. Of all the possible sons my mom could have fallen for, why did it have to be that arrogant bastard? Fate must be messing with me. “Ah, shit!” I couldn’t help but curse and threw a piece of popcorn at the screen out of sheer frustration. “No wonder my stomach hurts. Someone’s probably cursing me right now.” “Fuck!” I screamed when someone suddenly spoke. I immediately looked up, and my irritation only grew when I saw who it was—standing with his hands on his hips, leaning against the door frame. “What the fuck, you really know how to get on my nerves, fucker.” Instead of getting annoyed, he laughed even more. “Oh, come on. Let’s be real here. Why are you even mad at me? I didn’t do anything wrong. And to tell you the truth, I should

“Shit,” I groaned, clutching my head as soon as I woke up. It felt like it was splitting apart from the pain. My vision was blurry, but I forced myself to scan the room. What happened yesterday—Shit! Where am I?! The last thing I remember was that asshole Troy dragging me to God knows where—shit, did I get raped?! Is this his room? Beige walls, rustic interior design… huh? Why does it look like my—room? I quickly looked down at my clothes, my frown deepening—I was wearing my pajamas? Am I going crazy? Was last night just a dream? No, that’s impossible. I was about to call Sue when someone knocked on my door. “Shit, my head.” “Laura, don’t you have class? It’s almost 7 AM,” Mo

Two weeks had passed, but I still couldn’t get what I heard out of my head. Since that day, I hadn’t spoken to Edward. Whenever he was home, I would go straight to my room or pretend to be busy on my phone. I didn’t want to see him, I didn’t want to hear him—I just didn’t want anything to do with him. “Laura, can you pass the salt?” Edward asked while we were having dinner. I ignored him. Deal with it yourself. “Laura?” His voice was louder this time, but I still didn’t look at him. Instead, I grabbed the salt shaker myself, sprinkled some onto my plate, and placed it back in the middle of the table as if I hadn’t heard anything. I could feel my mom’s gaze on me, but I didn’t care. “Laura.” His tone wa

 The bus finally stopped, and I stretched my arms, relieved to be away from home—even if just for a few days. This school trip was supposed to be a breath of fresh air. A much-needed escape from everything… especially Edward and Cole. Three days of peace. No fake smiles. No walking on eggshells. Just me, my classmates, and a normal school trip. I slung my backpack and hand-carry over my shoulder, following the rest of the students off the bus. I didn’t bring much—just a few clothes and essentials. This was just a short getaway for me. We were at some nature retreat with hiking trails, lakes, and a bunch of outdoor activities I wasn’t exactly excited about. But it didn’t matter. As long as I was far from that suffocating house, I was good. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of pi