HER RECKONING

CHAPTER 12

The tournaments and competitions had begun, and campus life pulsed with excitement. Angelique trained every day for the swimming contest, her determination unwavering. Trunks was always there—timing her laps, watching her glide through the water with admiration that bordered on devotion.

When they weren’t at the pool, they were inseparable—walking hand in hand across campus or tucked together in a quiet corner of the library. Trunks seemed more relaxed around her now, almost at ease in a way he’d never been before.

Girls on campus couldn’t help but envy them. Trunks was perfect—charming, attentive, and generous. He showered Angelique with expensive gifts, learned to give better compliments, and the way they looked together… it was almost unfair. Her beauty gave him confidence, a new kind of pride that made him the envy of other male students.

But with Suhee, things were no longer the same.

They barely spent time together anymore. Angelique occupied most of his attention—possessive and demanding, she wanted to be his only distraction. Whenever Suhee asked if he was free, his answers always circled back to Angelique: practice, plans, something came up.

She couldn’t even visit his penthouse like before. Now that he had a girlfriend, it felt like she needed permission—an invitation that never came. And when she did call, he was either with Angelique or at her place.

So Suhee began to distance herself. She didn’t ask for much, but even the little attention she once received as a friend had vanished. Determined not to dwell on it, she threw herself into the preparations for the upcoming school fest.

Together with Cornelia, she met with the school authorities to discuss logistics and organization. Later, they planned auditions for their girl group. The prize for the three backup members was seven point five million dollars to share—funded personally by Suhee. The auditions were open only to scholarship and C-Class students, though Suhee’s real goal was to uplift the scholarship students.

Applications flooded in—it was a golden opportunity. But finding the perfect three was harder than she’d imagined. Most of the scholarship students lacked balance: the ones who could sing couldn’t dance, and the dancers couldn’t sing. After several exhausting rounds, two C-Class students were selected. One spot remained. Suhee was particularly disturbed as her main target had still not made it.

The last girl stepped into the room.

Cornelia’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that the liar who accused Ryan of r@pe?” she snapped.

“She has a name,” Suhee said calmly. “It’s Rachel.” Then, softer, she asked, “How are you? Have you been better?”

“Yes,” Rachel replied timidly.

“Out of the question,” Cornelia hissed. “You’re not taking part after sabotaging my friend. Get out of my sight!”

Rachel flinched, visibly shaken. Just as she turned to leave, Suhee’s voice stopped her.

“Wait.”

Cornelia glared at her.

“We only have two backups,” Suhee reminded her. “We need three—and she’s the last on the list. Let’s at least see what she can do.”

Cornelia sighed, clearly displeased, but nodded.

Suhee winked at Rachel, offering a reassuring smile. The girl took a deep breath as the music started. When she began to perform, it was clear—she was the best of them all. Even Cornelia had to admit her talent.

“Welcome to the team,” Suhee said, smiling at her warmly.

“So,” she continued, clapping her hands together, “what should we name our little group?”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty of ideas!” Cornelia grinned. “Aethera, Monarchy, Sirenx, Luxrae, Lunas, Evoque, Miyora, Velvet Gems, Gemini, Mirage84, STN5—short for Stanton Five—”

“I think I like velvet gems” Suhee began.

“Yeah,” the others agreed, finishing her thought.

“And what about the roles?” one of the girls asked.

“Alex, you’ll be our visual and backup dancer,” Suhee said. “Your brown skin glows like gold, and you’re stunning.”

Alex smiled shyly.

“Eun-chae, you’ll be vocal and backup rapper. Cornelia, main and lead vocal. And Rachel…” She paused. “You’ll be main and lead dancer.”

Cornelia frowned. “But you sing better than I do, rap better than Eun-chae, dance better than Rachel—and you’re the most beautiful here.”

Suhee smiled faintly. “I think this distribution is fair. Besides, we need a leader and a main rapper. As leader, I’ll still do all of that. The spotlight should be shared.”

“Yes,” Cornelia said quietly, “but it’s still our moment—you and I. The main spotlight will always be ours.”

Suhee sighed, and the others chuckled.

“Training starts tomorrow at six p.m.,” she announced. The girls began to leave, chatting among themselves, until only Suhee and Rachel remained.

