**The One I Swore to Hate Him**

Here is the fully humanized, polished version of **Episode 1**. Maya Scott held her breath as the heavy wooden doors of the Grand Hall swung open. Outside, rain poured hard over the stone buildings of St. Jude University. Inside, hundreds of students, professors, and wealthy donors filled the velvet seats. Maya checked her wrist watch fast. 8:15 PM. Her evening shift at the campus diner started at 9:00 PM. She had just forty-five minutes to finish this big debate, keep her top student rank, and run six blocks through the heavy rain to put on her work apron. If she turned up late, her boss would fire her on the spot. And without that job, paying her monthly rent was impossible. She smoothed down her simple black blazer and stepped toward the microphone. Across the stage stood her biggest nightmare. Leo Cross. He didn't look like a student at all. He looked like the man who owned the whole university. Tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing a dark navy suit, Leo leaned back casually against his podium. His dark hair was styled neat, his jaw locked firm, and his dark eyes looked completely cold. Unlike Maya, he carried no paper notes or tablet. He just stood there with absolute confidence. "Welcome to the annual Senior Economics Debate," the head professor announced into the microphone. "Representing the scholarship program, Maya Scott. Representing the corporate honors track, Leo Cross." The crowd applauded loud, and a group of rich students cheered wildly for Leo. He didn't even look at them. His eyes stayed locked straight on Maya, a small, annoying smirk touching his lips. "Ms. Scott, you have three minutes for your opening statement." Maya stepped up to the mic. She spoke clearly without looking at her papers once, talking about low-income housing, small business support, and how aggressive corporate expansion hurts ordinary communities. When she finished, strong applause filled the room. Maya let out a small breath and glanced at Leo. He didn't look impressed at all. "Mr. Cross. Your response," the moderator called out. Leo walked up to the microphone slow and steady. His deep voice came out calm. "Ms. Scott's speech was very emotional," he said, staring straight into her eyes. "It sounds very sweet in a storybook. But real economics isn't built on feelings. It's built strictly on numbers." A few rich students laughed in the audience. Maya felt heat rush to her face. "If a small business cannot survive corporate growth, it fails," Leo continued smoothly. "That is not cruelty. That is basic survival." "Survival for who?" Maya interrupted, taking a bold step away from her podium. "People like you who inherited billions without lifting a single finger?" The whole room gasped out loud! "Ms. Scott!" the moderator warned fast. Leo raised one hand calmly. "Let her speak. I want to hear how the top scholarship student explains corporate structure." Maya walked straight toward him. "A structure built pure on greed isn't smart, Mr. Cross. It's lazy. You sit on a mountain of money your family built and pretend you're a genius. If someone stripped away your last name and made you work three hard jobs just to buy a textbook, you wouldn't last one week!" Total silence fell over the hall. Leo stared down at her, stepping closer until only a few inches separated them. For three long seconds, neither of them moved. Then he leaned down close to her ear, his deep voice barely a whisper. "Try me, Ms. Scott." Maya's heart did a sudden leap. Before she could speak, Leo turned back to the judges and checked his watch. "My time is up. And judging by the clock, Ms. Scott has exactly four minutes to make her shift at the diner on 5th Street." Gasps and whispers broke out across the audience. Maya froze on the spot. He had just exposed her private job in front of the entire university. Her hands curled into tight fists as the moderator quickly called an end to the debate. Leo buttoned his suit jacket casually and walked off the stage like nothing happened. Maya watched him disappear backstage, her heart burning with pure anger. *I will make him pay for this,* she swore silently to herself. Maya ran through the heavy pouring rain, bursting through the doors of the diner completely soaked. "You're seven minutes late!" Sal, the owner, yelled from behind the counter. "I'm so sorry, Sal. The university debate—" "I don't care about your debate!" Sal snapped. "Table four needs orders, table six needs water, and booth two just sat down. Move!" Maya grabbed her apron fast, tying it around