INSIDE THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE.
The principal's office stood hushed, its lavish and well-designed furniture speaking volumes of the school's wealth. Megara, though seated, her eyes scanned the entire room, from its intricately painted ceilings with Greek-style characters to its Italian-inspired furnishings. She couldn't help but admire the skill of the craftsmen who dedicated their time to ensuring the creation of each piece.
She remembered vividly that the office was not like this during her last visit three weeks ago, so she wondered when it was changed and who had done all of these beautiful works. But for now, she had to set aside her excitement and focus on the matter at hand.
Mr. Armani's face held no smile as he slammed the brown envelope on the desk. Megara's heart almost leaped into her throat, but instead, she composed herself, awaiting his judgment.
Megara clutched the letter; the bold black ink danced before her eyes, her throat dry; she felt like her throat was constricting. "This, Mr. Armani, is the letter containing the plea of the Boomers to expel me from the school for fighting their son, or else they're going to press charges," she explained, her eyes still fixed on the letter.
Mr. Armani clasped his hands, rubbing them on his face before exhaling deeply. "Well, although no decision has been made about your stay in this school, your actions yesterday were rather unsuitable," he reprimanded, earning a frown from her.
"Mr Armani, the player from yesterday started it. He had been harassing me from the onset of the game, and I had to endure it," she explained, meeting his gaze. "I'm a lady, and my rights need to be protected. He slipped his hand into my shorts, and that I cannot tolerate whatsoever."
Mr. Armani shifted at his desk, carefully evaluating her statement. "You said he molested you, and if I remember correctly, that was an all-male team, so what were you doing there in the first place?" he asked, and Megara looked down.
"Uriel threatened to have my friends do it if I didn't join his team, as one member was away," she replied, tucking a loose strand of her hair. "I had to, or else Hugo's injury could get worse, and Jane can't afford to lose her pretty face. I haven't provoked Uriel, but he has been bullying me, and it's obvious to everyone."
"So you're saying Uriel was the reason all this happened, and you were a victim of the outcome?" he asked, and Megara nodded vehemently. "There's no proof to back up your claim, but I'll see what we can do. It's a good thing the media was blocked, or else this incident would have been broadcast."
Megara breathed out a sigh of relief, her mind reeling with the possible outcome if yesterday's incident was broadcast online. "I'm so sorry about yesterday's incident, and Uriel didn't mean it. I know he's been nothing but rude to me, but he didn't mean to hit that boy."
"You don't get to decide the fate of Uriel; that would be decided by his family members, but as for you... that's a different situation," he interjected, writing on a yellow paper. "Now you're to head to the media room today after school and clean it up."
Megara took the paper, blankly staring at it, her heart pounding against her ribs. "Yes, I'll do it," she replied, finally standing up from the seat.
"You can see yourself out; we're done for now," he said, and Megara nodded, leaving the office. "You are not to speak to anyone concerning this matter; this is to remain a top-secret."
"Yes, sir!" Megara agreed before walking out of the office, her hand clenched, folding the yellow paper in her hand.
"The calming scent of rose and lavender filled the school hallway as she moved, each step echoing the lingering tremor in her hands. Her earlier fear, a cold knot in her stomach, had begun to loosen, replaced by a quiet surge of relief. The threat of expulsion, a dark cloud that had loomed over her academic future, had dissipated, leaving behind the surprising lightness of a battle temporarily won."
Megara entered the classroom, her gaze fixed on the marbled tile. A low murmur filled the room as she stepped inside, her heart pounding. Her blood boiled from the menacing stares of her classmates, who had never experienced harassment or the blame that came with defending oneself.
She remained frozen at the doorway, her hands clutching her skirt as if the class were a terrifying nightmare.
Mr Grayson, the physics teacher, cleared his throat. Megara's head snapped toward the sound. "Good morning, Miss Smith, perhaps an invitation to the classroom will do the trick, wouldn't it?" The class erupted in laughter, some students pointing at her. "Silence! And you, Miss Smith, you're disrupting my lesson."
She bowed slightly. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Grayson. I'll head in." She apologized hastily, walking to her seat, but tripped over Amaya's foot.
Amaya covered her mouth as the classroom burst into laughter. "Oops, looks like Miss Tough is having quite a hard time," she mocked. Megara pulled herself together, finally standing. "I didn't do it on purpose; my leg probably slipped."
Tanya laughed, but Megara found no humor in it. She rolled her eyes, trying to control herself. "You did that on purpose, Amaya. But if you're looking for someone to bully, it better not be me. You should go get a mirror. You look like you burst out of a Halloween disaster." Amaya's mouth dropped open in shock, her veins throbbing with anger and shame.
The class fell silent at Megara's savage reply; they had never expected it. Amaya, having no other recourse, stood to hit her, but Hugo caught her hand mid-air. "How dare you insult me, bitch?! Hugo, you need to snap out of the spell she cast on you!" she screamed in raw anger. "Why are you helping her? She's just a nobody!"
