Miranda placed her left hand on her chest and drifted backwards with a gasp. She was forced to stop moving after hitting her back against the wall. Charlie lowered his head while Miranda watched as Ken and Cassie vanished. They stepped into the car and sped off. Ken didn't turn to look at her as she aspired.
"What the hell just happened?" Miranda managed to ask. She was still in shock.
Charlie lifted his head with a sigh. "Well, it appears your boy just struck gold."
"Damn it!" Miranda yelled and aggressively shoved the pieces of stuff on the table. The plastic vase, books and mug came crashing to the floor, creating a mess.
Charlie walked up to her with astonishing eyes. "What is wrong with you babe?" He tried to grab her but she placed her hand on his chest, the way she did to Ken earlier.
"Stop acting like a jealous girlfriend," Charlie remarked and dropped on the stool.
"Now I'm acting like a jealous girlfriend?" She smirked and continued. "Oh come on Charlie, I'm not jealous. That Cassie girl was acting. Believe me, she's just acting to pull Ken out of his misery." Miranda said and broke into a laugh.
"But the girl was fucking hot," Charlie remarked. He moved toward her.
Miranda gave Charlie a violent push and crashed by the edge of the bed. "So now you are admiring the girl too? Oh cut the crap Charlie." she lowered her head, and her brown hair fell on her face. "That girl...."
"Well, whether she's Ken's new babe or not, she's a big fish."
"Stop sounding like a dick Charlie. Now you are on her side?"
Charlie shook his head in disagreement and moved to the bed. He sat beside Miranda and placed his arm around her.
"It's just me and you now. I don't care about her. To crown it all, that pauper is finally out of your life so now, we can be together"
Charlie cleared the strands of hair covering Miranda's face and held her jaw. He pulled her face and leaned in for a kiss but she turned away.
"Jeez, Charlie Is that all you can think about right now?" she smirked and stood up. She began to pace.
Charlie was getting pissed. "So what do you want me to think about? Ken or the fucking limo?"
"Yes, Charlie. Didn't you see the car? That bitch owns a bloody limousine and did you see the way she wrapped her arm around Ken? She made us look like bloody fools."
"Yes, she has a limo and so what? I should get a limo too. I can't afford it but at least I'm better than your broke ass ex." Charlie fired back with a satisfied nod.
"What are you saying Charlie?"
"I should be asking you that Miranda. You almost sound as if you regret being with me. I'm going to give you a good life Miranda. The life that boy was never going to offer you."
Miranda heaved a deep sigh. "You don't get it, Charlie. I don't regret choosing you over him. It's not about what he can offer. I felt insulted you know. I thought Ken was this poor boy with nothing and then all of a sudden this hot girl steps out of a limo, barges into my room and she's his girlfriend now?" Miranda lamented and shook her head. "This must be pure acting," she concluded.
Charlie sighed and shut the door. He rested his back against the closed door. "In as much as it surprises you, it astounds me too. I can't deny the fact that I felt trivial before them a while ago."
Miranda giggled and instantly hardened her face. "Oh, Charlie you don't know how little I felt. I was the one that broke up with him and then this rich girl embraces him right before me. Whether she was acting or not, I felt less."
She grabbed a band from her purse and tied her hair into a bun. She stepped on the ruins that soiled the carpet when she angrily cleared the table. She moved closer to Charlie.
"That bitch saved him but believe me, he'll toss her to the side. He's crazy in love with me." she blurted.
Charlie broke into a laugh. "Well, he better set his eyes on the girl because you are now mine."
Miranda folded her arms across her chest and couldn't help but wonder about Ken and the girl. She has been with Ken for about a year and he had never mentioned the name, Cassie. As far as she knows, he barely talks about his childhood and now he has a filthy rich friend who is crazy in love with him. That was a pure set-up.
"Miranda....Miranda!" Charlie yelled for the fourth time, drawing Miranda out of her thoughts.She looked up to Charlie and noticed the sweats banded on his forehead. She looked into his eyes and rolled her eyes up his blonde hair down his face. He wasn't as handsome as Ken. Why didn't she figure that out or maybe she did but wanted more than just a perfect jawline, she wanted more than Ken's sexy eyes and protruding nose. She wanted more, she wanted luxury.
"I don't want us to stay here and quarrel over some boy called Ken. He's out of your life. You told me there was no going back huh?"
Miranda replied with a nod. Right now, she wished she could turn back the hands of time and shut the door before Cassie walked into her room.
"There's no going back Charlie." Miranda declared and began thinking about her first meeting with Charlie.
