Chapter 50
After entering campus, Leonardo let go of my wrist. I accidentally bumped into a woman walking toward me, which sent us both tumbling to the ground.
Instead of standing up, I sat where I had fallen and picked up my phone. Using the accessibility feature, I sent a voice–to–text message to my roommate, Amelia.
“Can you come to the university gate and help me out? I lost my cane,” I said before remaining seated, making no effort to get up.
The woman who had bumped into me quickly withdrew her starstruck gaze from Leonardo and hurried over to help me. She asked anxiously, “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
I let her pull me to my feet and replied calmly, “I’m fine.”
She sounded genuinely guilty, adding, “I didn’t realize you couldn’t see. I should’ve been more careful. I’m really sorry.”
Before I could respond, Leonardo interjected in a gentle tone, “If you’re interested, we’re hosting a charity event this Saturday afternoon to support people with disabilities–like her. It’d be great if you and your friends could join or help spread the word.”
Leonardo’s warmth was almost disarming, and the woman agreed almost in a daze. Nearby, others
overheard the exchange and began murmuring among themselves.
I could feel pitying stares settling on me, the kind that made my skin crawl. Being the center of
attention at a crowded spot, surrounded by whispers of sympathy, only made me feel pathetic.
I sneered at how Leonardo was putting me on public display in the most humiliating way
possible. He glanced at me briefly and added, “Since it’s for your benefit, you’ll be there too, right?”
I did not bother responding. Instead, I just let out a low, icy chuckle. Leonardo frowned and was
about to say something else when Yvette’s cheerful voice rang out in the distance.
“Samuel, the guards here seem to know you well by now. You visit the campus so often. Are you here to see Juliet again?”
“Yeah,” Samuel said, his tone sharp and cold. “She’s blind. If I don’t check on her, what if she ends up dead?”
“Samuel! Don’t say things like that! Juliet can hear you, and you’re going to hurt her feelings,” Yvette scolded, her voice tinged with concern.
Samuel’s tone softened immediately. “It’s the truth but since you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”
Yvette always knew how to smooth out Samuel’s rough edges. Soon, the two of them reached us, stopping by my side.
Chapter 50
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Yvette looped her arm through mine. “Jules, I know you can’t go without your cane, so I had
Samuel get you a new one. Don’t stay mad at him. He’s not a bad guy–he just has a bit of a temper.”
I said nothing, keeping my face expressionless. My cold reaction seemed to make both Samuel and Leonardo frown slightly as if I had committed some unforgivable sin.
“Jules, you’ll come to tomorrow’s event, right?” Yvette asked with an innocent, hopeful smile.
At that moment, Amelia arrived, breathless, and ram straight to me. “Jules,” she called out, her voice full of worry.
I managed a small smile at Yvette and gently pulled my arm free. “Ms. Stone, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to make it. Truly, I regret it.‘
“1
Raising my hand, I let Amelia take it, and she carefully helped me toward campus. Behind me, I heard Samuel’s voice asking, “Yvie, do you really want Juliet to come that badly?”
“I just feel like Jules gets lonely sometimes. But if she doesn’t want to go, let’s not force her. I don’t want her to be unhappy,” Yvette replied sweetly.
Samuel’s tone was firm and unwavering as he declared, “She’ll go. She has to.”
Moments later, I heard hurried footsteps. The next moment, Samuel grabbed my arm, stopping me. Leaning in close, he spoke in a low voice, his breath brushing my ear.
He threatened, “You’ll go to the event tomorrow, and you’ll go with a smile. Don’t ruin Yve’s mood. If you do, I’ll make sure you get that guide dog you’ve been wanting. I keep my promises.”
I was silent for a few seconds before nodding. Then, I turned to Amelia and said softly, “Let’s go.”
We had barely taken a few steps when Yvette’s surprised voice reached my ears. “Jules actually agreed? Samuel, how on earth did you convince her? Even Leonardo couldn’t get her to say yes!”
Samuel let out a mocking laugh. “Two hundred bucks. That’s all it took. She’s always been cheap like that.”