Hugo grabbed Amaya's hand, pulling her closer, his eyes flashing with intense, unspoken anger. "Don't you dare speak to her like that, Amaya, or else you won't be able to take me head-on," he threatened, shoving her aside before turning to Megara. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, and thanks for the save," she replied, appreciative. Amaya stood stunned by the unfolding events.
"Mr. Arnold and Miss Smith, enough with the romance! We're not in a poetry class, for Christ's sake," Mr. Grayson groaned in frustration, earning a glare from Hugo, who looked ready to devour him.
Hugo straightened up, walking toward the teacher. "Since you're such a comedian, Mr. Grayson, wouldn't it be much better if you quit your job and moved to a circus instead of parading your stupidity for the class to see?" he retorted, his voice dripping with venom. "Where were you when Amaya attacked her and didn't apologize? Is this how you conduct yourself? She's a student and deserves justice, even if it's just a little."
Mr. Grayson stood still, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth; he knew better than to answer that question. "Do continue with your lesson and stop your judgmental attitude. And also, it's best to know that refraction occurs as a result of differences in optical densities and critical angle deviation ," Hugo pointed out blatantly, walking back to his seat triumphantly.
The students' heads whipped in his direction; they all wondered why he was so determined to defend a new student. The Z3 was known to be a mirror of the students' ruthless and calculating moves, so it led most of them to conclude he was using her and would soon show his true colors.
AT ZACK'S PRIVATE VILLA, MARYLEBONE.
The morning sun, a golden embrace, coaxed Uriel's eyes open, but offered no comfort to his disheveled appearance. His once vibrant dirt-blond hair was a tangled mess, mirroring the chaos within. With monumental effort, he pushed himself up on one arm, only to be immediately assaulted by a throbbing migraine. His temples pulsed, and a shrill pain reverberated deep within his skull.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of the agony, his heart hammering against his ribs. An agonizing cry tore from his throat, startling Catherine awake on the couch opposite his bed. She rushed to his side.
"Here, drink this," she said gently, offering him a glass of water and a painkiller. He gulped down the water, the pill disappearing in one swallow. "Gently, Uriel, you have to be gentle," she murmured, rubbing circles on his back. "You had too much to drink last night and passed out. We brought you to Zack's villa."
Uriel closed his eyes, his breathing slowly returning to normal. He reopened them, scanning the unfamiliar room. The truth dawned on him: he wasn't home. "What the hell am I doing in this place? Who brought me here?" he demanded, trying to stand but immediately falling back. He realized he was wearing nothing but his black boxers. "Who took my clothes? Catherine, what's going on?"
Catherine sighed deeply, sitting beside him. "We had a fight yesterday, and you left home. We couldn't find you anywhere, but Zack eventually did after a desperate search." As she spoke, Uriel clutched his head, the events of the previous day flooding back. He looked away from her. "Uriel, darling, you have every right to be angry with us. We've done nothing but hurt you. Please, just give me another chance to make it up to you."
Uriel looked at Catherine, the hurt in his eyes undeniable. "Another chance?" he retorted, his voice harsh. "Catherine, did you just hear yourself? You all don't deserve my forgiveness! I've never been good enough for the Jeffersons. Is it because I'm an illegitimate child? I never asked for love or anything from any of you, but not once were my feelings considered!"
Catherine shook her head, disagreeing. "That's not true, baby. You know I've always put you first, before everyone else. Your interests matter to me because I love you." Uriel scoffed, holding his head in both hands. "I know we don't deserve your forgiveness, but please don't take your father's words to heart, Uriel. I can make it up to you, any way you want. Just please don't run off like yesterday."
Uriel sobbed, tears trailing down his cheeks, his voice thick with sadness. "I'm tired, and I'm not ready for all this trauma, Catherine. So I'm going to have to ask you to leave, or I'm leaving." He threatened. Catherine stared at him, her head bowed. "I need time alone, and I don't regret running away either! If there was a way to escape this life, I'd do it over and over again."
Hearing the commotion from inside the guestroom he'd prepared for Uriel, Zack walked in, visibly pissed by Uriel's behavior towards his stepmother. She had sat by his side all night, attending to his fever until 5:09 AM, when it finally subsided.
Uriel stared at his stepmother's back as she left the room; she stopped briefly beside Zack before walking away. He almost felt the urge to call her back, but his ego held him like chains. "Ugh, I need some sleep!" he declared, falling back onto the bed, holding a pillow to his aching head. Zack gave him a silent but questioning look that spoke much about his discomfort towards his attitude. "Sup, man?! Don't give me that look!"
Zack stood, creasing his brows, before slumping onto the couch. "What look?" He retorted, feigning ignorance.
Uriel sat himself up, his gaze directed sharply towards Zack. "The look like you want me to easily forgive Catherine after all she and Jeffery did to me." He pointed out, his voice slightly raised. "Zack, you don't know what it's like to be an illegitimate son, do you? People think my life's perfect, but they don't know I'm trying to keep it together so I don't lose it. Do you understand what it means to be misunderstood?!"
