Aurora trudged to the train station, her mind still reeling from the day's events. "I'm so sorry, Mama. I forgot about lunch. I had a terrible day," she said, regret etched in her voice as she placed the phone closer to her ear.
"What happened, Rory?" Mrs. Martinez asked, concern lacing her tone.
Aurora sighed, unsure where to begin. "It's a long story, Mama. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. And this time, I promise I won't miss lunch."
Mrs. Martinez's voice was warm and reassuring. "Okay, dear. Be careful, and take good care of yourself."
"I will, Mama. See you when I get back," Aurora replied, boarding the train.
As she settled into her seat, Aurora's thoughts drifted back to the strange feeling she'd had the previous day – the sensation of being watched. She'd seen a shadowy figure lurking behind a mango tree, and the memory still sent shivers down her spine.
To calm her nerves, Aurora plugged in her earphones and let the soothing music wash over her. As she arrived at the firm, she straightened her shoulders, ready to face the day.
"Good morning," she greeted her colleagues, exchanging warm smiles.
Victoria, her friend, was waiting for her with a steaming cup of coffee. "Hey, girl! You're so lucky!" Victoria exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Aurora's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?" she asked, taking the coffee from Victoria.
Before Victoria could respond, the boss's PA appeared, looking for Aurora. "Follow me," the PA instructed, leading Aurora to the boss's office.
As they walked, Aurora's mind wandered to the mysterious boss she'd never met. She was about to find out.
The PA opened the door to the boss's office, revealing a woman Aurora had met briefly the previous day in the toilet.
She was still comfortably on a mahogany chair, with the same air of confidence.
"I'm not the boss." The woman interrupted her thoughts, as if listening to her thoughts. "My name is Sharon Shawn. I work for Victor Blackwood, who owns this empire."
Victor Blackwood. She knows that name. The media doesn't fail to project him everyday.
"Every year, we give scholarships to our teen workers." Sharon continued. "We looked through your records, the one Mrs Martinez gave us, very excellent, so for this year, we are awarding you a scholarship to Hallmark College."
Stunned, Aurora stumbled over her words. "A scholarship? This is unbelievable!"
"Yes." Sharon replied. "A fully funded scholarship with weekly stipends. You'll only work part - time"
"Here." Sharon said, handing out a form. "Fill the form and bring it tomorrow. You're expected to resume school on Monday, but you must first accept the request."
"So fast." Aurora thought. But her excitement was short-lived, as she remembered the school's notorious reputation. "Hallmark College?" she muttered to herself, her mind racing with doubts.
That evening, Aurora confided in Mrs. Martinez, expressing her reservations about the school. "I don't know, Mama. Hallmark College doesn't have a good reputation."
Mrs. Martinez's expression was stern. "Aurora, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't let it slip away."
"But I don't like the school. It doesn't have good records."
"Good records???" Mrs Martinez asked, confused.
"I don't mean good academic records. The school is morally depraved."
Mrs Martinez looked keenly at her. "Don't do this, Rory. Don't." She said and walked away, leaving her on the couch.
Aurora walked home, her eyes fixed on the form Sharon had given her. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Should she accept the scholarship? The kids at Hallmark College were notoriously wealthy and arrogant. Would she ever fit in?
As she entered her apartment, she was met with the sound of Laura's raised voice, arguing with someone on the phone.
"You promised me the scholarship! I submitted my best paintings, and I even... I even slept with you."
Aurora's eyes widened in shock as she listened to Laura's conversation. What scholarship was Laura talking about? And what did she mean by "slept with you..."?
"Laura, what are you talking about?" Aurora asked, interrupting her sister.
Laura looked at her sister, momentarily speechless. "You slept with someone?" Aurora asked, still reeling from the shock.
Laura shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I'm an adult."
Aurora was horrified. "What you did was wrong!" she exclaimed.
Laura's expression turned scornful. "And it's also none of your business." She said, storming out of the house.
Aurora watched her sister walk out, feeling helpless. She couldn't even call her back. She settled on the couch, looked at the form one more time, and sighed.
Mrs. Martinez's words echoed in her mind. "Aurora, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't let it slip away."
"She's right," Aurora said to herself. "I've always wanted to go back to school and here's an opportunity for me to go."
She took out the form and filled it. She still had her fears, but it wasn't as strong as her determination to go back to school. What's the big deal anyways.
The next day, Aurora stood confidently before Miss Sharon, handing her the completed form. "I've finished filling it out, ma'am."
Miss Sharon's face lit up with a warm smile. "Excellent! On Monday, when you arrive at school, please meet with Mr. Desmond, the bursar. He'll guide you through the next steps."
