Chapter 11 : She's A Gold Digger
Eira jumped, her eyes moved to the clock on the bedside table.
She gasped. "Oh no! I'm late!" She scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over the blanket as she rushed to get dressed.
Her heart pounded as she threw on a shirt and jeans. "I can't believe this," she muttered, grabbing her bag and racing out of the bedroom.
When she got to the living room, she found Callian sitting on the couch, his arms were crossed, looking more irritated than usual.
"Callian?" she asked, still rushing to put her things together. "What's wrong?"
He glanced at her but didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened as he stood up. "I'll drop you at university," he said shortly, avoiding her eyes.
Eira frowned, sensing something was off. "Are you sure? I can take the metro."
"I said I'll take you," Callian repeated, grabbing his keys and heading toward the door.
Without another word, they left the apartment and got into the car.
The moment was heavy, and Eira could feel the tension, but Callian didn't say anything.
She glanced at him a few times, wondering what was bothering him, but decided not to push it.
As they neared the university, the sky opened up, and rain began pouring down in sheets. Callian pulled up to the curb, the sound of rain started pounding against the roof of the car.
"Thanks for the ride," Eira said as she reached for the door handle.
Callian stopped her. "I won't be able to pick you up later," he said, "I'll call a driver for you."
Eira shook her head, trying to lighten the mood. "It's fine. I'll just take the metro back. I can buy an umbrella on my way."
Callian frowned, looking at the rain. "I'll be your umbrella," he said suddenly, pulling off his jacket. He handed it to her. "Put this on. You'll get soaked out there."
Eira blinked, surprised but touched by his action. "Callian…"
"Just take it," he insisted, "You don't need to catch a cold."
Eira smiled, taking the jacket and slipping it on. "Thanks."
She stepped out into the rain, the jacket covered most of her, but she still felt the cold raindrops splashing onto her shoes and legs as she rushed to the entrance of the building.
By the time she got to her classroom, she was a little wet but far less soaked than she would've been without Callian's jacket.
She took a deep breath and slid into her seat, glad she wasn't too late.
A few minutes later, William walked into the room, shaking water from his hair. He spotted Eira and made his way over, sitting down next to her.
"Hey," he greeted her. "Why weren't you at the metro this morning? I was looking for you."
Eira shifted in her seat, adjusting Callian's jacket. "My husband dropped me off today."
William blinked in surprise. "Husband? I didn't realize you were married. You never mentioned it before."
Eira gave a small smile, knowing this was going to be a longer conversation. "Yeah, it's a recent thing. We got married a couple of weeks ago."
William raised his eyebrows, "That's… sudden. You don't seem the type to rush into something like that."
Eira shrugged, feeling a little awkward. "It's… complicated. We had our reasons."
William tilted his head, "Is he one of those wealthy types? I mean, you did say you were getting a ride. Sounds pretty fancy."
Eira chuckled, shaking her head. "Something like that. But really, it's not as glamorous as it sounds."
William smiled, leaning back in his seat. "Well, I guess I'll have to hear more about this mysterious husband of yours sometime."
Eira smiled back, though all she could do was think about Callian. Something about him this morning felt different, distant.
She wondered what had really been bothering him.
"Wait, so the guy from yesterday was your husband?"
"Yes. It was him."
"Wow. Are you into muscular guys?"
"Not really," she smiled, "just into him."
Whispers filled the air, more than a few pairs of eyes turned toward her, staring longer than usual.
She felt her stomach knot as the sense of unease grew.
Before she could say anything, Vanesa walked in.
She strutted to her seat and gave Eira a cold stare.
A murmur spread through the room, students exchanged glances, some smirked, others whispered behind their hands.
"Gold digger…"
"This can't be true… she's with him for money but she's so ugly."
"Ssshhh, quieter."
Eira tried to ignore it, focusing on the notes in front of her, but the tension was impossible to avoid.
Vanesa stood up, "Oh look, it's the gold digger herself," she stated, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Eira's breath caught in her throat. The room went silent, all eyes on her now.
She glanced at William, who looked equally confused, but before he could say anything, Vanesa continued.
"What? You all didn't know?" Vanesa smirked, crossing her arms. "Our dear Eira here snagged herself a rich husband. Married him for his money, of course. Classic move."
A few students snickered, and Eira felt the heat rise in her cheeks once again. Her heart pounded as she tried to steady her breathing.
William leaned closer, whispering, "What is she talking about?"
Eira didn't answer, but Vanesa took a step forward, clearly enjoying the attention. "Isn't it funny?" Vanesa said, "She plays the sweet, innocent girl, but she knows exactly what she's doing. Callian Reed, one of the wealthiest men around, and she's latched onto him like a leech."
Eira clenched her fists, trying to stay calm, but the room seemed to close in on her. She could feel the judgmental stares, hear the gossip growing louder.
William frowned, "Are you sure she's your… sister?"
Eira nodded, then corrected him. "Half-sister."
"She doesn't care about him. She just cares about the lifestyle. She's nothing but a gold digger, and we all know how these stories end. The moment she's got what she wants, she'll move on."
The words hit Eira like a slap to the face.
She stood up while her body trembled with anger. "That's not true."
William stood up, "That's enough. You don't know anything about Eira's life. Why don't you keep your mouth shut if you don't have the full story?"
Vanesa glared at William, "Oh, how cute. The little classmate comes to her rescue. Do you even know what you're defending, or are you just as blind as Callian?"
"I don't need to know everything to see that you're out of line. Stop spreading lies."
Vanesa rolled her eyes. "Lies? Please. Eira knows exactly what she's doing. She's just playing the game. Isn't that right, Eira?"
Eira's pulse hammered in her ears, her hands kept shaking. "You're just angry because you didn't get what you wanted, Vanesa. You think you can tear me down because you're jealous. But I'm not going to let you."
Vanesa's smirk faded, "Jealous? Of you? Don't flatter yourself. I don't need to be jealous of someone who marries for money."
The room fell silent again, 'I really didn't want to expose myself like this…'
"If you're so confident about what you're saying, Vanesa, why don't you take it up with Callian? Oh wait, you can't, because he chose Eira over you. That's what's really bothering you, isn't it?"
"You're just a nobody…" With that, she turned and stormed out of the room, leaving a heavy silence behind her.
William looked at her, "You okay?"
Eira nodded, though she wasn't sure if she believed it. "Thanks for standing up for me."
William shrugged. "I don't know everything that's going on, but I can tell she's full of it."