CHAPTER THREE

CAMILLA

Mark's sudden movement took me by surprise, and he scrambled to be at Olivia's side with a tissue to wipe off the blood. His words stabbed me like a sharp knife about frustration and judgment.

"Camilla, I thought that now that you know I don't want you anymore, you will leave pleasantly, but I was wrong," he spat, his gaze stabbing me in the chest like a murderer's glance would. "I wanted to respect and protect your reputation, but now you disgust me." His words hurt. They left me feeling betrayed and deserted—under his condemnation.

"Yes, I wanted to leave you and your senseless dog, but can't you see that she was the one who pulled my hair?" I replied with a frown on my forehead while frustration was boiling inside me.

"You ugly face thing," Mark spat, his anger flaring. "You splashed a drink on her face first. Now, if you don't want a problem, apologize to Olivia."The more he demanded furiously, the more it incited my indignation because the injustice of the situation was nailing hard on me.

"What should I apologize for, Mark?" I snapped defiantly. "It seems you've forgotten that I'm no longer your submissive girlfriend. I broke up with you 20 minutes ago," I smirked, feeling so free. I tried leaving, but Mark tightened his grip on my hand painfully—it gave me pain even with the jolt shooting through me. Acting purely on instinct, I lunged a vicious punch at his groin, and he let go with a yelp of pain. "Let go of me, you son of a bitch!" I wrenched my hand free from his grasp.

Not looking back, I ran out of the pub as fast as I could, the cold rain splashing on me as I fled. Finding a spot by the road, I sank under a wave of sadness and frustration. Tears poured down my cheeks, meeting with the raindrops that unrelentingly fell from the sky. It was as though the universe decided to conspire on making my day a complete misfortune, and I could not do anything but give in to the despair engulfed me.

I got lost in thought, deeply involved with how things got so messed up with Mark. Did Olivia manipulate him, or had he become senseless himself? He had never once belittled my scar. Far from it, promising that it wasn't the end of the world and all was well. He had been my rock—the source of strength and joy in times of sadness. He knew my struggles in life—my daily hustle just to make it through—and I had never asked him for financial support.

Broken, desperate and lost, I stood still in the middle of the rain, thoughts running through my head repeatedly over Madeline's ultimatum. How in the world would I come up with $75,000 in just two weeks? Was Mr. Collins going to marry me? Was my life as I knew it really over? I felt utterly broken, sunk under the weight of the world. I sat there with my thoughts, apparently for hours, until the sound of a cat's meow jarred me out of my flow. With a very heavy heart, I rose and set off to go home. Waving frantically to every passing vehicle, none stopped, leaving me feeling invisible and alone in the bitter, wet night.

A car passed, and the driver asked me if I was up for a date tonight. I just replied that all I needed was a lift to the front of the campus gate. "Do I look like a good Samaritan to you, bitch? I need a babe to have fun with tonight. I'm so full." he replied even more indecently. He disgusted me; I was disrespected. As he rode off hurriedly, he intentionally splashed water on me, literally adding insult to injury. "What a jerk!" I quietly said to myself, shaken by the encounter.

Another car passed by, and he stopped abruptly. The man alighted with an umbrella and ushered me into his car. My cellphone was filled with water and was not turning on. I can't call any friends to sleep over at their side. I can't go home; I can't go back to the dormitory.

Where should I drop you off? He asked me.

"For now, I don't have any place to go somehow ." My voice was barely a whisper. He took me to a 5-star hotel. Gave me a special VIP room card. He told me to enter the hotel and show them the card so that they would let me in. He further said that when I woke up the following morning and was about to leave, I should drop the card at the VIP reception then he drove off.

Who could tell my unlucky day would finish with this tipping of goodness? Although the goodness could not arguably satiate my bad day altogether, I felt relieved and relaxed.

Inside the hotel, I did as instructed. They told me to have something to eat at the VIP cafeteria and to get a new dress in the VIP boutique. I was too tired to eat, but I did try to eat my best, for I had not eaten anything good on the whole day. I could not go to the boutique, so I planned for the following morning. I went to the room. I ran the hot water and sat in there for a few minutes, reminiscing about the whole day. In no short time, I felt so sleepy. I went to bed and slept naked.

The following day, I awoke and then ran to the boutique to buy a new gorgeously designed piece of cloth—all the dresses there were so costly, but later, one was slightly cheaper. And fortunately, it was my exact size. I ran back to the room, took another hot bath, and then changed.

I hurried to the student savings and disbursal desk and withdrew some money. With the money in my possession, I got a room at the short-let apartment not far from the school. I went to the hostel in the afternoon, after I had already signed the lease and was eager to move with my luggage because I couldn't even stay in the same place with Olivia. She disgusts me so much that I might just end up killing her one day. I packed my stuff, which wasn't much.

As I was about to leave, she stepped in, held my hand, and pulled me back. "Don't you think we have scores to settle?" she said abruptly. On the table was a pen, so I went into a rage, picked it up, and pointed it toward her eyes. She became so frightened. "Stay away from me, you wretched wench, if you don't want me to stab your eyes." I took my belongings and left the room.