More than anything, she prayed that Chloe could hold it through till the ambulances came because she knew if the worse came to be and the media got wind of the unfortunate incident, the campus would lose its status as most parents would withdraw their kids.
Luckily for them, an ambulance did come shortly after. Rina left with Chloe in the back of it as Janely was left behind to help the administration piece together what had pushed Chloe to try and commit suicide.
Xxx
The drama club seemed empty except for three or four students who were silently rehearsing their scripts. Luke walked into the club, relieved that most students weren't in.
His days were still a rollercoaster, and his emotions were all over the place as both he nor Venus couldn't quickly think of a way to solve their mess.
"How did you end up telling him that? He will screw us?" Luke had screamed at Venus one evening after secretly following her to her house.
"I didn't intend to. He must have joined the dots," Venus lamely defended herself, and Luke went on to ask how it was possible if Ivan hadn't been closely monitoring Venus.
There was a silence that lasted many lifetimes, and when it ended, in a trembling and shaking voice, Venus let the cat out of the bag.
"I'm sorry, Luke. I got tired of hiding our relationship. I know it's not your fault because we knew each other before we got to work at Monich but still…it feels suffocating, and I think I wanted a little fun," Venus said in a low inaudible voice, and Luke shook his head.
"Did you sleep with Ivan?" He asked, and Venus shook her head in denial. Luke let out a huge sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding.
"So one day, I went to drink to let out that frustration. He also came to the same place, and perhaps it was the effects of alcohol or something, but when he came to greet me, I started airing my frustrations to him. I told him of how I was helping the VC and some admin to swindle cash from the varsity, yet they couldn't allow me to be with you. He also spoke, and I think it was to keep me talking. Such a scumbag!" Venus said with bared teeth.
Inside the drama club room, Luke cleared his voice to address the students. He had heard the news about Chloe, and he was sure most students would either keep asking him more about it when he didn't know anything or not have their minds in the rehearsals.
"Excuse me, guys," Luke addressed the students, and they slowly looked up at him. "Most of your colleagues aren't in, as I can see, and I understand why. We can meet up tomorrow," he said and saw the students nod in agreement.
"What happened to Chloe? Is she alive?" Eva asked, and her friend Cathy gasped in shock, knowing very well that the question wasn't well intended.
"She's doing well, I hope," Luke said before mastering a plastic smile and turning to leave the building.
"What was that about?" Cathy asked in a whisper.
"I just wanted to know," Eva shrugged and answered dismissively, but Cathy didn't buy her excuse.
"I know you're happy about what happened, and you wish she was dead. I know she tortured and bullied you, but it shouldn't go that far! To wish her death!" Cathy hissed, and Eva turned to sharply look at her in anger.
"You're right about that, but… I wish it was Steph because she's still my biggest problem," Eva said, and Cathy shook her head in disbelief.
As Luke headed to his small office, he saw Ivan and Kevin approaching him, and he felt like the ground should open up and swallow him, or better still, that through some miracle, neither Ivan nor Kevin should see him.
Behind the two friends were Dylan and Camila, who was trying hard to make Ivan notice her.
She was indulging in PDA with Dylan and breaking into loud laughter, but Ivan didn't turn around even once, and that infuriated Camila.
Then out of nowhere, Luke heard police sirens after him and turned in horror to see the police alighting from the car.
At first, his mind went to Chloe, thinking she might have died, and the police launched investigations into it.
But with the police was Craig, who was in handcuffs, and that meant trouble because the guy had continuously been suspended from school.
When Steph's car came to a screeching halt in front of their family house, she rushed into the house without even closing the car door.
Silence engulfed the house, and she wondered inwardly and angrily what the hell was going on.