Chapter 29
I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath.
Samuel’s call, combined with my roommates chatter about Leonardo, had dragged me back to the nightmares of my past life. The memories clung to me like a leech, sending a shiver down my
spine. I could still hear the whispers–those cruel, cutting remarks.
“Nude photos? Are they real?”
“How does she even have the nerve to show her face here?”
“What a pitiful woman.”
“If I donate money, will it even get to her?”
“I heard her parents are dead, and her family went bankrupt.”
“Her figure’s great, though. She has curves in all the right places.”
Each word suffocated me, cutting into my soul like a blade.
In my past life, I had gone out of my way to please Samuel. Not just him but his friends too. I obeyed everything they said, thinking it would make Samuel happy. And in a way, it did.
Toying with me, humiliating me, crushing me–it gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction. For Samuel, it was all a game, a way to flaunt his superiority and win Yvette’s favor. He must have been delighted.
“Jules, were you tal
about Leonardo earlier? Did he ask you to help with the charity drive?”
The room fell into an uneasy silence.
I understood why. To them, Leonardo was like an unattainable star–a kind, thoughtful senior with impeccable manners. But they didn’t know the truth–that Leonardo was nothing more than a hypocrite.
“I don’t want to go.”
Amelia quickly replied, “I understand. Really, I do!
I didn’t respond. Instead, I climbed up to my bed in silence. The others, sensing the tension, hurriedly changed the subject.
I closed my eyes.
The next morning, I headed to class. Amelia insisted on accompanying me, her arm linked with mine as we left the dorm.
As we stepped outside, Amelia suddenly gasped in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“They’re tiling the ground in front of our dorm! The tiles here have been uneven for ages. So many people have tripped over them, and even though we reported it to the university, nothing was ever done. I can’t believe they’re finally fixing it!”
I had noticed the workers retiling the pavement but hadn’t paid much attention. Now, hearing Amelia’s reaction, I understood why it seemed like such a big deal.
I shrugged off my curiosity and continued walking with her toward the classroom building.
Sometimes, life had a strange sense of humor.
As I climbed the stairs, I ran into Leonardo.
It was rare to see him on campus, but today, of all days, he was here. Our paths crossed, but I kept my gaze forward, not sparing him a glance.
Leonardo didn’t look at me either. Instead, he stepped aside slightly to let me pass, his expression cold and his eyes filled with disdain. There was even a hint of disgust in his gaze
My chest tightened.
Why? What had I done to deserve this?
Was it all because of Yvette? Because they were all obsessed with her? But I had never done anything to harm her.
I held an unfinished carton of milk in my hand.
As I passed Leonardo, my foot suddenly slipped on the step. The milk carton in my hand crumpled slightly, and a spray of milk shot out through the straw, splattering all over him.
Leonardo’s expression immediately darkened.
Amelia gasped audibly. “Jules! Are you okay? Your milk…
Her voice was laced with panic, even trembling slightly.
“I’m fine. I nearly missed the step. Let’s go.”
I turned my head toward Amelia and gestured for her to move.
In such a public setting, the ever–dignified and hypocritical Leonardo wouldn’t dare make a scene with a blind woman.