her waist. "On it." For the next three hours, she didn't rest for one second. She carried heavy trays, wiped dirty tables, and poured hot coffee with aching hands. While other students were resting in their dorms, she was scrubbing sticky syrup off wooden tables. By 11:30 PM, the diner finally grew quiet. Maya was cleaning a back table when the small bell above the door rang. "We're almost closed!" Sal called out from the kitchen. "Just a quick coffee," a deep, familiar voice answered. Maya froze instantly. She turned around slow. Leo Cross walked inside, his expensive suit jacket hanging over one shoulder, his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and his dark hair slightly damp from the rain. He looked completely out of place in the small, cheap diner. His dark eyes found her immediately. "A booth, please." "The diner is closing, Mr. Cross," Maya said, her tone cold. "The sign on the door says midnight," Leo replied calmly, sliding into a booth. "Are you turning away a paying customer?" Maya glared at him, holding the hot coffee pot tight. She walked over and set a thick mug down on his table. "Black coffee. Drink it fast and leave." Leo didn't touch the cup. He looked up at her. "You were good tonight." Maya blinked, surprised. "What?" "During the debate," he said softly. She let out a dry laugh. "Save your fake compliments. You embarrassed me in front of everyone." "I brought up your job because you came at me first," Leo said, his expression remaining completely steady. "You think you know everything about me, don't you, Maya?" Hearing her first name come out of his mouth made her heart beat a little faster. "I know enough," she replied. Leo reached into his pocket, pulled out a fresh hundred-dollar bill, and laid it flat on the table. "Keep the change." Maya stared at the money—it was more than she made in a full shift. Leo stood up smoothly. "See you in class tomorrow, Ms. Scott." He walked out into the rain, leaving Maya staring at the bill. She snatched it up, folding it tight in her hand. She was going to throw it right back at his chest the moment she saw him tomorrow. The next morning, Maya sat in the front row of her Advanced Macroeconomics class, running on almost zero sleep. The hundred-dollar bill was sitting right inside her pocket. Leo sat three rows behind her, surrounded by his usual group of wealthy friends. Professor Vance walked to the front of the room. "Your final grade this semester depends entirely on your Senior Thesis Project. It carries forty percent of your total mark. And this will be a paired project." The room went completely quiet as the professor started reading out names. "David with Sarah... Julian with Chloe..." Maya waited calmly, knowing she could handle the workload no matter who she got. "Maya Scott..." Professor Vance called out. "...with Leo Cross." *SNAP!* The plastic pen in Maya's hand snapped right in half, blue ink leaking onto her notebook paper! "What?!" Maya stood up fast. Professor Vance frowned over his glasses. "Is there a problem, Ms. Scott?" "Yes! A huge problem! Mr. Cross and I don't work the same way at all. We can't be partners!" "The pairings are final," the professor said firmly. "You two are the top students in this department. Work together, or you both fail." Maya's mouth went dry. Failing meant losing her full scholarship, and losing her scholarship meant her whole future was over. She slowly sat back down, staring at the desk. Suddenly, a warm breath brushed against the side of her ear. "Looks like we're partners, Ms. Scott," Leo whispered low. He was leaning right over her chair, his face just inches from hers. "I won't work with you," she whispered back, turning her head to glare at him. Leo's dark eyes locked onto hers. "You don't have a choice. And by the time this term ends, you'll see I'm the only person here who can keep up with you." Before Maya could reply, her phone vibrated in her lap. She looked down at the screen. **Unknown Number:** *If you want to save your scholarship, check Leo Cross's private folder on the department drive tonight.* A second text popped up immediately after. **Unknown Number:** *He is not who you think he is.* Maya's breath caught in her throat. She looked up slow, but Leo was already walking back to his seat, looking completely unbothered. She stared down at her phone screen again, her heart thumping against her ribs. There was a secret hiding behind Leo Cross's calm face—and she was about to find out what it was. Hey my lovely fans. Don't forget to follow up for more amazing stories 💪❤️