EPISODE21:- SILENCE BETWEEN CALLS
569 Words
The following morning felt heavier than usual.
The classroom buzzed faintly with laughter and chatter, but Leo Grayson sat in the last row, silent, his pen idle between his fingers.
Every few minutes, his eyes drifted to the door — waiting.
Layla’s seat, by the window, remained empty.
He checked his phone again. No messages.
He dialed her number once more, pressing it to his ear.
“The number you are trying to call is currently not reachable…”
The automated voice felt colder each time.
He sighed, sliding the phone back into his pocket.
Trying to shake off the worry, he scrolled through his contacts and stopped at another name — Clara Wells.
Maybe she had returned to the hotel. Maybe she’d pick up.
He tapped Call.
“The number you are calling is not reachable at the moment…”
Leo’s stomach tightened.
Two numbers, two women, both unreachable.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his thoughts spinning.
Did I push them away?
Did my silence finally cost me both?
He closed his eyes briefly, trying to drown out the noise around him.
The classroom door creaked open, cutting through the low hum of voices.
Isabella Monroe stepped in.
The room fell into instant whispers.
Her once flawless hair hung loose and uneven. The spark in her eyes — gone.
Even her usual confident strut had faded into slow, uncertain steps.
Her designer purse dragged slightly against the floor.
Students exchanged glances, murmuring.
“She looks… different.”
“What happened to her?”
“Did you see the news?”
Leo frowned, glancing toward the front row where someone whispered, “Lucian Frost dumped her for Amanda Smith. It’s all over the internet. Photos, interviews, everything.”
He turned to his screen.
There it was — trending everywhere.
“Lucian Frost spotted in Milan with fashion icon Amanda Smith.”
“Monroe out, Smith in: The social scene’s new power couple.”
Each headline seemed to drain the last bit of pride from Isabella’s image.
She stood at her desk for a moment, eyes fixed on nothing.
Then, with a trembling sigh, she gathered her things and walked out.
Not a single word.
Not even a glance.
The class fell silent, unsure whether to pity her or enjoy her fall.
Leo’s heart sank a little.
He remembered the girl who once walked with fire in her voice — proud, spoiled, but alive.
Now, she looked like someone whose world had quietly crumbled.
As the door closed behind her, the whispers began again, rising like smoke.
“Did you see her face?”
“Amanda Smith replaced her just like that.”
“That’s what happens when you think money lasts forever.”
Leo tuned it all out, staring at the door she had just passed through.
For a moment, he wondered how quickly life could strip away the illusion of power — one day you’re loved, the next you’re forgotten.
And somewhere, between Layla’s silence, Clara’s absence, and Isabella’s fall, Leo felt the world tightening around him — not as a janitor or a secret heir, but simply as a man caught between hearts and consequences.
He looked out the window, eyes distant.
The wind brushed through the campus trees, carrying the echo of laughter, sorrow, and a truth he could no longer ignore:
Everything changes… even the ones who swear they never will.
- Writer
