Dinah owns a number of architectural agencies, and I was awed by that revelation. I still couldn't bring myself to get along with Geynie, especially with her immense resemblance to Alex and me.
After a while, Dinah and Geynie left, and the winter seemed to pass by so quickly. Before I knew it, we were headed back to school. Oh, how I hated school. I felt so dumb sometimes, and I couldn't understand why I needed to study when I was an heiress.
Lately, Lisa had been giving me the blues. She spent all her time with Geynie now, and I felt pushed aside. I guess this made me spend more time with Alex and Archie.
Then, the day for school arrived, and I reluctantly went back to continue my lessons. I sat next to Lisa in class, and we chatted about all the new things we had bought during the break. Suddenly, the teacher shouted for our attention and announced that a new girl would be joining us.
I was eager to see who the new girl was. To my utmost surprise, it was none other than Geynie.
She introduced herself to the class, and it was clear from the start that her first day at school was nothing short of spectacular. Everyone praised her beauty, but the admiration grew even more when they realized how smart she was.
I hated how she was the complete opposite of me. She was intelligent and graceful, while I felt dumb and spent my time focusing on material things. She seemed to live such a simple, smart life, yet she was rich, and I envied her so much.
Her and her mother quickly became the new talk of the town. And Lisa, my dear Lisa, drifted even further away from me, becoming closer to Geynie. I was so disappointed in her. I never imagined she would leave me like that.
Things only got worse when my dad started coming home late from work. My mom began to grow suspicious, and her doubts only deepened when my dad began to distance himself from her.
Eventually, she found out that my dad was having an affair with Dinah.
I can't describe how devastated my mom was. She couldn't eat or sleep, and she refused to speak for days. How could my noble father, the man who had always been the epitome of goodness, cheat on her?
When my father finally spoke to her, he explained, "Dinah was my first love, Ray. She was the only woman I ever wanted to marry. Her father never allowed me to marry her because I was poor at the time. He even had me thrown out of the town. That's when I met you, Ray. You were like an angel, so innocent. I can't lie to myself—I loved you.
So I married you, and we were blessed with three beautiful children. But my love for Dinah never went away. When I found out she had a daughter, my own blood, I realized how much I still loved her. She refused to marry anyone else.
I never intended to cheat, nor did Dinah, but our love was too strong to control. And I am so sorry you became the victim of it."
My mother couldn't accept what my dad had just told her. It left her in tears.
She finally spoke, her voice breaking as she said, "Sylvester, I do not wish to be the other woman between you and Diana. You are free to be with her, but I will divorce you. However, may you never come close to my children and me. Do you understand?"
My dad remained silent and left the room without saying another word.
From that day on, my mom kept strong for us, her children. She signed the divorce papers and moved on, demanding nothing from my father. She only had her small restaurant to support the three of us.
Life at school became even harder after the divorce. I felt like I was no longer an heiress. I was just a "dumb" girl—the daughter of a restaurant owner.
I failed miserably in our exams and had to repeat the 8th grade. Alex passed, and Geynie's renowned intelligence earned her a spot in senior high much faster than me. Alex was just behind her, but I was stuck, lurking in the shadows.
Alex was so frustrated with me that he finally decided to speak some sense into me. I listened carefully to what he had to say, and it made me realize the weight of our mom's suffering.
I knew I had to do better. I focused on my studies and eventually passed into the 9th grade. It didn't take long before I made it into senior high as well.
By then, Alex was already in 11th grade. He became my best friend and protector, always looking out for me.
Alex had a friend in school name Carl, and eventually, Carl became a friend of mine too. He became a protector in his own way. I couldn't deny it—Carl was so cute. I loved his gentleness towards me and how he always found ways to make me smile.
Unfortunately, my happiness in senior high was short-lived when Geynie and Lisa transferred to our school. They became popular within a day, and I was just a junior, while they moved into Carl and Alex's class.
During break, I told Carl about them, and he promised to protect me from them. Alex was indifferent, but I was quietly having lunch alone when Lisa approached me.
She asked for my forgiveness, confused about what she had done wrong. I told her not to worry; she hadn't done anything wrong. But I could no longer be her friend. I had Carl and Alex now.
Then, Geynie came over and also decided to apologize. I told her it wasn't her fault that my father had abandoned us for her mother. After all, they were in love.