Beneath The Mask

Chapter 4

Raymond stumbled back to his dorm, his thoughts racing. Everything was falling apart, and it was all because of Annabella—Abigail’s stepsister, the one he had secretly been seeing behind Abigail’s back. He had thought he could balance both—Abigail’s sweetness and Annabella’s fiery, assertive nature—but now it was all crashing down.

When he opened the door to his room, Annabella was already waiting for him. She sat casually on his bed, arms crossed, as if she had been expecting him.

“So, did she break up with you?” Annabella asked, her voice cool as she looked up at him.

Raymond sighed heavily, throwing his bag onto the chair. “Yeah, she did.”

Annabella didn’t seem surprised. She smirked slightly, uncrossing her arms. “Good. She was holding you back.”

Raymond glared at her. “It’s not like that, Annabella! I cared about her!”

“But not enough,” Annabella shot back, standing up from the bed. “You’ve been playing her for weeks, Raymond. Don’t pretend you’re some innocent victim here.”

Raymond clenched his jaw, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t plan for things to turn out this way. It’s just... you and I, we make more sense.”

Annabella scoffed. “Stop acting like you’re guilty. You’ve already made your choice. Abigail is out of the picture now, and it’s just you and me.”

Raymond said nothing. He wasn’t sure how he felt anymore. He had been drawn to Annabella’s confidence and boldness, but Abigail’s kindness was something he was starting to miss.

---

Meanwhile…

Back at the dorm, Abigail sat on her bed, staring out the window. The breakup with Raymond still stung, but the betrayal of her stepsister, Annabella, cut even deeper. Olivia was by her side, scrolling through her phone to order dinner.

“Okay, I’ve got sweet and sour pork, dumplings, and some mapo tofu on the way,” Olivia said. “Trust me, food will help.”

Abigail smiled weakly. “Thanks, Olivia. You always know how to cheer me up.”

“Of course,” Olivia replied, flopping down on the bed next to her. “But seriously, I can’t believe Raymond did that to you. And with Annabella of all people!”

Abigail sighed, her gaze distant. “I should’ve seen it coming. I threw everything I had into that relationship. I just didn’t think she’d go that far.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Olivia said softly. “Raymond is the one who messed up here, not you. Annabella’s been jealous of you for as long as I can remember.”

Abigail nodded slowly, but the pain was still raw. “I just don’t understand why. We’re supposed to be family.”

“She never saw it that way,” Olivia replied. “Annabella’s always been in competition with you. She wants everything you have.”

Just then, Abigail’s phone buzzed with a notification. It was from an unknown number.

“Hello, am I speaking with Miss Abigail?” a voice asked when she answered.

“Yes, who’s this?” Abigail asked, confused.

“This is Pourl Corporation. We’re calling to inform you that your internship application has been approved.”

The voice on the other end paused. “Your application was submitted and accepted. Congratulations, and we’ll send you more details via email.”

The call ended, leaving Abigail puzzled. She looked at Olivia.

“Did you... by any chance... send an application to Pourl for me?”

Olivia bit her lip, avoiding Abigail’s gaze. “I might have…”

Abigail’s eyes widened. “Olivia!” she exclaimed. “You can’t do things like that without telling me!”

“I was just trying to help!” Olivia said defensively. “You were looking for internships, and Pourl is one of the best companies. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Abigail sighed, shaking her head. “Well, now I have to figure this out.”

Olivia shrugged. “Maybe it’s a good thing. An internship at Pourl could be life-changing.”

Abigail thought about it for a moment. Maybe Olivia was right. After everything that had happened, maybe a fresh start—somewhere new—wasn’t such a bad idea.