★★★★★
Alighting from the cab, Isabella arranged her look and brightened her cheeks with a smile, as she looked dull when she looked at herself in the mirror. Her father is very cautious about her. It is really difficult for him to raise a daughter without a mother. But that didn't mean he gave up and married another woman because he loves her mother.
She saw him crying, holding the picture of her mother. There isn't a single time when her father hasn't kissed her mother's photo before leaving the house for work.
She understood the word love only after seeing her father. In her eyes, her mother and father are forever Romeo and Juliet.
Unlocking the door, Isabella called her dad. She has the spare key, it was also the special key as it has a small dangling frame of her and her father.
"Dad! Have you made breakfast? I already missed my first class." Isabella is a college student majoring in English literature. She also knew how to speak Spanish. The biggest advantage of being an introvert is that you can learn as much as you want. There is no headache of partying or hanging out.
"Why didn't you pick up my call? I didn't sleep well last night and why was your phone switched off? Bella, you know, I only have you, and it scares me all the time. I don't want to be walled in your fun life. You need it. But you must inform me," Isabella's dad Bernard expelled all his fear at once.
His daughter never went out like this. He always pushed her to chill with friends, which nowadays children do, but this girl is so stubborn and perpetually kept herself in that room, so yesterday not only did his sleep fly away but also the dinner tasted bland.
"Sorry dad my phone was dead and for loud music, you probably wouldn't hear my voice if I called you from my friend's phone. Sorry, Dad, it won't happen again," Isabella hugged her father and patted him on the back to relieve the anxiety of her father.
"You smell awful. Did you sleep in the trash?" remarked Bernard, but the one thing he didn't ask was about the dress, which was different from the one she wore last night.
"I know so I am going to take a shower and can you pack my tiffin please because I don't think I can save time to eat now," Isabella ran toward her room and locked the door behind her before putting the phone on the charger. Her small, well-managed room is lovable. As her eyes fell on the bedside clock, she cursed and entered her small bathroom.
When the cold water showered on her head, she closed her eyes with satisfaction. But then suddenly the events of last night unfolded one after the other, which shook her, with her back also touching the wall to support her body. She could not forget the fear she found inside the car at that time. She prayed for the death of everyone, including herself.
Then that man, Alexander, she didn't know how she would describe that person. Her woman instinct told her to hate him, but how could she loathe the man who saved her life?
"In one night, I encountered almost every human emotion; Fun, fear, crying, and hate. Who says Isabella you're not having any fun in your life? Look, I am on top in just one night." Isabella made fun of herself and then took a quick shower or she would be late for her next class. Today is an important day because a special lecturer will come to give lectures in their college.
However, she heard that man had already rejected their college fifty times but still, the college authority invited him as a lecturer for today.
Giving a pause to her unstoppable thoughts, she tossed the red dress in the laundry bag and walked out of the bathroom. She wore a pink dress because she felt like wearing pink today and stood in front of the mirror. She looked at herself well in the mirror, which she had never done before. Don't know why she wants to praise her beauty today. She is beautiful, she has got all the features of her mother except for those hazel eyes, though her father doesn't have hazel eyes either.
Her father always said, 'You look like your mother, Bella. That's why I felt she is with me in this house.'
Her morning hours always passed in a hurry and she never liked to adorn herself in the mirror as every girl does. And make-up, she didn't know when she went makeup shopping. If she needed some, she ordered them online. For max, she used a lip balm and liner.
Or bare face was the most casual outgoing look she loves. Grabbing her phone and bag, she got down. And her incredible father made her favorite peanut butter toast and scrambled egg breakfast, as always. But she did not have time to sit down and savor the dish by heart.
"Bye dad, thanks for the lunch box. You are the best, love ya." Isabella was about to open the door when her father stopped her and then stuffed her mouth with the toast.
Isabella nodded incessantly with her full mouth as the cab honked outside the door. She chewed food quickly. To make food smoother, she drank water at the behest of her father.
Thank God that her father didn't force her to eat eggs. She kissed her father and hurriedly got into the cab. Their car was broken for two days and her father didn't get time to take it to the garage, but today he is free, so maybe he can take the car to the garage for repairs.
Her cab braked right in front of the main entrance of his college "Westwood". Most popular and prosperous college. However, she can enter because of her scholarship which she got after topping high school.
You can see spoiled kids with their cars everywhere. They are here just to show off the wealth they have. It was okay to show the wealth of your parents, but there was no need to demean those who enter this college with a scholarship.
Even Isabella could not escape this so-called college rule. On her first day, some rich girls tried to stop her from entering. They even splashed water on her, but thanks to some senior boys, they helped her. But not everyone is as lucky as her. Most of the girls were jealous of her looks.
They can't accept that a scholarship girl is more beautiful than them where they spend a thousand each day on their makeup.
As she crossed the gate, two monkeys jumped on her both shoulders and they are Bethany and Danny. She has much to say but two of them do not let her talk.
"Girl, we can't believe you hide it from us. We are not your enemies if I remember we are friends from our first day of college. Then why did you hide it?" Danny shouted while Bethany taunted Isabella, following Danny, "She doesn't heartily accept us as her friend, so it's normal for her to do that."
"Did you drink a lot last night or did you hit your head with something and what all this crap are you two spouting?" Isabella looked at them and tried to guess if they were pranking. Otherwise, why are they suddenly talking in riddles?
"Ow! Innocent lad. Don't you understand what we are saying? Okay, Danny, let's explain her," Bethany quipped over Isabella's acting.
"You fucked a guy last night. Now you're trying to be innocent in front of us." As Danny finished, Isabella's eyes widened with shock and she put her hand on Danny's mouth to silence her.
"What the hell is this? It is not funny! Look, everyone is watching us," Isabella reprimanded them in anger. Danny's voice was loud so those students passing by turned their heads toward them.
"Bella, we heard a guy on your phone talking brazenly to us, saying we took you to an awful place and we're an evil company," completed Bethany.
And Danny resumed. "Why didn't you say you have a secret boyfriend, so we'll take his permission before taking you to the bar."
"What lover? I had an accident last night, and a man saved me. Maybe he talked to you. I called you several times before leaving the bar, but unfortunately, some goons assaulted me and they pushed me into their car. I didn't think I'd survive, but thanks to that man, I'm standing in front of you," Isabella concluded with a sigh. It was a tragic night she experienced. She knows last night will leave a mark on her life forever.
That's when three of them heard a loud commotion outside the gate, and every student ran that way as if some superstar had come to shoot.
"Hey, Johnny, what happened? Why is everyone running like a mad bull?" Bethany remarked and she loves to annoy Johnny. He was gay but a big-hearted guy.
"You, party nerd girl, didn't you hear a lecturer is coming today? And I heard the lecturer is the sexiest man in this world. He's so hot," remarked Johnny like a fanboy and again got a jibe from Bethany.
"Is he gay? Then take good care of him. Haha."
"Shut up! If the principal hears us, a notice will reach our house by the afternoon," Danny spoke and she clearly remembers that the last time they gossiped about a teacher she had an affair with a student. And a letter reached their house. It implied that spilling the truth is a crime.
"Let's go to our class. The Lecturer will be there, no need to run like them," Isabella said and started walking. Also, Bethany and Danny began asking her about last night because Isabella hadn't finished it yet.