Chapter 5 What Am I To Do!?

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• [ REECE'S HOME ]
• Reece's eyes groggily opened, and he was met with a piercing headache, his head was pounding from the night before.
• As he sat up and rubbed his eyes, he remembered the fun he had at the club with Kevin last night.
• As he turned to his side, he noticed a woman lying next to him, her hair disheveled, and her makeup smeared.
• He and Kevin had gone wild, drinking and dancing, and he had brought this woman back to his place yesterday.
• As he looked over at the woman, his expression turned cold.
• "Get out" He instantly barked, his voice icy.
• The woman's eyes snapped open, and she froze, fear evident on her face.
• "W-what time is it?" She stuttered, her voice shaky.
• Reece's gaze was unyielding. "It's time for you to f*ck the hell out of my room. Leave!" He yelled.
• The woman scrambled out of bed, her eyes fixed on Reece as if she was terrified of him. She hastily gathered her clothes and dressed quickly, her hands shaking.
• "P-please, can I at least..." She began, but Reece cut her off abruptly.
• "Get the f*ck out!" He yelled again and the lady flinched at his harsh tone and quickly made her way to the door.
• She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to him.
• "Y-you won't...call me, will you?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
• "Sure, I will call you. But just to cut off your two milk factories" He said darkly.
• Hearing that, the lady was seen dashing out of the room in a haste as if she was being chased by a ghost.
• Such a cruel man! How could he say that?!
• "I will kîll you, Kevin" Reece mumbled, still rubbing his throbbing head.
• While he was still trying to get himself together, his phone buzzed and he picked it up immediately.
• ~ We found him, sir" The message popped up, and he instantly let out a dark smile.
• He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to shower, his icy demeanor still intact.
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• Beverly's hands moved mechanically, scooping ice cream into cones as her mind raced with the impossible choices Reece had given her.
• The weight of her predicament crushed her, leaving her breathless and bewildered. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped, with no escape.
• As she handed a cone to a customer, her eyes glazed over, lost in thought.
• "Mint chocolate chip, right?" She muttered, her voice barely audible.
• The customer looked taken aback by her demeanor but nodded and took their ice cream.
• Her employees exchanged worried glances, sensing something was off. The usual warmth and enthusiasm that Beverly brought to her work was absent, replaced by a gloomy expression.
• ~ Could it be because of the visitor she had yesterday? ~ Her employees thought.
• Beverly's mind kept wandering back to Reece's demands: pay the debt in full, surrender to marriage, or face destruction. The thought of losing everything she had worked for, her business, her home, her family's security, was unbearable. The weight of her responsibilities as a single mother and business owner felt suffocating.
• All she was thinking about last night was what Reece said. She couldn't get any good sleep at all.
• As the day went on, Beverly's distraction led to mistakes and spills, further frustrating her. She knew she needed to snap out of it, but her heart and mind were heavy with uncertainty. The clock ticked away, reminding her that time was running out.
• What was she going to do?!
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• [ RIVERVIEW ACADEMY ]
• Alex walked into the classroom, his eyes scanning the room for a familiar face. But instead, he was met with a sneer from the one person he dreaded most - Blain, the school bully.
• Blain, the son of the richest man in town and owner of Riverview Academy, sneered at Alex. He was a tall, muscular boy with an entitled air about him. His father, the richest man in town, owned Riverview Academy, and Blain never let anyone forget it. He makes sure to remind student of his status.
• He was the quintessential spoiled brat - arrogant, selfish, and cruel. He delighted in making others suffer, especially those he considered beneath him, like Alex.
• "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The scholarship boy" Blain sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "What's the matter, Alex? Can't afford a decent backpack?" He knowingly smirked as he eyed Alex's backpack.
• Alex felt his face heat up as Blain's gang snickered and jeered. He tried to ignore them and make his way to his seat, but Blain blocked his path.
• "Hey, Alex, you know what my father always says? He says people like you are only good for one thing - cleaning our shoes." Blain said and his friends burst out laughing.
• Alex felt a surge of anger and humiliation, but he knew better than to react. Blain was sure looking for a reason to pounce, and Alex wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
• "What do you want, Blain? Why can't you just let me be?" Alex asked and he laughed out, sardonically.
• He suddenly stopped laughing and stared deep into Alex's eyes, a smirk on his face, knowing what he was about to say.
• "You're so weak, Alex. Just like your family. Your sister got knocked up without even being married, and your mom is a drunk. Who knows what the scholarship kid would be someday? A carpenter? Maybe" Blain continued to mock Alex. His friends laughed out again, and Alex's anger grew, he felt really humiliated.
• "Don't you ever mention my family again, Blain!!" Alex warned, his voice low and fierce.
• He knew Blain was trying to get a rise out of him, but it was hard not to react.
• "What's the matter, Alex? Can't handle the truth? Ooh! You wanna beat me?" Blain taunted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
• Just then, the door burst open and Samantha walked in, her friends trailing behind her.
• "Blain, stop it! Leave him alone" She said, her voice firm but with a hint of sweetness.
• "Ah, my sweetness. Didn't know you were in school already" Blain grinned.
• "I am, alright? Here to stop you from harassing Alex, as per usual" Samantha rolled her eyes.
• "Common, Sam, I'm just having a little fun" Blain replied.
• "Fun? You call bullying fun? That's not fun, Blain. That's cruel!" Samantha walked up to him, her heels clicking on the floor, her voice firm and serious.
• She's a beautiful, rich and popular student at Riverview Academy, dating the school bully, Blain. While she often seems to enjoy the perks of being his girlfriend, there are moments when her expression betrays a flicker of discomfort, a hint of distaste for the way Blain treats others, especially Alex.
• She just hates to see him humiliate Alex that way and always tries to intervene.