Chapter Five

"I heard Sir calling my name, 'Ms. Heyes?'" I noticed that he glanced around as he entered the room.

"Sir?" I stopped in front of him, expecting that he had something to tell or show me. Time was running out, and only a few of us remained in the room after the exam.

"The dean asks your presence. Please go straight to his office now," our professor said. I couldn't help but feel nervous upon hearing his words. I knew why I was being summoned.

I still had a significant balance to settle due to my inability to pay it off promptly when my mother fell ill last year. I've been gradually paying it off, but it wasn't enough to cover everything at once. The tuition for the course I chose was expensive, and I wanted to avoid taking it, but my mother insisted that I pursue my dream course because she didn't want me to regret it in the end.

In the dean's office, I nervously shifted in my seat, my heart pounding. I cleared my throat as the dean looked up from his desk.

"Dean Williams, thank you for seeing me," I began, my voice quivering slightly. "I know I still have a remaining balance for tuition, and I'm here to request some more time to pay it off. I've been juggling multiple jobs, and I'm doing everything I can to catch up."

The dean looked at me with a stern expression, his fingers forming a narrative of their own.

"Ms. Heyes, I understand your situation, but the university has policies in place for tuition deadlines. We can't make exceptions for every student facing financial difficulties."

My shoulders slumped. "I know, Dean Williams, but I'm so close to graduating. If I can just have a bit more time-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the dean's assistant entered the room, holding a piece of paper.

"Excuse me, Dean Williams, I just received an urgent message. It seems someone has paid off Ms. Heyes remaining tuition balance."

My eyes widened in astonishment "Paid off? But... I didn't-"

The assistant handed me the paper, and my eyes scanned the contents. "It's a receipt for the payment, and there's a note here," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dean Williams leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "What does the note say?"

I cleared my throat, my hands trembling slightly as I read aloud, "Ms. Heyes, I believe in the power of education and the pursuit of dreams. Consider this a helping hand on your journey. - A Friend."

"It seems you have a guardian angel, Isabella. Someone who believes in your potential."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to hold them back. "I... I don't know who could have done this."

Dean Williams smiled gently. "Sometimes, acts of kindness come from unexpected places. I'll mark your balance as paid, Isabella. Focus on your studies and make the most of the opportunity you've been given."

As I left the dean's office, my heart was filled with a mix of gratitude and curiosity.I couldn't help but wonder who the mysterious person was, the one who had eased my burden and believed in my dreams but I can't just sit here and relax. I have to find this person and pay them back.

I walked out of the gate, not expecting to encounter the people I didn't want to see at the moment. I didn't want my day to be ruined because of them.

One of their group noticed me before I heard what he said to his friend. "Hey, the one who used to have a crush on you is here." All of his buddies turned to look in my direction, but I ignored them and continued walking.

Before I could turn away from them, someone grabbed my wrist, startling me. "W-what is it?!" I couldn't help but raise my voice, to which he just chuckled.

"Whoa, feisty. Got something to prove?" he teased, and they all burst into laughter.

I raised an eyebrow because he wouldn't let go of my wrist. I had stopped paying attention to him a long time ago, trying not to embarrass him, but it seemed like now they were intentionally mocking me.

We had been friends since high school, and I chose to study at this university because of him. At first, I had a crush on him for a long time, but I never let it show. However, it turned out that people reacted differently when we were together. Gradually, he started distancing himself from me, as if I were a virus he needed to avoid. I wasn't naive; I noticed it. So, after that, I chose to focus on my studies and my job, not paying him any attention. But now, I couldn't figure out why they were approaching me and mocking me. I never told Kalel that I had a crush on him, so why did they always say things like that whenever we crossed paths?

"Let go of me, Kalel. You're not funny anymore," I said firmly and forcefully pulled my hand away from him, but because he was strong, I was the one who felt the pain.

He still didn't release me, and his friends laughed along with him. Out of anger and frustration, I slapped him, silencing them all. His grip loosened, so I quickly withdrew my hand.

