Chained To My Bad Boy's Wild Love

The Anger-triggering Man

Gaara actually had no intention of chasing after the girl who had caused such a scene in the cafeteria, but unfortunately, he ended up finding her leaning against his locker. By coincidence, the locker area was quiet at that moment, with only two or three people around and even they were busy with their own business. Yet, once they noticed his presence, most of them chose either to walk away or to pretend not to see. Gaara himself didn’t understand why everyone acted like that, but more than anything, he couldn’t care less.

As Gaara approached, the girl didn’t move at all; she might not even have realized his presence. That was why Gaara deliberately opened his locker. Which happened to be right next to hers, causing a loud clanking sound that made the girl flinch slightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara could see her becoming somewhat flustered as she quickly opened her own locker too, desperately trying to hide her face. To Gaara, honestly, it was its own kind of entertainment. There was something amusing about watching her act so impulsively and frantically simply because their eyes had met.

Hating to be ignored, Gaara abruptly slammed Esther’s locker door shut, pressing his body closer until she was cornered against the cold metal behind her. A sly grin tugged at his lips as he caught sight of Esther’s expression still laced with raw emotion. Her brows were furrowed, her gaze sharp as blades, and her lips pursed in a way that made Gaara itch with the urge to devour them.

He lowered his head, deliberately bringing his mouth dangerously close to hers. When their lips were only a few centimeters apart, Esther immediately shoved him back, forcing distance between them. Gaara was momentarily surprised by her sudden resistance, but his grin only widened the instant he realized she was fighting back.

“What you did before this, and what you’re doing now… it’s incredibly bold,” Gaara whispered against her ear once more before stepping away, leaving Esther with a face as red as a boiled crab and breath that came in short, uneven bursts.

***

Esther dragged herself into the girls’ restroom, staring at her own reflection in the mirror as she tried to steady her breathing. Her emotions were still in turmoil, and now they grew even more tangled the moment she replayed in her head what had just happened by the lockers. What exactly had just taken place there? If she hadn’t pushed him away, would Gaara have stolen another kiss from her?

“Damn it!” Esther cursed, frustrated, her voice echoing against the tiled walls.

A few seconds later, she caught the faint sound of a sharp intake of breath from one of the stalls, followed by a soft sob. Esther’s irritation momentarily slipped away, her brows knitting as she tried to trace the source of the sound. She listened more closely, then realized it was coming from the very last stall.

If her guess was right, then…

“Nelsy?”

The person inside didn’t answer, but the sound of quiet crying grew louder. “Nelsy? Is that really you?”

Esther was about to call her name again, but before she could, the stall door slowly opened from the inside. Her suspicion proved correct. Nelsy stepped out, and without a word, she threw herself into Esther’s arms, clinging to her tightly.

Esther’s eyes widened in shock as the beautiful girl broke down, sobbing into her shoulder.

Awkwardly at first, Esther returned the embrace, her hands moving to gently rub Nelsy’s back. “It’s all right, Nelsy. It’s all right… everything will be okay. Forgive me for making things harder for you.”

Truthfully, Esther had never expected to find Nelsy here of all places. She had assumed the girl would have gone far away, pouring her heart out to the many friends she always surrounded herself with. After all, Nelsy was popular, well-liked by everyone. Esther thought she would be with them, not shutting herself away in the campus restroom, crying like this.

“This isn’t your fault, Esther. I’ve known about it. I already knew,” Nelsy’s voice broke between sobs. “But I love Vinson so much. I… I can’t let him go. I keep hoping this is just a nightmare, but it isn’t, is it? Why? Why would he do something like this to me?”

There was so much more Nelsy seemed to want to say, yet her words dissolved into another wave of tears, the rest swallowed by her grief.

Esther had no idea what to say in return. So in the end, she simply stayed there in silent, holding her, letting Nelsy cry until the storm of her sorrow began to subside.

***

In the days that followed, Nelsy did not show up on campus. As the only witness to how broken and devastated she had been that day, Esther couldn’t help but worry over her sudden absence. Her anxiety deepened when she realized that none of the people she had thought were Nelsy’s friends seemed to care about her at all. Instead, those who had once clung to Nelsy now swarmed around Elise Northway. The vile girl who had betrayed her own friend by becoming Vinson’s mistress. How could anyone choose to be close to someone like that?

What was even more absurd was what happened after the incident, when Nelsy publicly broke up with Vinson. Rather than despising him, foolish girls actually began to pursue him, competing to become his girlfriend. His reputation only seemed to soar higher, and Vinson, of course, appeared to relish every bit of the attention lavished upon him.

Esther let out a weary sigh. Truthfully, she had no time to concern herself with Nelsy’s affairs, for she was already entangled in her own problems. The wager she had agreed to weighed heavily on her mind, throwing her thoughts into utter disarray.

She had intended to go home quickly, avoiding any further complications. But her path was abruptly blocked by none other than Vinson himself. The very name Esther had grown sick of hearing all day long.

“So now you’ve grown bolder, daring to ignore me, huh?” Vinson’s sudden voice cut through the silence.

Esther turned her gaze and found him smirking at her with that same mocking smile he always wore. She glanced around quickly; it was as though the place had been cleared beforehand. Not a single soul lingered nearby. It was just the two of them.

“Listen, loser,” Vinson sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. “Just because Nelsy was kind to you doesn’t mean everyone else sees you any differently. Nelsy is nothing but a naïve fool. She actually thinks she can change the world with a bit of kindness from her heart. I’d wager that if someone tried to force themselves on her, as long as they begged pitifully enough, that girl would hand over her body for free.”

Esther hadn’t wanted to take the bait, but hearing the way he degraded Nelsy. Reducing her to nothing but an object, a vessel to be violated ignited a fury in her chest. “You bastard! Just because you’re no longer with her doesn’t give you the right to speak about her that way!”

“Oh, once again you manage to surprise me, Esther,” Vinson drawled, then let out a derisive laugh. “Right now, in that little head of yours, you probably think you’re the main character with limitless strength. But let’s be real… you should save that act for Elson. At least in front of him, you can pretend to be proud, instead of cowering behind him like the scared little mouse you truly are.”

Esther clenched her teeth. She should have stood up to Vinson back in high school instead of always hiding behind her cousin Elson’s back. Regret that she had only found the courage now, after years of being hounded and cornered by this man.

Vinson reached out and tilted her chin upward, forcing her face to meet his. “You’ve seen what I’ve shared with you, haven’t you? Your disgrace will spread if you fail. So make sure you accept my offer within a month.”

Esther slapped his hand away, her glare unwavering, sharp enough to cut through steel. “You’ll regret ever challenging me, Vinson.”

“I like that fire, sweetheart,” Vinson drawled with a sly grin. “Though your chances of winning are almost invisible.”

Disgusted by the sight of his smug face, Esther shoved herself against him with reckless defiance, her anger blazing like an unquenchable fire. Her mind was already spinning, sketching plans in the chaos of her rage.

One month. Could Esther truly tame Gaara Maxwell in such a short time?