Love Game With The Rebel Billionaire

"Mom? What's wrong?" I asked when I found her reaction weird. "Mason is not my boyfriend or anything, if that's what you are thinking. I can't even consider him as a friend, although he was nicer than his friends." "His friends? What do you mean?" Mom asked, her brows furrowing. "Is it Ash and Haze?"

"Yes... But what, how did you know them?"

"It doesn't matter, but listen to me. Stay away from him," Mom warned as he held both my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Avoid the Coleman family at all costs if you don't want your life to be completely ruined, and don't take my warning lightly. You don't know how powerful they are."

I was about to ask why, but I stopped upon seeing my mom trembling in fear... for something I couldn't decipher.

"Mom? What do you mean by that, mom?" I asked in a worried and confused tone. "Do you know something you're not telling me?"

"You don't need to do anything for you to follow me." She stopped walking for a moment before looking at me. Her tone was scary, as if she was threatening me with something I didn't know. "If I need to transfer you to another school just to keep you away, I'll do it."

"No, mom! You have no right to dictate what I should do!"

I couldn't stop myself from shouting because of what she just said. I suffered for so long at this University. Even if I felt like people looked down on me, I endured it. Why? Because I badly wanted to graduate from this school. I thought this was where I could change my life, but just because of Mason and Ash, she wanted to take away my dream?

I won't let that happen. Even if I needed to fight with my own mother just to achieve my dreams... I'll gladly do it.

"You're the one studying, but I'm the one paying for it, so I have the right to tell you what to do!" she shouted back. Her words felt like they stabbed me in the heart. "If I weren't working night and day, do you think you'd have extra money for your expenses? No!"

Does she even realize what she's saying to me right now? She doesn't know anything about my school... about the things I had to endure to graduate.

"Sapphire..."

She was about to come closer to me, but I immediately moved away from her. She was becoming like my father. They were both manipulative. I think I no longer have my mom on my side in this fight.

I guess it's only me against this chaotic world.

"That hurts more than dad's slap." That's all I said to her before walking into my room.

"INSTEAD of putting it in there, where it might get stepped on, place it here, Sapphire," Prescilla instructed as she saw me carrying the cartolinas.

She, on the other hand, was carrying some decorating materials.

"Much better." She smiled. "You'll also be in trouble once Evangeline sees that, too."

The side of my lips rose as I shook my head. I transferred the cartolina to Prescilla's location. After wiping my hands, I asked her. "Do you need anything else?"

"No. Thank you." She smiled at me before waving to someone beside me. "Hi, baby! Come here!"

When I turned to look, I frowned slightly because there was Vincent. He wasn't even a student council member, yet he's here in the auditorium where Freshmen Week would be held.

So unprofessional... or maybe I was just bitter? I don't know.

I bowed slightly to Vincent, who did the same to me, before leaving them alone.

To be honest, Prescilla and Vincent were more tolerable than my schoolmates here. Even though I didn't have Evangeline's protection in the department, they didn't bother me much. Maybe because they had their own lives and didn't feel the need to interfere with mine.

What I just don't like is their public display of affection. I feel nauseated when I see them being lovey-dovey in different parts of the building, and no, I am not exaggerating. That's really how I feel about them. Too much affection makes me sick.

Afterward, I went to the stage to check if the stage design was properly set up. It wasn't all about the design, but the functionality.

Is it easy for people to move from the front to the backstage? Are there any wires scattered on the floor that could cause accidents? Do the wall designs complement the event's theme? Those are the things I ask myself while observing the place.

"What do you think about the design?"

I flinched when Evangeline spoke beside me. She was wearing simple spaghetti straps, a blazer, and black pants. Her curly hair was in a messy bun.

I, on the other hand, was just wearing my plain white shirt and faded black pants. I don't have many outfits, so I wear simple clothes like this.

Also, we didn't have class today because our professor had an emergency, but Evangeline called us to decorate the auditorium. She may be a bitch, but she's a good leader. I really compliment her for that, though only in my mind. "Are you really asking for my opinion on this one?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this kind of treatment included in the authority you have given me for a week?"

"I always ask all the student council officers for their opinions on the design of every event I handle, so don't give this another meaning."

"Well... This is the first time you asked me personally," I clarified before walking to the other side of the stage.

I thought she was going to let me leave the conversation, but she followed me. The sound of her heels while walking towards me screamed dominance. She was like a mafia boss but in a school setting.

"This may be the first time, but it doesn't mean that I don't do it," I sensed a hint of mockery in her voice. "Is that how poor people think?" She frowned.

I didn't know why she was following me everywhere I went if all she wanted was to insult me. Sometimes, I just couldn't understand her. "Yeah... right." I scoffed.

I badly wanted this conversation to end. I wanted to go back to the life I had when people didn't talk to me because they didn't like me.

"It's good," I said as I stared at the upper part of the stage. I was checking where the spotlights were focused. For me, lighting is critical when it comes to stage design. "Maybe add a spotlight here in this area to brighten it up." "Okay," she nodded, "jot notes about your observations, then. We'll discuss it with the student council members at the next meeting."

"What?" I blinked my eyes twice at her demand. "I thought I was assigned to the booths, but why are you giving me the stage design to handle? I may know the basics, but I don't think I can handle it. Maybe the arts and design people should handle this-"

"Are you doubting my commands right now?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No." I looked away.

"Then do your job." She took something from her bag, and to my surprise, she opened my bag without permission and placed all expensive pens on it. "Stop using cheap pens. Stop talking about all their insults, either. You're a part of the student council. Act like one."

"But you're the one insulting me the most, Evangeline. And you're confusing me." My brows furrowed. "Why could you be so nice sometimes and mean most of the time?"

I was about to hold her arm when suddenly, she took a step away from me.