Chapter 3 - Broken

I couldn't hold back my tears anymore, and I started crying uncontrollably in the corner. I tried to stay calm, but I was slowly breaking down. Gathering what little strength I had left, I walked out of the corner and headed back to my room, fighting to maintain my composure.

Once inside, I collapsed onto the bed and surrendered to my emotions, crying my heart out for the rest of the day. I couldn't understand what I had done wrong for Matt to betray me like this.

The next morning, Zara woke me up for classes, but I didn't want to get out of bed. I wasn't ready to face the world yet, especially after yesterday's painful discovery. However, being the diligent student I was, I forced myself to get up and get ready.

Throughout the day, I could still hear whispers about me, but I tried to ignore them. Thankfully, the pain wasn't as raw as it was yesterday. I spent the afternoon clearing my mind of any disheartening thoughts that could ruin my day.

As I headed back to the hostel, I remembered I needed to pick up some books from the library. I redirected my path and headed to the library instead.

Meanwhile, Nathalie was boasting to her friends, Ashley and Julianne, about her newfound relationship.

"Yeah, guys, the rumors are totally true! I'm dating the one and only Matthew Reigns," Nathalie said, beaming with pride.

Julianne exclaimed, "Wow, lucky you!"

Ashley asked, "What about the girl with glasses he was with before?"

Nathalie smirked, "That girl is so gone and out of Matt's life. It was totally expected, anyway. She's nowhere near Matt's level. I wonder what he even saw in her in the first place."

Ashley chimed in, "I don't care; he's yours now."

Nathalie gloated, "He's mine now, and that's all that matters."

As Nathalie walked away, a malicious grin spread across her face.

In the library, I found the books I needed and was getting ready to check them out when Nathalie appeared out of nowhere, startling me. I chose to ignore her presence and tried to walk past her, but Nathalie blocked my path.

I tried again, and Nathalie continued to block me. Fed up with her games, I asked bluntly, "What do you want, Nathalie?"

Nathalie sneered, "Nothing much, Thompson. I just wanted to know how you're holding up."

I wasn't going to engage in her mockery, so I tried to walk past her again. This time, Nathalie let me pass.

As I turned to leave, Nathalie called out, "Before you go, Thompson, I'll like to know what happened to that bold girl who told me Matthew would never be with a desperate girl like me."

Nathalie's voice dripped with malice. "You weren't wrong about me being desperate, but because I was desperate, what happened? Oh right, Matthew is with me, and here you are, acting dumb and trying to hide your pain."

I refused to give Nathalie the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I carried on with checking out my books, pretending I hadn't heard a thing.

Erica entered her room, her mind replaying the scene from the library over and over. Nathalie's voice still echoed in her head: "Here you are, acting dumb and trying to hide your pain." Erica realized Nathalie was right – she was trying to hide her hurt, and it would only worsen if she didn't confront it.

In the library, seeing Nathalie had ached her heart, and Erica knew avoiding them would be impossible. "Why is it so hard to find true love in this world we live in?" Erica sighed before drifting off to sleep.

The sound of the door closing woke Erica. She got up to see Zara standing there.

"Sorry for waking you up," Zara said.

"It's okay," Erica replied.

Zara's expression turned serious. "I heard about what happened with Matt. Please don't become broken because of it, okay?"

Erica smiled weakly. "I won't. I expected it anyway."

Zara stepped closer. "You don't have to pretend to be strong, okay? It's not bad to cry."

"Thanks for your concern, but I don't feel like crying," Erica said.

Zara's eyes flashed with anger. "I don't know how that bastard Matthew had the heart to cheat on such a sweet girl like you. Trust me, I'll make him pay."

Erica placed a calming hand on Zara's arm. "Just let him be, don't do anything drastic. He isn't worth your time."

Zara hesitated before nodding. "Okay, Erica, but only on the condition that I get to take you out with me, to take your mind off all this nonsense."

Erica hesitated, but Zara's persistence wore her down. "I was looking for a way to clear my head, and I'm ahead of the curriculum, so I guess I could make time today."

Zara squealed in excitement. "Yes! I finally get to take you out! We've got so much to do – find you an outfit, dress your hair...".

Erica chuckled at Zara's enthusiasm, wondering how her friend would have reacted if she'd refused.

"Thank God you finally agreed to have some fun instead of staying in the library or indoors all the time," Zara said.

"You know I can still change my mind, right?" Erica teased.

Zara grinned mischievously. "You dare not change your mind. Even if you do, I'll drag you there with me."

"Fine, but I'm not doing makeup or wearing heels," Erica said.

Zara smiled. "No problem."

The next few hours were a blur of dress fittings and laughter as Zara transformed Erica into a stunning version of herself.