57

Fertine’s heart raced as she hurried down the bustling city street, her mind consumed with thoughts of the past. She couldn’t believe her bad luck as she suddenly found herself face-to-face with her ex, Wilder. Their breakup had been painful, filled with heartache and tears, and she had worked so hard to move on and rebuild her life.

As Fertine caught sight of him, her steps faltered, and she instinctively ducked into a nearby coffee shop, desperately hoping he hadn’t seen her. She knew that bumping into him could stir up old emotions she had fought so hard to bury. With her heart pounding, she found solace in the anonymity of the cozy café.

She ordered a latte, her hands trembling slightly, and took a seat by the window, trying to blend into the background of the bustling city scene outside. Fertine took a deep breath, reminding herself of the reasons why their relationship had ended. She had discovered their differences were too vast, their dreams diverging in incompatible directions.

Lost in her thoughts, Fertine recalled the nights she spent crying herself to sleep, the countless hours she had invested in healing her wounded heart. She had worked tirelessly on herself, cultivating her own passions, and building a life that was uniquely hers.

Suddenly, Fertine’s heart sank as she noticed he is entering the coffee shop, scanning the room with a searching gaze. She quickly averted her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t recognize her amidst the crowd. She reminded herself that this momentary encounter didn’t define her progress or happiness. She had come so far since their breakup.

Summoning her inner strength, Fertine decided she wouldn’t let this encounter disrupt her newfound peace. She focused on the rich aroma of her coffee, savoring each sip as she reminded herself that she deserved happiness, and that meant letting go of the past.

With every passing moment, Fertine’s resolve grew stronger. She realized that running away or hiding wasn’t the solution. She had nothing to be ashamed of, and she refused to let her ex hold power over her emotions any longer. It was time to face her fears and show him, and herself, just how far she had come.

Taking one last deep breath, Fertine rose from her seat, leaving her half-empty cup behind. As she walked past James, their eyes met briefly, and she mustered a polite nod, a silent acknowledgment that their paths had diverged. But her gaze never faltered; she focused on the door, determined to step out into the world, leaving the shadows of the past firmly behind her.

Fertine emerged onto the sunlit street, her heart now light and free. The encounter had reminded her of the strength she possessed and the life she had built for herself. She continued her journey, head held high, ready to embrace the future with open arms.

I went back to the hotel.

I shrieked when I saw Wilder behind my back. I was looking at the mirror in the lobby.

“Hey,” he said.

I swallowed hard.

“Hey,” I said back.

“Uh…” I stammered. I don’t know what to say to him. Damn it.

I grabbed a book near the shelf of the mirror.

“I gotta go read.” I told him and left right away.

Fucking shit.

Damn it! What did I do?

What the hell?! I got to read? What kind of fucking reason is that?!

I hurried down the bustling city street, my heart pounding in my chest. As fate would have it, I had run into my ex, Wilder, unexpectedly. Memories of our tumultuous relationship flooded my mind, and I felt a mix of anger, sadness, and anxiety. The wounds were still fresh, and I knew I wasn’t ready to face him just yet.

With a surge of determination, I turned into a nearby coffee shop, seeking refuge from the uncomfortable encounter. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts and steady my emotions. The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee enveloped me, offering a sense of comfort amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

I ordered a latte and found solace in a secluded corner of the café, hoping to remain unnoticed. My hands trembled as I clutched the warm cup, my mind racing with memories of our past. I remembered the countless arguments, the tears shed, and the broken promises. It had taken so much strength to walk away, to choose my own well-being over the toxic cycle we had found ourselves trapped in.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself in the present moment. I reminded myself of all the progress I had made since our breakup. The nights spent rebuilding my self-esteem, the days filled with rediscovering my passions and dreams—I had come so far.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of unease as I saw Wilder step into the coffee shop. Panic coursed through my veins as I quickly averted my gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed me. I couldn’t bear to reopen the wounds that were just beginning to heal. I refused to let him disrupt the peace I had fought so hard to find.

As I sat there, hidden away, I reaffirmed my worth. I deserved happiness, love, and a future that didn’t involve the pain of our past. I reminded myself that my journey of healing was far from over, and encountering him shouldn’t define my progress.

Minutes felt like hours as I mustered the courage to face the situation head-on. Slowly, I stood up, my heart still racing but fueled by determination. I decided that avoiding him wasn’t the solution—I needed to confront my fears and show myself that I had grown stronger.

Walking past Wilder, our eyes briefly met. I saw a flicker of recognition in his gaze, but I held my head high, refusing to engage. This encounter didn’t define me anymore. I had learned to love myself, to put my well-being first, and to leave behind what no longer served me.

