A Broken Vow to Forever

Love & Betrayal

PAULEEN

~TEN YEARS LATER~

First day of junior year. Another year to face at Brighton University, surrounded by students whose main focus is to find love, get drunk, get high, and get bullied.

Yep, I’m part of that group—the bullied.

This has been my situation since freshman year.

Apparently, Colt and Dino went to this university first. So, when Dad and Mom told me not to worry about attending because my brothers were there, I thought everything would be fine. But it wasn’t.

Colt and Dino gained both friends and enemies. Especially Dino—he has so many enemies that even I get dragged into it. But I’m thankful Colt is always there to protect me.

But now, in junior year, Colt is in college. He already left the mansion last summer and moved into his own apartment near his college.

That leaves me with this cold and ruthless brother of mine—Dino.

So, I’ve prepared myself for this year. No, he won’t save me from the bullies like Colt did. He never has, and he never will.

Most of my primary years were spent being homeschooled, so I struggled a lot to adjust when Mom and Dad decided to enroll me in a real school with actual people.

Don’t get me wrong—I have friends. I have Niana, my cute and bubbly friend who’s all about pinks and purples. I have Tisha, the nerd, who is super quiet and focused on her studies. And I also have Bianca, the tomboy in our group, which makes sense because she’s an athlete—a weightlifter at the university.

I have a small circle, but I’m happy and content.

"Are you okay, Miss Pauleen?" Danny, my driver, asked. Well, technically, me and my brothers' driver.

But since Colt and Dino now have their own cars, Danny usually just drives me. And Danny originally worked for the Astor family. Most of the staff Dad hired from the Astors’ household are people he trusts.

I nodded, "Yeah." I took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

I tried to pull down my uniform skirt. The uniform is a plain black preppy skirt, the typical kind in universities. A white long-sleeved polo tucked into my skirt, with a black ribbon tie. I paired it with white knee-high socks and black stilettos. As for my hair, I just wore a simple hairband.

I love dressing up. Can you blame me? I grew up watching romance movies, Disney princesses, and happily-ever-afters.

"Oh my god! There you are!" Niana rushed to meet me, and we entered together after she waved goodbye to Danny.

"Why? Why do you look so flustered?" I asked.

"Are you planning to join the cheerleading squad this year?" she asked.

I shook my head, my face scrunching up. Don’t get me wrong—I have nothing against cheerleaders, but it’s just not me. Sure, I can dance and all, but joining a squad? No, thanks.

"Ah? No. Should I?"

Niana nodded and let out a huge sigh of relief. "That’s a relief. Julia Abernathy is the newest captain," she shared.

"Good for her. Congratulations to her!" I said, raising my hand exaggeratedly.

I’m not a fan of Julia Abernathy—if Dino is my male nemesis, Julia is my female one.

We used to be friends during freshman year, but when her childhood crush, Leon, confessed that he liked me instead of her, that’s when she started spreading rumors about me. Eventually, I called it quits. Yes, friendship breakups do happen in real life.

"That’s not the only news I have for you." Suddenly, my friends Tisha and Bianca joined in, and it was Bianca who spoke, sounding creepy like she was about to reveal a huge secret.

"What?" My curiosity was piqued.

"Julia Abernathy is dating none other than your brother, Dino Astor," Bianca blurted out.

I froze in place, my mouth gaping, eyes wide.

"That—that can't be," I said, feeling defeated.

Dino wouldn’t do that to me, right? He knows that Julia made my middle school experience a living hell. He knows. No matter how much he hates my guts, he would never do that to me.

Bianca raised her phone and showed me a photo of Julia and Dino entering the university together, holding hands. Julia’s smile was huge. Dino, on the other hand, looked like his usual self, but he was letting her hold his hand?

A sudden pang hit me hard in the chest. I clutched my chest, struggling to calm down.

At first, I just found Dino charming—a bad boy with a dangerous edge. Dino grew up to be so handsome, too handsome at times that it hurt to look at him. He wasn't the little boy I used to know; now he was a giant, standing six feet tall, with a body I never thought a human could have.

Sometimes, I blamed my hormones—after all, I was growing up, too. And maybe I was just being possessive of my brother, Dino.