"Are you done?! Because if you are, now I'll speak!" Zack fired back, his voice raised. "You have a stepmother who tries her best to take care of you, Uriel, and you don't appreciate it either. She has been here and never slept a wink just to make sure she's here for you." Uriel looked at him in shock. "Oh, you're shocked now, that's just the tip of the iceberg! I'm jealous of you, Uriel, truly. Although you're my friend, I'll say the truth. You have a good mother while I have none, and also to top it all, my dad's a complete, different, sadistic personality altogether."
Uriel threw his leg off the bed before standing up to look at him. "What did you say to me? Catherine was here all night, and you never bothered to tell me?" He grabbed Zack by the collar, staring deep into his bright blue eyes, their silent, intense gazes power-clashed.
Zack scoffed, taking his hands off his collar. "Get your freaking hands off me, Uriel! You'll never truly understand anything. I know no one's perfect, but at least you shouldn't be hard on Catherine; she's still your mother no matter how you look at it." He scolded, walking out of the room, not hesitating to slam the door.
Uriel raked his hand all over his hair, making a huge mess of it than it was before. "Shit! I need to call her back." He said, looking around before finding it on the nightstand. "Shit, it's dead!"
He threw the phone to the ground, stomping on it before stalking outside the room with the white towel he could find in the bathroom. He looked over the railing where he saw Catherine seated in the living room, a maid handing her a cup of coffee and a paper towel to wipe her tears.
The maid was startled upon seeing Uriel standing beside her. She packed her things and quickly walked away, leaving the both of them to chat.
Catherine looked at Uriel, her grey eyes shimmering with tears gathered at her lower eyelid. She sniffled, her face already red from crying. Uriel knelt down on one knee facing her. "Look Catherine I didn't mean to say those harsh words to you. He said and Catherine looked him her face reddened. "I'll return but that doesn't mean I forgive Dad's actions. I'll come home but I haven't forgotten last night.
Catherine rubbed his hair and as always, he leaned in, enjoying the overwhelming sensation of her fingers brushing his scalp. "I know I did wrong, but I never meant to use you as a tool against your father." She replied, and Uriel nodded in agreement, unbeknownst to them, Zack was watching from the stairs. "I know I did bad, but to me, you'll always be one of my own, despite all anyone's going to say. You're that child who knows when I'm down, happy, or even when I need something. You know me well that I know myself, so I can't hate you."
Uriel nods his green eyes meeting his stepmother's loving gaze. "I know cat and I love you too but first let's go home I'm craving the comfort of my swiss bedsheets. He mutters and Catherine pulls him into a hug.
She pulls away cleaning her eyes and Uriel stands up helping her up. "Okay sweetie let's go home already but first you should get changed and speak to your friend first. She urged and Uriel walks upstairs back to the guestroom.
Catherine gently pulled away, wiping her eyes as Uriel stood and helped her up. "Alright, sweetie, let's head home, but first, you should get changed and talk to your friend," she urged. Uriel went upstairs, back to the guestroom.
She knew everyone always said she was spoiling Uriel too much, but to her, "too much" was "too little." She remembered holding him as an infant, singing a soft lullaby, and how he would smile just by staring at her face. Catherine had always thought of Uriel as her son. Although many attributed her actions to his bossy attitude as a way of getting back at her husband, deep down, she always wanted him to rest in her embrace and treat him like her own son, giving him everything a mother could.
Uriel hurried upstairs to change but paused next to Zack, who looked at him with a small smile tugging at his lips, gently patting his shoulder. Uriel smiled back, but his proud and arrogant demeanor quickly returned as he walked into the room, changing into the new outfit Catherine had ordered for him.
He emerged a few minutes later to find Zack on a call, looking displeased. Zack turned towards him, quickly ending the call before approaching, his fiery red hair cascading over his shoulder.
"What's all the fuss about?" Uriel asked, but Zack only hissed, his face hardening.
"Hugo's moved out of the classroom." Uriel frowned, his gaze deadly. "I know you're upset about it, but I think he just needs some time alone to think about his actions. We've been friends for years, so I don't think he's going to just leave."
Uriel scoffed, his head reeling with suppressed rage, but he feigned nonchalance, surprising Zack. "I don't care what Hugo does. Even if he needs a year, he's a grown man, but he shouldn't get in the way of me doing mine."
Zack raked his hair, pulling it into a ponytail, revealing the lowered sides of his head. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him tonight," he assured. Uriel walked off, disregarding his words. "Don't be such a grumpy ass!" Zack yelled, throwing his sandal at Uriel, who easily dodged it.
Outside the mansion, Zack stood, waving at Catherine as she boarded the helicopter. She waved happily. Uriel was the last to enter after they both performed their signature handshake, and the aircraft took off. Zack turned to Sadiq and told him to prepare because he was going out for horse riding with some friends. Sadiq bowed before leaving..