1. The Hardships of Zea's Life
1114 Words
"Chapter three needs to be revised again. There's still something missing in the fifth point."
Zea sat weakly in the chair with a blank stare. Those words kept echoing in her ears, almost driving her to the brink of stress thinking about it.
"Ah!" she screamed loudly, messing up her already disheveled hair.
She crumpled her thesis paper and threw everything in front of her away. Then she flung herself onto the bed, crying into the pillow that had become a daily reservoir for her tears.
"How many times do I have to revise? I'm exhausted..." She sniffed. "My friends have mostly finished their thesis," she complained.
How could she not complain? This week, Zea was told to revise chapter three multiple times. Whatever Zea wrote in her scientific work was always wrong in Andrei's eyes. Even though the data she collected was not just any data. She even went around libraries in Los Angeles to find data she could include in her thesis. Yet still, Andrei was never satisfied with her hard work.
"And tomorrow is the time to pay the rent," she sniffed. "I don't have any money left. I'm embarrassed to keep asking Brother Scott," she complained again while hitting her bolster.
Even for the past few days, she had only been eating instant noodles every day. Her monthly allowance was spent on going around Los Angeles to find books in libraries.
Isn't her struggle impressive? She's not from a wealthy family, so she has to be smart about managing her money if she doesn't want to burden her siblings. Her father has passed away and her mother cannot work, so all her needs are covered by her siblings.
Bzz...
Zea groped for her ringing phone. She then read the message just sent by her harsh lecturer.
Nagging Andrei:
Tomorrow at eight, a supervision session at the campus as usual.
Zea put her phone back down. She had no intention of replying to the man's message, as her heart was still very hurt. She didn't care if Andrei got angry; she was already very immune to the harsh words of that man.
"There's no point in going for guidance. I just get scolded. I'd rather just sleep all day," she muttered before closing her eyes.
It only took a few seconds for Zea to fall asleep. Perhaps due to her sheer exhaustion, she easily drifted off to sleep.
***
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a tall man was helping two small children brush their teeth in the bathroom. He was diligently helping the little boy, who was sitting on the sink, brush his teeth. The other child was waiting for her turn, singing and doing a little dance.
“Dad...” the little girl called.
“Yes?” the man replied.
“When will Sena have a Mom? Sena is tired of being teased by friends all the time.”
The man remained silent. He focused on brushing his son's teeth, making the little girl pout in annoyance.
“I have already told you, having a Mom isn't fun! My friend said Mommies like to nag every day. Do you really want to be nagged all the time?” said the little boy, his mouth full of toothpaste foam.
“Then let's find one who doesn't like to nag,” the little girl replied.
“Might as well find one who is mute,” the little boy quipped, causing their Dad to widen his eyes.
“Hush! Kids shouldn't talk nonsense. When you're getting your teeth brushed, stay quiet, don't talk too much! Otherwise, Dad will lock you in the bathroom, and you'll see!” he scolded, causing both children to lower their heads with sulky expressions.
“Besides, Dad works all the time. Sena gets lonely at home. That's why Sena wants a Mom,” the child complained with teary eyes and a frown.
The man let out a heavy sigh. He hugged both children and gently patted their backs.
“Sean and Sena don't have school tomorrow, right?” he asked, and both children nodded in response.
“Then come to work with Dad,” he said again, making both children's eyes light up instantly.
“Yeay!” they cheered excitedly.
The man smiled slightly. Then he gave a brief kiss on his children's foreheads, making both of them smile even more.
His name is Andrei Evans, commonly known as Mr. Andrei or Dad Drei to his children. The 30-year-old man has twin children from his marriage to his ex-wife.
On campus, he is seen as harsh by his students. But at home, he is a very warm father to his children. No one knows that Andrei has been married and has children. All this time, people have thought of him as a confirmed bachelor because he hasn't found a partner at his mature age. Some even suspect he's gay, despite having two cute little kids from his marriage to his ex-wife.
Andrei has a handsome, assertive, and charismatic appearance. His aura of authority is very strong, making him respected by many people. Even though he rarely smiles, his face is still easy on the eyes. That's why many women admire him. But it's just admiration; they don't dare to fantasize about being his girlfriend or wife because they think Andrei is into men.
Another reason women are drawn to him is his neat appearance and his pleasant fragrance, making women enjoy being around him.
***
Zea woke up at five a.m. After bathing and praying, she then opened her laptop again to continue working on her thesis.
This is her daily routine. From waking up to going back to bed, her thesis is all she focuses on. Her friends don't put in nearly as much effort. They're relaxed and finish quickly because they have the right supervisor. Unlike her, who has to sweat and cry to complete each chapter's points.
When asked why she doesn't request a change of supervisor, Zea has probably submitted her request five times. But the campus authorities haven't responded at all, as if they're letting Zea endure Andrei's torment. She doesn't know the reason either.
Drrt...
Zea glanced at her phone. The number saved as ‘Nagging Andrei' sent her another message.
Nagging Andrei:
No meeting at the Campus
At the Café instead
At eight
Don't be late
Zea hit her phone hard. Already in a bad mood first thing in the morning.
“Can't you just be quiet for a day?! I'm so tired of seeing you every day,” she grumbled.
Soon after, Andrei sent her another message.
Nagging Andrei:
If you don't come, I'll make you revise from chapter 1 to 3 again.
- Writer