Aurora's gratitude was palpable. "Thank you so much, Miss Sharon." She couldn't help but think of Mrs. Martinez, who had made this opportunity possible.
Just then, Victoria approached her, beaming with excitement. "Look at the newest scholar!" she exclaimed.
Aurora smiled widely, amused by Victoria's infectious enthusiasm. "You know, I've always dreamed of attending Hallmark," Victoria said wistfully. "But the fees are astronomical. You're one lucky girl, getting it on a silver platter!"
Aurora's heart swelled with gratitude. "I'm beyond happy and grateful," she replied, her thoughts drifting back to Mrs. Martinez.
Victoria's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Let's celebrate after work! We can go out and mark this special occasion."
Aurora hesitated, her mind already racing ahead to sharing the news with her sister. "I don't think that'll be possible. I need to get home and tell Laura – she has no idea."
Victoria pouted good-naturedly. "But you can tell her when you get home."
Aurora's excitement got the better of her. "I'm too eager to share the news! Maybe on Monday, when I get back from school."
Victoria grinned. "No worries, no worries."
As soon as the workday ended, Aurora rushed home, bursting with excitement. She couldn't wait to share the news with Laura.
"Laura!!" she screamed, the moment she stepped into the house.
Laura turned to her, a scowl etched on her face. "What's all the commotion about?"
Aurora ignored her sister's glare, her enthusiasm undimmed. "Guess what??" she squealed, barely containing her excitement.
Laura's response was a dismissive hiss. "Mtcheeeeeeeeeeeew." She was clearly not in the mood.
Aurora's excitement was undeterred. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll tell you – I just got a scholarship to study at Hallmark College!!!" She jumped up and down, her enthusiasm infectious.
Laura's expression transformed from annoyance to shock. "What???" she asked, her voice laced with incredulity. "That can't be possible."
Aurora beamed with pride, handing Laura the documents Miss Sharon had given her. "It is," she said, her smile faltering as she noticed Laura's tears.
Laura's eyes scanned the documents, and her face contorted in anguish. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed Aurora away and hurled the documents at her face. "To hell with you!!" she screamed, her voice shaking with rage.
Aurora was taken aback, her excitement dissipating. "Why does every good thing come to you??!" Laura's voice rose to a crescendo. "Why do you get all the good things??! While I have to struggle so hard to get little??!"
Aurora's confusion deepened. "I don't understand," she replied, her voice laced with concern.
Laura's glare was piercing. "What don't you understand?" she spat, her voice venomous.
Aurora's eyes widened as Laura's words spilled out in a torrent of anger and resentment. "I painted day and night, hoping to get that scholarship!
I slept with my supervisor, hoping he would give it to me." Laura's laughter was mirthless, her tears drying on her cheeks.
But you, all you had to do was get a good job, and they award you a scholarship."
Aurora's words faltered as she struggled to respond. "Laura...I...I..."
Laura's retort was laced with venom. "You don't have to say anything. You're the star girl, anyway. Everybody loves Aurora." With that, she stormed out of the house.
Aurora sat down, feeling dejected and hurt. Her own twin sister hated her, and it was a painful realization. The excitement of the scholarship had worn off, leaving her feeling lost and uncertain.
She considered calling Mrs. Martinez but decided against it and wiped off her tears. Laura would be fine; she always blamed Aurora for her failures. This wasn't the first time.
The next day, Aurora stood outside Mr. Desmond's office, her heart racing with anticipation. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The students she saw were all impeccably dressed, just as she had expected. She felt a pang of insecurity, wondering if she would fit in.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted Mr. Desmond, trying to sound confident.
Mr. Desmond looked up from his MacBook, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Aurora, right?"
"Yes, sir," she replied, trying to hide her nervousness.
He nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Welcome to Hallmark College."
Aurora muttered under her breath, "More like, 'welcome to hell'."
Mr. Desmond gestured for her to follow him. "Let's go to your class."
As they walked to the elevator, Aurora's mind was a whirlwind of questions. What would the students be like? Would they like her? How would the lecturers be?
The elevator doors slid open, and Aurora's heart skipped a beat. They stepped into her classroom, and Mr. Desmond greeted the class. "Good morning, class."
The students responded in unison, "Good morning."
Aurora felt their eyes on her, but she refused to look up. Mr. Desmond introduced her to the class. "Aurora is your new classmate. Make the class comfortable for her."
Someone responded sarcastically, "We sure will."
Aurora's head jerked up, and her eyes locked onto the speaker. Her heart stopped as she exclaimed, "You!!"