I gave him a stern look. "I've been keeping to myself, but you guys keep ruining my day. When will you all grow up? And you, Kalel, I can't understand why you've become like this. I don't even recognize you anymore." I didn't wait for him to respond and turned away. However, I immediately stepped back when I saw a familiar face approaching in our direction.

My eyes widened, and I quickly covered my face with one hand and slightly lowered my head.

Why is he here? And why now?

My soul almost jumped out of my body when Kalel suddenly pulled me back and tightly grabbed my arm, causing me to wince in pain. "What's wrong, Kalel... Let go of me," I whispered angrily as I glared at him.

"We need to talk, Isabella," he said seriously, trying to pull me away, but I resisted and pulled my arm back from his grip. Wasn't one slap enough to get this guy to stop bothering me? I wished I had just punched him to make him learn his lesson.

"I told you to let go of me! Seriously!" Despite the pain, I kept trying to pull my arm back, but he remained stubborn. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes.

It was getting painful, and a crowd of onlookers had gathered, which I wanted to avoid at all costs. I didn't want the whole school talking about me because of this humiliation.

I couldn't believe that Kalel had changed so much. He used to be a genuinely gentle guy who always put me first. Back in high school, everyone assumed we were a couple, and I'd hear teasing remarks whenever we were together. I had a crush on him back then, and it made me blush, but all of that changed when he became cold towards me after we parted ways due to the different courses we pursued.

"You're hurting her," I heard someone behind me say, their voice quivering. My vision was blurred with tears, so I couldn't tell whose voice it was.

Kalel glanced at me, and his expression softened when he saw me crying. He finally let go of me, and I stepped back to avoid being held like that again. My arms were small because of my petite stature, so the redness and swelling from his tight grip were very evident.

"I-I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk to you," he stammered. I didn't respond, only looking at my now reddened and painful arm.

Someone gently touched my shoulder, their large hand lightly squeezing it. Instead of feeling afraid and moving away, I allowed it to happen, my body strangely signaling to me that I was safe.

"If you want to talk to her, calm yourself first. You're a guy, and do you think grabbing her like that will make her listen to you?" the person said, their voice firm.

Kalel looked puzzled when he heard this from the man beside me. I noticed a furrow forming on his forehead as the man's hand remained on my shoulder.

"Who are you? What business is it of yours in our argument with Isabella? Do you even know her, Isa?" I wiped the tears from my cheeks and glared at him with anger.

"Don't talk to me like we're okay, Kalel. Just please... leave me alone!"

Kalel tried to approach me, but I took a step back, finding myself grabbing someone's wrist without even looking at who it was.

"Hey, Isabella!" he shouted, but I didn't even glance at him as I marched away. I paid no attention to the students staring at us and simply passed them by. I let go of the wrist I had been holding when we reached the parking area.

I sat down on a bench, my head hanging low, trying to wipe my tears as they fell. I wiped my tears away every time they threatened to fall, but they just kept coming.

I couldn't hold back any longer, and I cried openly. It hurt because Kalel was capable of hurting me just to satisfy the expectations of his friends. He wasn't like this before. He used to defend me whenever someone picked on me, but now he was the one hurting me.

We hadn't spoken to each other privately for almost two years because whenever I tried to talk to him, his friends would prevent it or they would make up excuses to avoid us talking.

He even changed his contact number, and we were no longer friends on social media, which caused me a lot of pain, and I remembered crying because of it.

A handkerchief was laid out in front of me. I stopped and looked at it before picking it up and using it to wipe away my tears and mucus. I didn't notice the presence of the person because I was so focused on wiping my face.

"I thought you might need a little pick-me-up," a familiar voice said. I hadn't even glanced at anyone earlier, so I didn't know who I had grabbed.

I raised my eyes. It was quite dark, but there was enough light for me to see the face of the person who had startled me.

I saw Alex smiling at me, holding ice cream cones in his hands. My eyes widened in surprise. Damn! I thought I had grabbed someone else, and he saved me, and now even at school, he's here!

"A- Alex?" I still couldn't believe I was looking at him. He just smiled at me, observing my reaction.