"Why are you guys doing this…?" I manage to ask.
And what i get from the question is laughter. Mockery. Their voices grow louder, twisting into something monstrous. The noise is deafening, swallowing me whole that I don't even realize when my legs give out.
I sink down, my hands flying to my ears, trying to block out the sound. And my vision blurs as hot tears spill down my cheeks, unstoppable.
And still, they cheer at my pain. Unbelievable.
Just when one of them reaches out— her fingers grazing my chin, and ready to lift my face for a better picture.... just then a voice booms through the crowd.
"What the HELL do you think you're all doing?! Stay off her!" The world goes silent. after the voice... Then, a firm grip pulls me up.
"Duvall?"
The moment Duvall's voice cuts through the chaos, everything stops. The mocking laughter, the snapping cameras, and the cruel whispers—it all vanishes in an instant.
He's standing there, towering over everyone, with his dark and furious expression. he doesn't show his usual smirk, it's now replaced by something colder.
Chloe and her friends flinch. Some students take a step back, suddenly unsure of themselves.
"I said, stay off her!" He says, in a sharp, angry vouce, dripping with authority. that no one dares to move.
I feel his hand wrap around my wrist as he helps me to my feet. My legs are shaky, but his grip is firm—reassuring. I barely realize I'm still crying until I wipe my cheeks with the back of my sleeve.
Chloe regains her composure, tossing her hair back as she crosses her arms. "Oh, come on. We were just having a little fun. No need to be dramatic."
Duvall turns his head toward her slowly. "Fun?" He says in a dangerously yet calm voice. "You think humiliating someone in front of the whole school is fun?" he adds.
Chloe hesitates, her confidence now seem wavering under his intense stare. But one of her friends, the same girl who clicked her teeth earlier, scoffs. "Why do you care, Mr? Since when do Lilian has someone who play knight in shining armor?"
He smirks, but there's no amusement in it. "Since when do I need a reason to tell people like you to shut the hell up?" he retorts.
A murmur ripples through the crowd. Students exchanging glances, some looking guilty, others seeming curious.
Chloe's face flushes with embarrassment. As she's now losing control of the situation, and she knows it. "Tch, whatever. Let's go." She turns on her heel, her friends following, though not before shooting me one last glare.
As the crowd begins to disperse, I finally let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. My hands are still trembling, my heart pounding against my ribs.
Duvall glances down at me, his grip on my wrist loosening slightly. "You okay?" he asks, seeming concern.
I take my hands off him and nod stiffly, still processing everything. "I… I think so." I reply, stuttering.
He studies me for a moment before sighing. "You really attract trouble, huh, slave?" He says in a teasing voice again, but there's something softer beneath it this time.
I roll my eyes, sniffling. "Not on purpose."
He chuckles, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
And for the first time, as we walk away, I realize something.
For all his arrogance, for all the trouble he's caused me…
Yet Duvall just saved me. Again.
Then, my phone rings.
I clear my throat before answering, in an unsteady voice.
"Hello?" A pause. Then—
"This is the hospital. Mrs Rose has been admitted. Are you her guardian?"
My breath catches.
"Yes!" I say immediately, my heart pounding.
"Which hospital?" I ask, with an urgent voice.
The moment they tell me, I nod, even though they can't see me. "Okay, thank you, sir. I'll be right there." I hang up, bowing slightly out of habit, out of gratitude—to no one. Just the voice that delivered the news.
I turn to leave, hesitating in a bit, but there's no time. Duvall says something—his voice cutting through the moment. He's talking, asking if he should come with me.
Of course, he already knows. Somehow, he knows—without me even saying it.
But I do not stop. I don't even question it, and just run.
Bolting toward the school gate, I hail the first cab I see and climb in, my hands trembling against my lap. My heart is racing, and my mind spiraling with fear.
"Please… Please let her be okay. She's all I have. My only family. My everything." I secretly wish..
Soon, I arrive at the hospital and am directed to the doctor.
"What happened?" I ask the moment I step into his office, my voice tight with panic.
Without hesitation, he hands me a report.
"Cancer?"
My mind whirls upon seeing that. "She should have come sooner for checkups," the doctor says. "The signs were there, but she ignored them."
I barely process the rest. My chest tightens as I rush to her room. She's lying there, still unconscious.
Mom has spent her whole life working tirelessly just to make sure I never lack. She took out loans, paid my bills, and sacrificed everything for me…
But what did I do in return? I left.
I moved into my own apartment—when she needed me the most.
A sharp pain settles in my chest as the memories flood back. The last time she called, she asked me to come home for the weekend.
"Do you think I have enough spare time, Mom? I'm busy with work!" I snapped, frustrated.
She went quiet for a moment before saying softly, "You're right. Focus on your future. Have a better life. You mustn't end up like me." Then she hung up.
I regretted those words the moment I said them. But I had planned to visit her tomorrow—to apologize, to make things right.
But now… Now that she's lying here, unconscious...