The Love That Ruined Me

Two different worlds

For the first time, I saw something I had never seen in Dylan's expression. His cool and kind-hearted face, the one he always carried, disappeared immediately when I slapped him.

For seconds, he remained frozen with his eyes closed. Then he slowly opened them and stared directly into my eyes. Even if there was fear written across his face, I stared back at him.

We continued watching each other until Hudson walked in between us.

“Scarlett, you just have to take it easy,” Hudson said and quickly turned to Dylan.

“And you. You have to watch your words before talking to her. Have you forgotten you both are from different worlds?” Hudson continued, but Dylan remained silent.

For some seconds, Dylan smirked and lowered his head slightly.

“I'm sorry.” His voice was barely above a whisper before he turned to leave.

“Come back here and pick this cup, then you should get me another coffee,” I snapped at him before he left the room.

Dylan slowly turned back and landed his gaze on me again. Without a smile, he kept looking at me, but I ignored him. I looked down at the floor and rubbed my temples.

Finally, Dylan walked close to me and picked up the cup from the floor before leaving in a hurry, while Hudson kept watching us.

Once he stepped out of the room, I dropped myself back onto the chair and rested my neck against it to face the ceiling.

Throughout that day, all my emotions felt uneasy. The words my father had mentioned remained haunting my head, and I continued to think about them.

—----

A week later, I had already prepared myself and placed my clothes carefully inside the luggage pack. Every one of my movements was sluggish because the thought continued to spread through my brain until I finished packing, zipped the bag, and walked out of the room.

I walked straight to the compound and informed Dylan to carry my luggage pack. Then I entered the car as we drove off.

When we got to our destination at the school campus, I refused to get down from the car at first and stared off into the distance.

“You should come by evening to pick me up. I need to approach a restaurant to have some fun,” I said, my words sharp, but everything remained silent.

I was expecting a reply from Dylan, but he said nothing. Then I glanced at him.

“I hope you heard me. It must be in the evening,” I yelled and pulled off my seat belt to step out of the car, but his words stopped me.

“I will do that only when I have the time.” His voice was heavy, and he didn't look at me.

“What are you talking about?” I replied, pulling my brows together.

For seconds, he remained watching outside through the car window.

“Your father once hired me as your brother's driver or assistant, whatever, and somehow I ended up being the full household assistant,” he continued without even sparing me a glance.

“Are you out of your mind?” I snapped and began to raise my voice at him.

“Scarlett…” he called me and paused, then he slowly turned his face toward me.

Hearing my name from his voice did something to me because I had never heard that from him. Somehow, though, it felt like dishonour to me.

“You know, since when I started working under your family, I have never seen you like a billionaire's daughter or a person I could respect,” he said.

Heat rushed to my face immediately. Inside the car suddenly felt suffocating. Every one of his words struck my heart, one after another, and my fingers curled tightly against my palm. Someone who should have given me respect had instead started talking to me lavishly.

“To me, you only seem like a sister, not a woman. So whenever you direct an order at me, I answer only because I want to get my victory and because you have the power,” he continued.

My throat went dry. I was speechless because saying any word seemed meaningless, but I focused on studying his face and reaction. He looked like someone who was even eager to sue me.

“Are you kidding me?” I forced the words out, and despite my effort, they still quaked.

“Now get out of the car while I return your brother immediately, and watch the way you order me to do something from now on…” His voice grew heavier again in my ear, and his hand tightened around the steering wheel.

I remained watching him without taking my eyes off him.

“I will come to pick you if I have the time.”

I let out a breath through my nostrils, pulled the car door open, and stepped out. I stood there for a moment, letting the air outside reach my face as I tried to clear the annoyance burning inside me.

Suddenly, Kira, a classmate of mine, walked along and approached me with a smile.

“Hi, Scarlett, it's been a long time. I'm glad you are back at school.” Her voice was soft, and I forced a fake smile onto my face.

She hooked her arm around mine and continued grinning as we began to walk inside the school. Before we took another step forward, I noticed Dylan behind us, holding my luggage pack in his hand.

“I will help you with this so you won't forget. Just lead me to your locker,” he said with no warmth on his face.

My rapidly beating heart slowly calmed when I heard his words. Then we all walked into the school.

Later in the evening, the sky still shone brightly, but darkness was already surrounding it. I had waited so long, expecting Dylan to pick me up, but he couldn't appear. Even though I called him, he still wouldn't pick up.

I began to pace back and forth along the street nearest to the school as I continued running my fingers through my hair.

For hours, I remained outside. Dylan still didn't come. Then I looked at the bench behind me and sat down carefully.

I slowly rubbed my fingers against my temples as my heartbeat became uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, a guy showed up and sat beside me as he grinned.

“Hi, I'm Derek. A classmate of yours,” he said and continued smiling.

I tightened my brows together and looked at him predatorily.

“So, how is that a concern to me?” I snapped.

Then Derek shifted closer to me, as if he could enter my whole body.

“You know…” he began. “Since I was in the class, I have studied you carefully, and you are one of the girls likely to be my type, with your silent and pleasant moves.”

A dead laugh escaped my lips as I smirked.

“Are you sure you're okay?” I said slowly, but the words came out heavily, as though I had forced them from my throat.

Derek dragged his gaze away from me and stared ahead of him.

“Don't be dramatic…” He leaned back.

“I'm only just requesting the both of us as a friend or something more special than that.”

I swallowed hard and began to roll my eyes. Every expression on my face became sad all of a sudden.

“Tch… I'm totally pissed off today,” I said and leaned forward as I clenched my fist.

Suddenly, Dylan's car rolled toward us and stopped in front of us. The car window slowly rolled down, and Dylan glanced out from it.

Our eyes met each other, and neither of us blinked.

The street went so silent that the air was the only noise echoing in my ear.