ANNA'S DILEMMA

Chapter three

Anna’s POV.

I remember when I first met Michael.

I never liked him.

And I still do not.

It all began in tenth grade.I was the best student in class.From acing every Math,Science and History test to representing my school at every competition.

Until this new boy moved to my school.

Professor Ruff was taking us on Chemistry class when the Principal walked in with him. He wore a clean leather jacket that I could see my self through if I moved closer.He was really tall and I guess his height would have beaten Jake,the boy who boasted about being the tallest in class then.

He had brown hair, and his brown skin shone.He looked around class with his cold blue eyes as the principal introduced him. “This is Michael.Michael Alonzo.”

“Alonzo? The Alonzo?” Professor Ruff asked.

“Yes,the Alonzo.” The Principal gave a smirk and walked away.

The name rang a bell. Only one Alonzo did. Don Enzo Alonzo. My father had spoken about him a million times growing up. He was a business mogul just like my father and they had fallen out couple of years ago.

The class muttered while Professor Ruff gave his usual speech each time a new student joined class. “We are one family,”he said.

Family? This boy with an aura of a spoilt proud brat had no looks of one who wanted to belong to a family.

The class continued and Professor Ruff paused to ask a question. The question that confirmed what my instincts told me.

“What is the result when acid reacts with a base?”

No one raised hands,and as usual I was going to answer the question.

Before I could say jack, this boy raised his hands, “The hydrogen ion from the acid combines with the hydroxide ions from the base to form water and the remaining form a salt.”

“That is brilliant Michael,very brilliant,” Professor Ruff said with a smile.

The class mutters.

I sat there in my chair not listening to the rest of the class. All I wanted to hear was the sound of the bell.

And finally it did.

On my way to lunch,I heard a girl say, “That new guy is hot!”, “He is so smart!I think Anna has a competitor now!”

Competitor? He just answered a basic chemistry question with so much unnecessary jargon.That is not smart.

I was so lost in the thoughts when I bumped into someone.

Him.

“Oh I am sorry,”I said calmly.

He does not say a word.He raised an eyebrow and walked away instead.

The yearly state quiz competition for high schools was coming up and I always represented Brestan High at every grade I was in. But this year,the principal asked that Michael and I take tests.The highest scorer would be representing.

Professor Ruff spoke highly of him.He had made straight As in the midterm tests.

There was no way I would not be going to the state competition this year. I read and took lessons everyday till the day of the test.

Just a few hours to taking the test,I sat in class engrossed in my Math textbook. I was interrupted by Michael who entered playing loud music from his Ipod.

“You bother too much. I will be at the state competition,” He said with a laugh and walked away to his seat.

I buried my head in my textbook with every feeling of disgust and tears welled up my eyes.

Then,Professor Ruff walked in and handed us the papers.

It was divided into two sections. Math and History with ten questions in each section.

I had not gone passed the fifth question when Michael handed over his paper to Professor Ruff and walked out.

It was the most humiliating thing I had seen in all my years as a student. With my ego broken,I spent extra minutes than I normally would have for any test.

After two days, professor Ruff called us after class and handed over our sheets.

I opened it slowly,my heart pounding fast.

There it was ninety nine out of a hundred. My heart relaxed. I will be going to the state.

“So I guess Michael Alonzo will be representing us this year,” Professor Ruff said.

I gasped. “Wait, what?!”

Michael flaunted his script before me. One hundred.

He looked at me with a mocking smile and said the word “boom” inaudibly as I read his lips.

From that moment,I hated him.

Bella and Michael started dating just few months after he joined school.

Bella Ruke,the girl in class who thinks the world was beneath her feet. Maybe she felt that way because she had the longest blonde hair or that both the guys and girls flocked around her.

The news spread fast. Hot girl Bella and the first son of Don Enzo Alonzo. They were everywhere together.From the cafeteria,to the library and the lawn.

Every sight of them pierced my soul. I could not place it,I never cared about Bella and her antiques until she started dating Michael.

Michael aced the state quiz and was given a special recognition. By then it seemed my reign was over. My hate for him grew as the day passed.

Just a few months before we graduated from high school, Michael’s relationship with Bella hit the rocks after she moved South. For some reason, I had been stalking them and hearing rumors. Sofia,my best friend had a way to get the stories. At least until she moved to nursing school,soon after high school.

I was not so excited to resume Detmond college to study Business. The only thing that maybe made me happy was being away from Michael.

I wanted to be a fashion model. As a child,I made drawings of dresses I wanted to wear. But my father,Don Alex Basano never wanted it. He burnt all my dresses and drawings.

“You are going to be CEO,you cannot live a lowlife,” He yelled.

Becoming a fashion model was not lowlife. It was my dream.

My mother had always supported my dreams but I stopped having a life of my own after she died. Since then,all my father talked about was how I was going to take over the family business.

I did college and graduated with honors. I had adjusted to the life my father wanted. His world. His logistics company.Clean on the outside,cartel on the inside.

Soon after my graduation, my father handed me the company. The board wanted deals to start coming in already,I spent day and night sourcing for clients.

I had to prove I was worth being CEO.

And finally,my dream came true.

“Don, I have an opportunity to get a deal right!” I said to my father enthusiastically.

Don. I never called him dad or pa. He never let me addressed him as that.It was against becoming CEO.There was no place for emotions.

“You better not mess this deal up,” He said sternly.

Alejandro holdings,another logistics company was closing in and they wanted a sellout to the highest bidder.

It was a beautiful gala night, I put on my suits and stiletto heels ready to take the world beneath my feet.I was ready to get Alejandro.

The bidding started.

Fifty millions dollars. I bid. And that was it.

And just when the host was about to close the bid,one of the men handed him a note.

He read aloud,one hundred million dollars.

I couldn’t place more than I had already had . The deal was off for me.

My mind raced with thoughts.I had disappointed Don.Maybe I could try doing business with whoever won the bid.

I did not hear the host call the winner’s name until he walked up the stage. He stood with so much aura and confidence.

My heart froze.It was him.Michael Alonzo.

I had not heard a thing from him since our graduation.Alonzo holdings was in business but not a face was tied to it. I guessed Michael had moved abroad. But right here he was in my face.

Right after the event, he walked up to me.

“Hello Anna.Been a long time,”He said coldly.

“Hi Michael,” I replied.

“Sorry you lost the bid,” he said.

I did not say another word.

I gazed at him as he walked away.I still felt every inch of dislike I had for him since that day in chemistry class.