Loving The Heartless Man

Chapter 3

Elara Pov

7 years ago...

"Am I beautiful now, Liam? Do you think Alexander will find me beautiful? He is not going to reject my proposal, right?" I asked Liam anxiously after he applied makeup on my face. I was excited and nervous all day. I couldn't even eat properly today because I was excited for tonight.

This night is important to me. Tonight is our senior high school graduation ball. But it's not just that. Because tonight, I plan to propose to Liam. I will ask him if he can be my boyfriend.

Liam and I are schoolmates. Even though we are not classmates, we often hang out together on the school campus because we are close to each other. He is known as the male campus crush while I am the female campus crush. Many students pair us as a couple even though he is not courting me. However, even though he is not courting me, he does not contradict our schoolmates, who tease us and just smile, so I think he also likes me.

I am not the only one who has a crush on Liam; many female students in our school do too. Whoever becomes his girlfriend is lucky because, first of all, he is handsome and smart, and it's just a bonus that he is a rich kid. But I like him not because he is rich or smart. I like him because of the way he treated me. I felt like an important person every time I was with him. And of course, he is handsome. Now that we have graduated and will be attending different schools, I am worried that he might meet another girl in college. I can't study at the school where he attends because my family is not wealthy. So now, while we are still close to each other, I will confess my feelings for her.

The area on campus where Alexander and I often hang out during free time was decorated with many heart-shaped balloons. Everyone at our school seems to know that I'm going to propose to him, except for him. All of them are rooting for me to get Alexander's sweet "yes".

"My goodness, Elara! How many times have you asked me that? Aren't your ears tired of my answers?" Liam, my very supportive best friend, jokingly said to me. "If I weren't gay, I would definitely like you. You're very beautiful inside and out. And everyone knows that you and Alexander have a mutual understanding, so he won't reject you. He might even be preparing to confess his feelings for you now."

I was touched by what Liam said, so I hugged him. "You're a very supportive best friend. I'm really lucky to have you."

"Let's not be dramatic here. Let's leave now or we might be late for the graduation ball." When I seemed reluctant to leave my room, he took my small shoulder bag and slung it over his shoulder before pulling me out of our house.

As we were on our way to school, I felt extremely nervous. It was as if my heart was about to jump out of my chest from the intense anxiety and anticipation I was feeling.

But I didn't expect that the excitement and joy I was feeling would suddenly be replaced by intense embarrassment and heartbreak.

Upon arriving at the school gate, a classmate of ours who helped decorate the place where I planned to propose to Alexander immediately greeted us.

"It's good that you're here, Elara. Come with me. Hurry!"

Before I could ask her where she was taking me and why she seemed anxious, she already pulled my hand. She brought me to the place where my surprise proposal for Alexander was set up. Many students were gathered around, seemingly watching something. My classmate cleared the path through the students blocking our way until the unpleasant scene came into view. In front of my surprise proposal was Alexander, holding the flower bouquet I had prepared for him. I became nervous when I saw his face darkened and he didn't seem happy with what he saw.

"What does this mean, Elara?" Alexander asked me with narrowed eyes after reading the words "Will You Be My Boyfriend?" written on each balloon.

I can't speak. It seems I swallowed my tongue, so I couldn't answer his question. It's obvious what he means by what he's seeing, so why would he still ask?

"Isn't it obvious, Alexander? Elara is going to confess her feelings to you and ask if she can be your girlfriend," said Isabela, one of the girls who has a huge crush on Alexander. She and her friends laughed as if what I was about to do was hilarious.

"You have the nerve to do that, Elara. What do you think of me? Cheap? Would I get into a relationship with the town's girlfriend? With a girl who doesn't just have one boyfriend but almost all the handsome male students in school become her boyfriends? With a gold digger?" After speaking, Alexander threw the flower he was holding onto the floor and stomped on it, crushing it with his feet.

I was even more speechless at what he did. I felt like it wasn't flowers that were being trampled and crushed by his feet, but my heart. My entire being. I also didn't expect to hear such hurtful words from Alexander. Why did he say that to me? Doesn't he know me? Doesn't he know that all the news about my supposed boyfriends isn't true? I have had no boyfriend since birth. And all the rumors about me at school being a playgirl aren't true.

For me, it's just a waste of time if I pay attention to those fake news. I know that none of it is true. But I didn't expect that Alexander would believe in those rumors.

Suddenly, my knees weakened, so I couldn't help but sit on the floor. Liam came closer to me when he saw what happened to me. I am in pain. Hearing those hurtful words from the person I have liked for six years makes me feel like I am a w***e.

"Stand up, Elara! Don't listen to what Alexander said. Don't be sad. Instead, be happy because you saw his true color," said Liam as he tried to help me stand. "He is not worthy of your affection."

"Tell your friend not to be ambitious, Liam. Alexander won't like a slut like her!" Isabela said with a grin, clearly delighted by what happened.

"Slut!"

"Gold digger!"

"Ambitious!"

"Shameless!"

Those are just some of the hurtful words thrown at me by the students surrounding me, led by Isabela. They picked up the decorative flowers and threw them at me while also hurling ugly words.

I look at their faces and shake my head. Their faces are mocking, judging, and insulting at me. I thought they were rooting for Alexander and me to be together. I thought they were sincerely happy for us. It seemed they were just faking it.

I wanted to sob and cry but my tears wouldn't fall. I think I was too shocked by what unexpectedly happened.

Liam shielded me with his body so that he would be hit instead of me by the things being thrown at me by the students. They were very angry as if I had committed a great sin against them.

I looked up again and saw Isabela and Alexander holding hands while walking away from me. Isabela glanced back at me briefly and sneered before turning away. My heart broke even more at what I saw. At this moment, my tears finally fell, which earlier refused to come out.

I clenched my fists tightly. It's not just the pain in my chest and intense humiliation I feel now, but anger. Anger towards Alexander. He didn't have to humiliate me like this if he didn't like me. He could nicely reject me because I wouldn't force myself on him. But he chose to embarrass me in front of our schoolmates. He is heartless! I will never forgive and forget what he did to me. And if I get the chance, I will retaliate for what he did to me! I will make him experience how it feels to be hurt and humiliated in front of many people. I swear it!