She was sitting in the school's most loved cafeteria, stirring her orange juice in circles with a straw when Charlie showed up. He requested to sit opposite her and when he extended his hand for a shake, the Rolex adorned on his wrist caught her attention. They chatted for a while and before exiting the cafeteria, he paid for her coffee and stuffed some dollars into her hands. That night, he phoned her and she wondered how he got her number. They got talking and had been hanging out but she told him about Ken. When the luxurious dates, expensive gifts and cash gifts started coming, she relegated Ken to the background. That was a week ago.
"Miranda, get dressed and join me in the car outside," Charlie said, his voice sounding like a dictator.
Charlie turned around to head out and looked back. Miranda was transfixed to the spot.
"Didn't you hear me? Get dressed. We are going out to meet my friends."
Miranda fell onto the bed with a disapproving look. "I'm not in the mood to go anywhere, Charlie."
Charlie released the doorknob and turned to face her. "What's your problem?" He yelled.
Miranda shut her eyes and opened them after a while. "I'm exhausted." was all she said.
Charlie went on ranting. "Are you saying you are not going out with me? It better has nothing to do with that Ken and his girl. You are over him, right? Haven't we thrashed this issue? You told the boy to his face that you were done with him so I expect you to freshen up and join me in the car."
Miranda rested her back against her wall, her gaze fixated on the ceiling. Charlie didn't stop blabbering.
"Miranda, I'm talking to you."
"Fine. I'm sorry. We will hang out with your friends." she replied and grabbed her bag.
"Pull up here." Cassie ruled out to her chauffeur.The limousine had been moving for about ten minutes. The driver parked the car behind a restaurant and stepped out. Ken carefully took out his hand that had been entangled in Cassie's. She smiled lovingly at him and he immersed her in a warm hug."Thank you so much sister," he said, holding up the tears that had welled up in his eyes.She rubbed his back tenderly and replied. "Siblings don't have to thank each other Ken. You can count on your big sister anytime."They broke off the embrace. Cassie pulled out a tissue from her bag and passed it to Ken.He collected the tissue and pressed it to his eyes. "Thank you, Cassie," he mumbled and threw his back against the seat with a deep sigh.Cassie understood that dozens of thoughts were running through his mind at that moment so she remained silent. After a few minutes, she spoke, breaking the silence between them. Ken's forest green eyes were devoid of tears. "Seems like I arrived just
The ride from Boston to Cambridge wasn't a draining one for Ken. Feelings of anxiety and euphoria had enveloped him and all he wanted was to step foot at Harvard.He alighted at the bus station and pulled his luggage bag out of the vehicle. He had gotten a new bag. Ken roved his eyes around the busy station. People stood in groups. Some were getting off buses, others were rushing to get in."Wow!" he mumbled as his eyes magnified in astonishment. It is his first time in Cambridge. Ken heard about the city countless times and saw its beautiful architectural settings on television but now, he was standing on Cambridge soil.He held onto his school bag with one hand and pulled the luggage bag with the other hand. He shifted from the highway to a corner beside a restaurant. People littered the street and Ken concluded that the situation is so because it was Monday morning.Ken couldn't stop roving his green eyes around the bus station. It was damn busy."Harvard!" Ken heard a petite hai
Ken took languish steps toward his hostel, fighting very hard to withhold the tears welling up in his eyes. He imagined Miranda, laughing behind him while he vanish from her sight.He lowered his head and kept wondering whether Miranda had ever loved him for a moment. Again, she had just lashed out at him, stating that she was grateful she was with Charlie now.Ken sniffled as he walked down the straight path ahead of him, assessing Miranda's torturous statements. Maybe she's better off without him.After moving to Harvard, he had hoped that he'll get to move on quickly now that he's far away from her but it turns out that she made it to Harvard too.Ken sighed and marched toward his room. He opened the door and was greeted by its emptiness. His roommates had all gone out. He fell on his bed with his face feeling thankful that they weren't around to detect his discomfort.A few minutes later, his phone began to vibrate. Ken got up and pulled the device out of his bag."Cassie!" he gas
Ken lowered his head and held the ropes attached to his backpack with both hands. He was walking out of the hostel. He hurried into the lecture hall and settled at his favourite row; the first row. He could still sense the eyes of some students all over him. The young lecturer walked onto the hall and wrote an equation on the board. He flipped his marker. "So who is going to solve this problem for us?" There was pin drop silence.The lecturer began moving around the hall waving his blue marker. "You guys can't solve a mathematical problem? This is just the basics. Next semester, you'll be advancing to Medicine courses proper."No one spoke. The newbies kept exchanging blank glances. The lecturer returned to the front row. "Finally, we have a hand up. Come over here."Ken stood up and took the marker from the lecturer. He walked to the board and in less than two minutes, the equation was solved. Ken slowly turned around to face the class who were staring at him like an appetising m