“Hey, Suhee?” Rachel said hesitantly.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you. For the opportunity.”

“It’s nothing,” Suhee replied with a soft smile. “See you tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Angelique was at Trunks’ penthouse. She now had full access — a privilege she flaunted with quiet pride. Trunks himself wasn’t home yet.

“Ms. Angelique?” Serge said in surprise when she walked in. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Do I really need to announce myself here?” she asked coolly. “Trunks made it clear this is my house too.”

“I never meant to embarrass you,” Serge replied quickly. “It’s just that if we’d known you were coming, we could’ve prepared better.”

“Then be prepared every day,” she said sharply. “Because I’ll be coming here almost every day.”

“Yes, Ms. Rochefort.”

“Is Trunks around?”

“Not yet, ma’am.”

“Then I’ll wait for him in the room,” she said, turning away without another glance.

From a distance, Grandma Yuna watched her ascend the stairs, her face tightening with silent disapproval.

Inside Trunks’ room, Angelique began searching — through drawers, under papers, between books — for anything that might reveal more about his companies or whoever backed him. But she found nothing. Not a single clue. Instead, she stumbled upon something unexpected: an old bracelet. Broken, yet carefully kept, as if it meant more than its worth.

She examined it briefly, then placed it back exactly as she’d found it.

A sound echoed from the living room — the familiar click of the front door. Trunks was home. Quickly, Angelique undressed, slipping under the covers in nothing but her underwear, arranging herself as though she’d been waiting for him.

When Trunks opened the door and saw her, his eyes widened.

“A–A–Angelique?” he stammered, his voice trembling.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, stepping toward him with slow, sensual movements. “Since we’ve been together, you’ve given me everything… except one thing. I came here to claim it.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

“Trunks,” she whispered, pressing his hand against her chest, “I’m hot. Please, make me feel good.”

But Trunks froze. His mind was spinning — his heart racing for all the wrong reasons.

“I… I don’t think this is a good idea,” he said, pulling away.

“Why not?” Angelique’s tone hardened. “We’re a couple. That’s what couples do.”

“No,” Trunks said firmly, shaking his head.

“Then why are you rejecting me?” she asked, voice trembling as she feigned tears. “You don’t like my body?”

“No, that’s not it,” he said softly. “You’re gorgeous. Your body’s gorgeous. I just… I don’t want to disrespect you. And honestly… I’ve never done that before.” His face flushed crimson. “I’m embarrassed. I’m not ready. I don’t think it’s right to rush this. Let’s take our time, okay? Please don’t cry. Just give us a bit of time.”

Angelique sniffed, wiping away her fake tears. “You’re right,” she said softly.

“Do you forgive me?” he asked nervously.

“Yes… but on one condition.”

“Anything you want.”

She reached into her bag and handed him a blank cheque. “Sign this.”

Trunks blinked, confused, but didn’t hesitate. “Alright.” He signed without question.

“You’re not even asking how much I’ll write or what I’ll use it for?” she asked, testing him.

“No,” he replied simply. “I trust you. You’re my princess. Nothing’s too big for you.”

Angelique’s lips parted slightly in disbelief. Even for her, his naivety was stunning.

The next day, Velvet Gem began their official activities. The group went shopping for their teaser photoshoot — dresses, jewelry, concept outfits — everything covered by Stanton’s sponsorship for the christmas fest, managed by Cornelia. Afterward, they filmed their first teaser and finalized their stage names:

SORA (Suhee) – Leader, Main Rapper, Sub Vocal.

Representative Gem: Sapphire 💙 | Symbol: Crown | Color: Deep Midnight Blue

NIA (Cornelia) – Main Vocal, Lead Vocal.

Representative Gem: Ruby ❤️ | Symbol: Flaming Rose | Color: Crimson Red

RAYE (Rachel) – Main Dancer, Lead Dancer.

Representative Gem: Opal 🤍 | Symbol: Butterfly | Color: Iridescent White

LX-A (Alex) – Visual, Sub Dancer.

Representative Gem: Citrine 💛 | Symbol: Sun Mirror | Color: Golden Yellow

CHERRY (Eun-Chae) – Vocal, Rapper.

Representative Gem: Amethyst 💜 | Symbol: Feather & Moon | Color: Soft Violet