Chapter 2 - Pity pity

Monday morning arrived, and I reluctantly got out of bed. Since it was Monday, I had no choice but to get ready for classes. I dressed in my usual attire: a cardigan over a skirt, with my hair combed back into a ponytail, and my trusty glasses.

The normal routine began in class, with the lecturer teaching, some students paying attention, others dozing off, and the rest showing no interest in the lecture. Everything was proceeding as usual until Racheal entered the class and whispered to another girl, who immediately looked shocked. I ignored them and continued with my own activities, knowing Racheal's reputation for spreading rumors and gossip.

In the next class, almost everyone was discussing the same topic. As I entered the classroom, my classmates turned towards me, sending pitying looks my way. I realized I was the subject of the rumor, but I couldn't recall doing anything noteworthy.

I sat down, waiting for the lecture to start, and wondered if someone was spreading lies about me. After the lecture, I quickly stood up, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of my classmates.

In the hallway, people continued to give me the same sympathetic looks. I felt like I was growing horns!

Confused, I quickened my pace towards the hostel. But when I heard Matthew Reigns' name mentioned, I stopped. Matthew Reigns? The student council president, the school's top student, and my boyfriend - what could have happened to him for people to cast such pitying gazes towards me?

Beside the girl was Melanie, one of the most popular girls. I hid from her sight and listened closely. "Can you believe Matthew Reigns is now with Nathalie Bree?" the girl said.

"What?!" Melanie exclaimed. "So Matt's no longer dating that cardigan girl... what did you say her name was again?"

"Erica Thompson," the girl replied. "Well, it was totally expected. Matt's the most popular boy on campus, and many girls are after him. I knew he'd dump her eventually and move on to someone else, but for him to move on to Nathalie... that's unexpected."

Listening to their conversation, I felt my heart breaking. I knew Matthew and I were from different worlds, but I never expected him to cheat on me.

Flashback:

I'm Erica Thompson, a scholarship student at Reno University of Science and Discovery, one of the country's most prestigious schools. As a sophomore, I'm known as the school's bookworm or nerd. Ironically, I had a boyfriend - or so I thought.

It all started at the semester's beginning when I gained recognition as the school's third-best student. My name was mentioned alongside Matthew Reigns and Nathalie Bree, the top two students. However, the attention died down quickly, much to my relief, as I'm not one for the spotlight.

On a typical Thursday, I headed to the library, noticing an unusual buzz. The path was crowded with excited students, and the library was packed. I wondered if there was a surprise test, but that seemed unlikely.

As I settled into my reading spot, surrounded by books, I heard my name called. The masculine voice caught me off guard, and I ignored it, thinking I was hearing things. However, the voice persisted.

"Hello, are you Erica Thompson?"

I looked up to find Matthew Reigns, the student council president, standing before me.

"Yes, I am," I stuttered.

Matthew sat beside me, congratulating me on my academic achievement and sparking a conversation. His charm and kindness put me at ease.

"I know you're probably wondering why I'm here," Matthew said. "You don't need to be anxious; I just wanted to meet the girl everyone's been talking about."

"Really, okay," I replied, still stuttering.

Matthew also congratulated me on being one of the school's toppers, shaking my hand. As he stood to leave, he turned back and said, "I couldn't help but notice you're beautiful."

I shyly thanked him, taken aback.

From that day on, Matthew often sat with me in the library, sometimes with others, including Nathalie. Before long, I developed feelings for him but kept them hidden due to my shy nature and our social differences.

To my surprise, Matthew asked me to be his girlfriend, and I agreed.

However, Nathalie warned me to stay away from Matthew, citing our social status differences. I tried to distance myself, but Matthew's persistence won me over. Nathalie's constant advances on Matthew frustrated me, and I confronted her.

Since then, Nathalie and I haven't gotten along.