Are you sure about this?" Mr Cameron asked Cassie for the umpteenth time."Yes dad." she acknowledged with a nod and went on stirring her tea with a spoon in circles.Her father sighed and went for the toasted bread on the dining table. "I can't promise you Cassie but I'll speak to a few of my contacts and get back to you."Cassie rose to her feet, pulled out her chair and rushed to her father. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Thank you so much, dad.""As I said, it's not a promise but I'll see what I can do about it." Cassie smiled and returned to her seat.After pondering about it several times, Cassie had just requested that her father have her transferred from the state university to Harvard.She smiled and took a sip from her tea mug, praying that the process works. When her father demanded the reason for requesting the transfer, Cassie had lied to him that she wasn't getting the best from the state university and she'll only get the standard of education she desir
Ken and Cassie stepped into the RUSTOM cafe beaming with smiles. They settled on the last booth, opposite each other.Cassie busted out laughing after dropping her transfer file on the square table. "Did you see their reaction after you read out from the file that I am now a student of Harvard?"Ken chuckled and waved at the waitress by the counter. "They didn't see the transfer coming and honestly, neither did I."Cassie grabbed the menu card on the table. "I spoke to my dad about the inter-university transfer last week and this morning, my acceptance letter from Harvard arrived."Ken motioned to the waitress to come closer. She leaned toward him and scribbled down the orders he was pointing at from the menu card. The waitress nodded and left."I guess that was the surprise you were talking about when you called me this morning?""Of course," Cassie said and roved her eyes around the cafe. "Well, now that I'm a student here, I'll need a tour of the campus."The plump waitress returne
Cassie looked up to Ken with pitiful eyes. If there's one thing she's certain of is Ken's quest of keeping a low profile but right now, she wasn't sure whether it will be possible.Camera lights kept flickering all over them as more students kept trouping to the scene to catch a glimpse of the battered men. They were taking pictures of the men on the floor."Did Ken beat them?""Damn, they are in a mess.""Are you sure he beat them? There's three of them."More comments kept erupting from the crowd. Cassie held onto Ken's hand and together, they forced their way through the crowd.Ken led Cassie down the street. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault," she mumbled.Ken forced a grin and hailed a cab. "It's not your fault Cassie. I have no regrets," he replied and motioned to her with his head to get into the back seat of the cab.Cassie stepped into the cab and waved at him, her eyes speaking gratitude. "Call me when you get to your hotel room.""Sure," she replied.The cab sped away.Ken tur
Ken glanced at the watch adorning his left wrist. "That's enough for today," he mumbled and closed the anatomy textbook before him. It was almost 11 pm. He needed to get back to his room and rest because he has a morning class to attend the next day. Ken tucked the textbook and his mobile phone inside his bag. He stood up and brushed off his jacket. He had been studying in the multi-purpose for about four hours. Ken hung his bag and made his way out of the hall while whistling an odd tune. He marched toward the dark path the students called 'The lonely path.' The students hardly trespassed on that route, especially at night but Ken takes that route to his hostel every night after studying because it is shorter to get to his hostel using the path. Ken had taken a few steps and was about to take a sharp turn toward the MC ARTHUR hostel when a familiar voice called out to him. He turned around after a sigh. He shifted to the wall and rested his back against it. Miranda was hurrying
2 pm!Ken smiled when he saw the limo pulling toward his apartment. He had been waiting outside for about ten minutes. Jane promised to show up by 2 pm so they'll hit the airport. Their flight was scheduled for 3 pm that evening.Jane stepped out of the vehicle clinging to a brown leather handbag. It was a large bag that contained some spare clothes and other items. Since Cassie's reception was scheduled for 6 pm that evening, it was evident that they were going to spend the night in a hotel so Jane came with luggage.Ken walked up to Jane and took the bag away from her. "I thought you wouldn't show up."She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh come on Ken, you know I wouldn't do such a thing."He smiled and led her into the house. They crashed on the twin couch in the living room."I'm so happy for Cassie," said Jane.Ken turned to Jane. "You don't know how excited I am for her babe. She has been looking forward to this day and I can't wait to see the excitement on her face. I
Ken and Jane kept exchanging mischievous glances. She could see the uneasiness in Ken's eyes. She gave him an assuring blink and darted her gaze to her father.Ken watched the non-verbal communication ongoing between father and daughter. In a flash, Jane rose to her feet and Ken's eyes widened in horror.Was his basic support system about to leave him? He couldn't imagine sitting opposite Mr. Carter without her.Jane turned to the tensed Ken with a warm smile and the look that says 'Relax!'"I'll be right back." She said and began walking away from the dining.Ken collapsed on the chair and couldn't take his eyes off Jane's departing figure. Mr. Carter called his attention by clearing his throat loudly. He sat up, turned toward the CEO, and displayed a sheepish grin.Soon, domestic staff smartly dressed in their uniforms traced their way to the dining majestically carrying food trays and tea jugs. They began to set the table while Ken's eyes were fixed on the stairs, patiently waiting
