All Chapters of OUR UNEXPECTED UNIVERSE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The next morning, the heavy mahogany doors of the lecture hall felt more like the gates of a courtroom. Antonia took a deep breath, clutching her backpack straps tightly, and stepped inside. The lively chatter that usually filled the room instantly died down. A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the classroom. Antonia walked down the aisle, trying to maintain her usual gentle smile, but the atmosphere was freezing. As she approached her usual row, the friends she had laughed with just twenty-four hours ago suddenly looked busy. One locked her eyes onto her phone, another quickly placed her designer tote bag on the empty chair beside her, and the rest looked away, completely ignoring her existence. The black card’s curse had officially begun. With a tight throat, Antonia walked toward the very back of the hall and found an isolated desk. The true storm hit the moment she pulled out her chair. A loud, wet squish echoed through the immediate area. Antonia froze. Someone ha

Antonia felt a tight, suffocating knot form in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She refused to let them see her break. She would not give Portia or anyone else in this room the satisfaction of a single tear. Squaring her shoulders, she marched straight down the aisle. Her steps were firm, her gaze locked onto the whiteboard. Ignoring the burning stares and the venomous whispers cutting through the air, Antonia grabbed the whiteboard eraser. With calm, deliberate strokes, she began to wipe away the disgusting words. She wiped until the board was completely white again, erasing the lies they tried to pin on her character. But the moment she dropped the eraser, a sharp, wet crack echoed right behind her head. A raw, slimy yellow yolk splattered across the clean whiteboard, dripping onto Antonia’s shoulder. Before she could even turn around, a barrage of eggs flew from the tiered seats. Crack. Crack. Crack. They hit her back, her arms, and her hair, the foul smell instantly

"You changed the scholarship rules," Antonia said, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. She stepped forward and slammed the printout onto Portia’s sleek mahogany desk. "Sign the endorsement, Portia. I earned my grades. My family’s life depends on this scholarship, and I won't let your petty games ruin it." Portia slowly set her drink down, a dangerous, toxic smile spreading across her face. She picked up the paper, eyeing the blank signature line at the bottom. "You're right. I did change the rules. Because in this university, I am the rule," Portia whispered, leaning forward. She tapped her manicured nails against the desk. "You want my signature? Fine. But power isn't free, Antonia. You don't have money, so you'll have to pay with something else." Portia stood up, circling Antonia like a predator cornering its prey. "I'll sign your endorsement under one condition. For the rest of the semester, you will be my personal, on-call errand girl. You will carry my bags,

The nightmare didn't end when the final bell rang. Just as Antonia was packing her bags to finally head home to her family, Portia tossed a sleek garment bag onto her desk. "Change into this," Portia ordered, her voice sharp and uncompromising. "You're coming with me to the Alpha Crest Yacht Club tonight. My family is hosting a private mixer, and I need my shadow to hold my coat and look presentable." Antonia’s heart sank. She was exhausted from the relentless tasks of the day, and the thought of entering Portia's elite world outside of campus was suffocating. But looking at the signed endorsement paper securely tucked in her folder, she swallowed her exhaustion, took the bag, and changed. An hour later, Antonia found herself stepping into a grand, glittering venue overlooking the ocean. The party was filled with the country’s most influential figures, wealthy families, and top business executives. Soft jazz played in the background while waiters in white tuxedos carried silve

As Antonia stood on the secluded balcony, the silence of the sprawling mansion became deafening. She walked slowly back inside, her footsteps echoing softly against the cold marble floors. Looking around at the towering walls adorned with expensive paintings, the grand chandeliers, and the endless rows of empty rooms, a sudden curiosity struck her. Was Portia living all alone in this massive house? Antonia hadn't seen a single family member since she arrived—no parents greeting each other, no siblings laughing in the hallways, not even a warm, lived-in presence. There were only quiet household staff moving like ghosts in the background. For a fleeting moment, the anger in Antonia's heart softened into a profound sense of pity. She thought about how incredibly sad it must be. Portia seemed to have absolutely everything the world could offer—unfathomable wealth, immense power, and a name that made the entire university bow. Yet, the true essence of life, the simple warmth of having