Stepping out onto the bustling street, a newfound sense of liberation washed over me. I had made it through the encounter, stronger than I had ever imagined. As I continued my journey, I knew there would be challenges, but I was ready to face them with resilience and a belief in my own worth.

No longer bound by the shadows of our past, I embraced the future with open arms. The encounter with Wilder had reminded me that I was the author of my own story, and I was determined to make it a beautiful one, filled with self-love, growth, and the freedom to be truly me.

Well, I really need to read. Seeing him is making me feel something inside. I gotta read on my bed tonight.

I went back and stayed at the hotel, in my own suite and just took a time for myself. Nona is with mother for a monthly vacation so I really have a lot of time to focus on business and to take care of myself. Have my free time.

After I took a shower. I grabbed the book that I randomly got from the lobby and read it.

An hour in, I was so into it. So immersed and in love with the story. There is something in it that pulls me in. Like it connects me to it.

Aidan is a carefree guy, he doesn’t care about other people’s feelings, he doesn’t obey the rules because he knows his parents would do anything to keep him out of trouble that’s why he didn’t let it pass when a new girl, Claire from the province made him look like a fool, assuming that she stalks her when in fact she doesn’t. He loathes Claire for being stupid and clumsy all the time and in every circumstance she’s there to ruin everything for him but he couldn’t get rid of her in fact he’s more drawn into her because she has a resemblance to the girl she met at a bar.

How similar they are when it comes to appearance is how different they are in dress and manners, Claire is shy and clumsy while the woman he met at the bar is seductive and confident. Even though he loathes her, Aidan saves her from drowning and even wins a piñata contest just to give her all the candies. He can’t stop himself from staring at her innocent and deep eyes, even though he’s unsure of what he’s feeling he will do anything to see her sweet smile. Aidan’s special attention to the nerdy girl has been noticed by the whole university.

Cherry, Aidan’s ex-girlfriend, can’t accept the fact that the hottest and richest guy is showering attention on someone who’s stupid and nerdy. She didn’t waste time and bullied her. Cherry made a scene and his brother Cole helped Claire instead of her own sister. Wilder couldn’t help but squint his eyes, jealousy crept inside him. After that incident, Claire tried everything to avoid him and Wilder noticed it and he couldn’t take it so he confronted her but the only thing he got was rejection. He was furious at getting rejected by a nerd and to get rid of what he’s feeling inside he partied with his friends and when he’s so dope up he tried to unwind outside of the bar. All the alcohol was washed away when he saw Claire walk out of the bar, in a red strap and tight dress, very unlike her nerdy façade, it’s like she’s the girl he saw at the bar that night. He tried to follow her but she was gone in an instant. The next day, Aidan is hungover and he’s unsure about what he saw, he didn’t act impulsively and confront her because he knows that she would deny it, he needs evidence to prove that what he saw was real.

I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows as I was reading. What the hell. This book doesn’t just speak to me. It somehow reflects my life!

How?

How is this possible?

Am I hallucinating right now?

Damn it.

I went to the mini kitchen of the suite and made myself coffee to finish the book. I was feeling sleepy but I didn’t mind it.

I need to finish it.

There’s a lot of questions in his mind but he’s gonna deal with it one at a time. He’s going to solve the mystery around Claire, a wild girl hiding in a nerdy girl façade. Ever since that day when he saw Fertine on that bar, her actions and behavior changed. It’s like she’s trying to be the new hot girl, replacing Cherry. Just like what Aidan thought, one day Claire walked in the campus with a strong and feminine aura around her. Looking very different from her nerdy style.

Everyone was shocked, Including Wilder even though he had a clue this would happen. He tried to talk to her but she’s so into the attention everyone is giving to her. Cherry tried to bully her once again but to no avail she only shamed herself in front of the people who once adored her for her beauty. But now there’s someone better than her who doesn’t like her anymore. Claire became the queen bee, just like any other nerds to queens story, she became evil. Long gone, the stupid, clumsy nerd that she once was. Aidan found out that she’s the hot girl in the bar.

Since her queen bee transformation, she became the outstanding girl in the university, beauty and brains but her attitude became different, she became more sassy and into fights. She tried to flirt with Aidan and he could resist her but he knows deep inside that it’s different and it felt weird for him because she will switch back to the nerd she was in a second and get back to what she is making Aidan confused.

I gulped. Isn’t this?

This book got me thinking of my past and what I did in high school. I’m not a fighter back then, in fact I was the one who was always bullied because of my looks, because of my looks, because I’m a nerd. But this one is different, here the protagonist is the bully.