As Rafael was starting to lose sight of the threat Harlem posed to his relationship with his sister, on the other side, she was just learning the secret about Ashley and Rafael.
Indeed, Sally had noticed that Ash stayed after school to see a boy, and by digging a little deeper, she discovered it was Raf. Now, Sally had decided to spill everything to her friend. She looked for her at school, but since it was the end of the day, Harlem had already gone home.
So, Sally decided to go there. She stood in front of Harlem's door, her heart pounding. She knew she had to talk to her, but the news she had to share carried heavy consequences. She knocked gently on the door, and after a moment, Harlem opened it, a bright smile on her face.
"Hey, Sally! What's up?" she asked, looking relaxed.
Sally took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment. "Listen, Harlem, I need to talk to you about something important."
Harlem's smile slowly faded, replaced by an expression of curiosity mixed with concern. "What? It sounds serious."
"It's about Rafael... and your sister." She bit her lip, searching for the right words. "I know you trusted him blindly, but... he's dating Ashley."
Harlem's face froze, her expression hardening. "What?! No, that can't be true. You're joking, right?"
Sally shook her head, her voice trembling. "I swear, I saw them together. They've been really close, and I think they've been hiding it for a while, and that Amel and Tessa knew."
Harlem turned away, clenching her fists. The betrayal hit her like a punch. "I trusted him... How could he do this?"
Sally stepped closer, trying to comfort her:
"I know it's hard, but you need to talk to him. You have the right to know the truth."
Harlem closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts and said:
"Thank you so much, Sally, for this information. I need to think about all this. See you tomorrow, bye."
With a heavy heart, Harlem was angry, frustrated beyond words.
That night, Ashley stood in front of the mirror, tying her hair while thinking back on the confrontation with her sister. Harlem had shouted at her, forbidding her to see Raf, and she felt a deep fear rising inside her. She knew her sister was angry, and she didn't dare to disobey.
But Harlem was also looking forward to going to school, to seeing Amel and Tessa, and maybe even running into Raf.
As for him, in the morning, when he woke up, he found a strange text from Ash, which read:
"She knows everything!"
Raf was shocked because he immediately understood what it was about, and he called Amel and Tessa right away.
He explained to them what was about to happen, but Tess said:
"Hey, come on, you have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing is going to happen."
That reassured him, and he decided to get ready to go.
On the bus, Ashley felt nervous. She didn't know how to handle the situation. On one hand, she wanted to defend her love for Raf, but on the other, she didn't want to anger her sister. And even if she wanted to, she felt powerless.
When she arrived at school, Harlem looked for Amel and Tessa in the courtyard. When she saw them, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
"Hey, girls!" she exclaimed, running towards them.
"Hi, Harlem! How's it going?" Tessa asked with a smile.
Then Harlem said, "I wanted to talk to you about something important if you're free," with a serious tone that came through in her voice.
"Did you know that Rafael was dating my little sister?"
"Yeah, we knew they were close," Tessa replied.
"But you disappointed me. You were supposed to protect her, she was your sister too," Harlem said with an air of despair and disappointment.
She felt betrayed by Amel and Tessa.
"Protect her from what? From who? From Raf? He's a good guy for her, and you know that too!" Tessa kept responding to Harlem.
Harlem left them without answering. She was angry. She walked down the school hallways, her heart heavy and her mind clouded. She had always believed in the honesty of her friends, Amel and Tessa, and their betrayal hurt her.
The news about Raf dating her sister Ashley hit her like a punch. She felt betrayed and abandoned, as if the ground was slipping from under her feet.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall. The sadness was mixed with a deep anger.
How could they hide something so important from her?
Meanwhile, Raf stood in front of the school, his gaze fixed on the entrance, his heart pounding. He felt a palpable anxiety, a deep fear of what awaited him inside. The idea of running into Harlem after what he had learned made him nervous. He knew she was disappointed and angry, and he feared her reaction.
To calm his nerves, he took out his phone and called Taj, hoping his friend could reassure him or even accompany him inside.
"I don't know if I can go in alone," he murmured, his voice revealing his anxiety.
As soon as he hung up, Taj was already at the entrance, where he helped him sneak into the school.
He took a deep breath and hurried down the hallway, heading towards the room where Amel and Tessa were waiting for him. Every step felt heavier than the last, and he kept telling himself that everything would be fine, even if he wasn't sure of it.
After a few minutes, Harlem entered the hallway leading to the room where Taj, Amel, Tessa, and Raf were. Her gaze was determined, and she seemed ready to confront Raf.
Amel, sensing the rising tension, rushed to intercept her, blocking her path before she reached the door.
"Let me pass... I'm telling you..." Harlem insisted, her voice revealing restrained anger.
Amel, with a firm but soothing tone, replied: "...No... calm down first..."
She knew that a direct confrontation would only make things worse, and she wanted to avoid a scandal that could drag everyone down.
But Harlem kept insisting, determined to get inside at all costs.
"...Let me, Amel... where is he?..." she asked, impatient and frustrated.
Her voice echoed down the hallway, revealing her agitation.