Falling for the billionaire CEO who hated me before

Chapter Four : heartbreak

Maya froze momentarily, her backpack hanging loosely from one side of her shoulder. A Different car? He had never done that before. What at all warranted this sudden change in behavior towards her?

Maya looked at her parents, who said nothing about the situation; their silence spoke louder than words, and at that point, Maya knew something was wrong.

The ride to school felt endlessly long and tiresome. The driver tried to tell her to ignore Jake and that he would come around later, but Maya just stared out the window, imagining what life was going to be like in school now.

At school, she waited at her usual spot when they had a break. That spot was under the old oak tree near the playground, where Jake always came to check on her between classes. But he never showed up.

She glanced outside the window in class, hoping to see his familiar face pass by and make a face for her to giggle. But that didn’t happen either. At lunch, she searched for him in the cafeteria, but that too was futile. She began to hear whispers from other students.

“Did they have a serious fight?” one asked.

“Maybe it’s a prank,” another suggested.

“No, oh no , I don’t think so, I mean look at Maya, she looks like she’s about to cry,” someone else whispered.

The truth was, no one knew what was happening between the Anderson siblings, not even the teachers, not their friends, not even Maya herself knew what was going on in the mansion.

But one thing was painfully clear: Whatever had transpired to break their bond was hurting Maya far more than Jake.

By the time the day ended, her smile was gone entirely, and her eyes got heavy with confusion. She decided that after school, she would go straight to Agnes and ask her what was happening. If anyone could tell her what was happening and if anyone would be honest with her, it would be Agnes.

But for now, though, all she could do was sit in silence, cling to her lunchbox, and wonder when and how her brother’s love had turned into distance.

Back at home, Jake kept the Same attitude in school, ignoring Maya. That night, Maya decided to ask Agnes why Jake was ignoring her. Agnes told her she didn’t know why Jake was ignoring her, and perhaps she should try asking Jake why. During their family meeting, Maya asked Jake why he was avoiding her. “ I don’t talk to non-Andersons like you, “ Jake said. “Behave well, young man, “ his dad shouted at him. Jake got angry and left the table, stormed into his room, and banged the door as usual. Maya was confused; she asked her parents why Jake said that and what was happening in the house. Why was everyone acting cold towards her?

Mrs. Anderson just told her it’s all in her head; she only feels that way because of how Jake behaves, ignores what is happening, and finishes her food. She later went to find Agnes to ask if she knew anything about what was happening in the house again. Agnes denied knowing anything and told her to brush it off. Maya was sad. Is Agnes, too, on their side? Is she going to sit there and watch her suffer? Maya asked herself as she shed tears in her room. She decided to be observant and see if anyone would leak any valuable information to her.

The following morning, they and Mrs. Anderson sat together silently, the weight of their decision heavy between them. After a long night of restless thoughts, tearful whispers, and decisions, they had come to a painful resolution: They needed to find their real son or daughter.

At first, they had wanted to ignore it, to keep Maya as their own and never look back. She was the child they had raised, the little girl who had called them “Mom” and “Dad” for ten beautiful years. But deep down in their heart, they both knew the truth ticking like a clock. So, for Maya’s sake, for her peace of mind and her own future, they had to find the woman who had brought her into this world and give her back what belongs to her.

By noon, their car pulled up right in front of the hospital where Maya had been born. The sight of the building brought back a rush of memories; it reminded them of the day Helen held her first baby girl, the tears, the joy, the celebration. But all of it is suddenly tainted by doubt.