Girls everywhere were crazy about him. That’s why he often got into fights, because girls who already had boyfriends couldn’t stay away from him. But this was Dino's fault, too—he’s a playboy. A manwhore.

Yeah, I’d get jealous sometimes when I saw him at parties with girls.

But him, exclusively dating? And not just anyone, but someone who betrayed me?

It hurt.

I know he hates me sometimes and finds me annoying. But I never expected him to be this indifferent to me—to date someone who wronged me.

I couldn’t focus for the rest of the class until break finally came. And it was as if the universe was rubbing it in my face—there they were, Julia and Dino, eating together.

I saw Dino glance at me, but I glared back at him. I didn’t care if he thought I was mad at him because I was. How dare he? And I couldn’t stand Julia Abernathy’s smug smile that she seemed unable to wipe off her face. When did their relationship start, and how?

But deep down, I knew I didn’t want to know the details.

"Hi," Matthew from my history class suddenly blocked my view of my two enemies now combined.

"Hello—" I smiled sweetly at him.

Niana elbowed me from the side, clearly giddy.

"There’s a party tonight, and if you want, can I invite you?" Matthew was handsome and more put-together compared to most of the boys at school. Or compared to a certain someone who was in my thoughts.

"Ahm—" I knew Mom and Dad were out of town for a conference. I could sneak out since the security at the house wasn’t too tight.

"My little sister is off-limits. I’m sure you know that." A deep voice, almost a growl, interrupted my conversation with Matthew. Dino was behind me, one hand placed on the table in front of me and the other adjusting Matthew’s tie. His presence was overwhelming, dark, and his voice—so deep I could almost feel the table vibrate when he spoke.

"I’m just being nice to Pauleen, that’s all, Dino," Matthew replied, unfazed.

I looked up at Dino. His jaw was clenched, but he was smiling.

But I knew that smile all too well.

"Thanks for being nice to her and all. But a party? With alcohol and bad intentions? Is that your idea of being nice, Matty?" Dino’s words were dripping with venom.

Dino didn’t save me from bullies, but when boys my age showed interest in me, he always stepped in.

I didn’t know why. Maybe it was just one of Dad’s orders to keep boys away from me.

"She can bring her friends if that will put your mind at ease, Dino. Besides—" Matthew looked at me as if there were stars in his eyes, and I raised an eyebrow. "—I like Pauleen."

"Oh?" That was all I could mutter under my breath.

This was the first time someone told me they liked me—especially in front of Dino.

"Matty—" Dino was about to start again, but I held his hand that was resting on the table, and he seemed to shake? I didn’t know; it was like I had suddenly shocked him with my touch, and he composed himself immediately.

"I think we’ll go, Matthew." I stopped him and smiled at Matthew.

I could feel Dino’s stare boring into the top of my head, but I couldn’t care less. I was almost eighteen; I could date, just like him.

Dino suddenly grabbed my hand, which I had used to hold onto him, and forced me to stand up from my seat.

This time, his face looked angry, and he wasn't hiding it.

"What will ease my mind is for you to stay away from Pauleen. She’s not going. Go find someone at your level, Matthew." He then yanked me out of the cafeteria.

He backed me up against the wall, and I pulled away from his grip. "What do you think you’re doing?"

I matched his stare.

He chuckled, "You should be the one I’m asking that."

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I’m almost eighteen, Dino. I think it’s about time I start dating and enjoy my youth!"

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked me up and down. "The f**k you are."

"What?" I snapped. "So I don’t have the right to do that? Why? Because you say so?" I scoffed and shook my head. "No, Dino. You don’t get to tell me what to do or not do. You don’t have a freaking right to tell me what—"

Before I could finish my sentence, his huge hands were now wrapped around my neck. Not enough to cut off my breath, but just enough to keep me in place.

He moved his head slowly, getting closer to me. I swallowed hard, trying not to let him feel it. My heart was thundering in my chest.

"I have every right to tell you what to do or not do, Darling," he growled in my ear. "As long as I’m alive, you better be a f*****g good girl."

"Or else what?" I scoffed.

He looked me in the eye, his gaze full of thrill and challenge. "You wouldn’t want to know." He let go of me and started walking away. "But feel free to try, if you want."

Oh, yeah. I will f*****g try.