Chapter 6

Isobel

“You have no right to hurt Ryle. How could you insult and disrespect him like that? From now on, you are no friend of mine. You are nothing but a rabid she-wolf without manners.”

I was taken aback by Crisha's sudden action, my hand on my cheek where her slap had landed. The force of it was unexpected, leaving me bewildered by her betrayal. I looked into her eyes, hoping to find some remorse, but I was shocked to see nothing. Doubts started to fill my mind, questioning if everything she had shown me in our friendship was genuine. How could she easily turn away from me? The whole situation felt unreal, beyond what I could have expected. It left me speechless.

Ryle and his friends cheered from behind, finding entertainment in the unfolding drama. Ryle appeared to be equally surprised by Crisha's actions, though I wasn’t sure whether it was genuine surprise or not. But I could sense the satisfaction building inside him, knowing that he succeeded in his plan to inflict hurt on me.

My anger intensified. The person who influenced my friend to do this was standing right in front of me, cheering as if it were something amusing. I walked closer to Ryle to confront him. He looked at me, waiting for something to happen. As I got a closer look, my heart beat faster, not because of anger but for a different reason.

Despite his bad attitude, I couldn't help but admire his looks. His messy blonde hair suited his well-structured face perfectly. His smooth skin was different from what I thought a guy could have, and his ocean-blue eyes were a great combination. Unintentionally, I got lost in Ryle's beauty, imagining him as something close to what I thought Midnight Wolf would look like.

‘No, Isobel. Don't be fooled by his looks. The Midnight Wolf is gentle, kind, and warm. No doubt about it! So stop comparing this scumbag to him!’ I scolded myself in my mind. I was sure Ryle was not as good-looking or charming as my idol. Even if Ryle was more handsome and charming than the Midnight Wolf, I would still choose my idol for his gentle attitude, unlike the jerk who was now staring at me.

His next words didn't have an impact on me anymore until he mentioned wanting me to apologize for what I did. Crisha's betrayal had left me heartbroken, but I didn't regret my actions. I felt proud of myself for standing up for someone I cared about, even though the outcome was far from what I had hoped for.

"I will never crawl back and apologize for slapping a jerk like you. You deserve it, and I am proud of what I did."

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered something that fueled my anger even more. "Very well. Soon, you'll know who I am in this school."

He then walked away, leaving me alone as people started to disperse, leaving me to fend for myself.

Outside, I found a bench shaded from the sun with not too many people around, giving me a chance to cool off and think about everything happening inside the cafeteria. As I sat there, I took a deep breath, trying to settle the raging emotions inside me. It wasn't easy to make sense of what had just happened, but I needed to collect my thoughts and find a way to deal with the unexpected turn of events.

After spending some time sitting there, I decided to return to my sorority house. However, upon reaching the entrance, I was greeted by my sorority sisters gathered in front, with Lucy leading them. Confusion etched across my face, but I proceeded to enter. Crisha seemed disinterested, not caring to give me a glance. Yet to my surprise, my cousin Thea was tossing my belongings onto the street. In a rush, I bent down to pick them up, and Lorrie, witnessing the scene, hurried over to assist me.

"What the hell is happening here? Why are you doing this?" Lorrie demanded.

Thea ignored her, and the other girls from the sorority joined in carrying my things outside.

“Stop throwing Isobel’s stuff!” Lorrie tried to intervene, but another student pushed her aside.

"Why are you helping this pathetic girl? Don't you know what happened?" Thea sneered.

Lorrie scoffed. "Well, obviously not! Could someone care to explain?"

Lucy interjected into the conversation. "Your friend made a mistake that a student of Silverwolf University should never commit."

Lorrie glanced at me who was still helping her gather my things, then turned her attention to Lucy, expecting her to elaborate.

“Can you just stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I don't know where the heck you've been, but earlier today at the cafeteria, this girl, the ugly ginger, messed with the university owner's son, Ryle Vanderberg," Lucy explained.

Dear, goddess! Could this day get any worse?