Chapter 4
The late afternoon sun bathed the rooftop in gold. He leaned lazily against the railing, looking every bit the charming prince of the school. Her sister stood across from him, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, her smile sharp and mocking.
"So… you're really going to do it?" she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.
He smirked, his tone confident. "You don't think I can?"
Her sister let out a low laugh. "She's so desperate for affection that she'll fall the moment you throw her a crumb. Honestly, it won't even be a challenge."
"And when I win?" he pressed.
"Then maybe," she said coyly, "I'll grant you the date you've been begging for."
His eyes flickered with anticipation. A smirk spread across his lips. "Then it's a deal."
The words sealed her fate, though she knew nothing of it.
The next day, she walked down the school corridor, clutching her books close to her chest. Whispers followed her—mockery, laughter, sneers—but she kept her head down as always.
Then, a voice called her name. His voice.
She froze. Slowly, she turned, her wide eyes meeting his easy grin.
"Want to walk home together?" he asked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. No one had ever said that to her before. "O-okay…" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
His friends, hiding nearby, chuckled under their breath. They watched like spectators at a cruel play. But to her, this was no joke—it was a miracle.
As they walked side by side, she struggled to calm her racing heart. She wanted to believe it was real. That maybe, just maybe, someone could see her as more than a shadow of her sister. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to hide her smile.
He glanced at her quietly. It was supposed to be just a game, a step toward winning his bet. Yet something about her shy smile… it unsettled him. For a fleeting second, he felt something real stir inside him, something he hadn't planned on.
From a classroom window above, her sister watched with narrowed eyes, a cruel smirk playing at her lips.
Fall for it. Fall so hard you won't be able to get back up.
That night, lying in bed, she hugged her pillow tightly, her cheeks still warm from his smile. His words replayed in her mind over and over.
"Want to walk home together?"
It was simple. Ordinary. But to her, it was everything.
Little did she know… the sweetest dream she clung to was born from the cruelest betrayal.