Ken waved at Jane after she stepped into the back seat of the Range Rover that had come to pick her up from the restaurant. It was a few minutes to 9 pm and their chit-chat was over. Ken sighed and strode to his Lamborghini. He stepped into the car and zoomed off.While driving home, Cassie kept calling but Ken couldn't pick up her calls. His wireless Bluetooth wasn't in the vehicle and there was no way he could pick up the call while he was driving so immediately after he drove to his parking lot, Ken grabbed his phone and dialed Cassie's number.He stroked his forehead several times as he waited for her to pick up the call. They haven't spoken much lately and he wouldn't want to miss any of her calls. After she explained to him that she was occupied with the responsibility attached to her handing over as CEO, Ken Gave her space so she could adequately prepare."Hello!" The phone speaker filtered her voice.Ken sighed in relief. Finally, she picked up the call."Sorry I missed your c
"You are glowing tonight and I must say that you've been glowing a lot lately." Mr. Carter remarked. He was seated in the living room downstairs and was going through his phone when Jane stepped out of her room.She waved her hand down. "Oh come on dad. What are you saying?" She stared at her shoes and flipped her hair, wondering whether she had invested so much in her look that night.Her father cleared his throat loudly and blinked at her. "I must say that love is a beautiful thing. I'm glad it's making you glow and step up with your appearance." He said and broke into a laugh.Jane shook her head and aimed for the exit. "You are so funny, dad. I always dress to kill. Meanwhile, have fun till I return.""Have fun Jane and stay safe!"Jane traced her way to the water fountain where her chauffeur was waiting for her with the Range Rover. She sat next to him in the front seat and he drove away.It was a few minutes past 7 am and Jane was certain that Ken was already seated in the VIP l
Ken kept shifting his gaze from the door to the files littered on his table. It was Monday morning and he was already seated in his office. This week, he'll be only handling administrative tasks.After Ray pulled the car to a halt in the parking lot earlier, Ken kept searching for one of the vehicles that usually drop Jane at the hospital but none was in sight. It was evident that she was yet to arrive at the office.He stared at his wristwatch. Should he give her a call? He sighed and darted his gaze from the door back to his table. He had just spent about twenty minutes in the office so Jane might be on her way.Ken shook his head and continued going through the papers before him. He wondered why he was feeling like a teenager in love even after being with Jane for three years. He had spoken to her on the phone about a hundred times during the weekend and still didn't get enough. He was hopelessly in love.A few minutes later, the door to Ken's office was pushed open. He let the pen
Jane stared at the phone screen and shifted her gaze to Ken. "It's my father calling. I think I need to go." She said and flew to the bedroom.Ken hurried after her. He wanted to pull her back, tell her to stop, and spend more time with him but he knew it was impossible to do that. Her father must have noticed her absence and was probably worried.When Ken got to the bedroom, he met Jane hurriedly slipping into her clothes. He grabbed her bag and went for her shoes under the bed.He helped her wear her jacket and ensured her buttons were in the right holes. "I'll get the car key." He said and left before she could speak.Jane sighed and shook her head. Ken seemed excited and she knew he was going to be sad when she turns down his offer to drive her home.He returned to the bedroom waving his car key. "I'll just grab my shirt," Ken said and moved to the closet."I just called my driver!" Jane spat.When Ken turned around, he caught her waving her phone.He arched a brow. "I thought I w
"This whole revelation is driving me insane!" Cassie remarked after taking her head into her hands.Master Yohi sighed and reached for her hand. "You must stay strong Cassie. I understand how hard it is for you."She turned to him with a fierce look. "How do you expect me to stay strong or act calm? I can't believe I've been living with a liar all my life. After I confronted him, he told me that he knew Ken's parents from a distance and since Ken had no guardian, he was entrusted the right to the boy's property till he was of age.""Your father lied to you. His younger brother Trent, handed the papers to the company to him the week he died. I think his brother knew that there were a couple of bad men on his tail and no one knows why. He planned to come home from Brooklyn the following week and introduced Ken and his mom to you guys." The master explained.Cassie began to nod repeatedly. "Now I'm beginning to get the hang of this story. Ken's father set up the company in Boston while h
Ken rose to his feet and pointed a cheerful finger at Jane. "Before you tell me about the men in your life, I'll go grab us some snacks.""Okay!"He placed a kiss on her left cheek and before heading into the kitchen, he mumbled. "I'll be right back!"Jane fell back on the couch with a warm smile. After speaking to Ken about her past, she felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off her chest. She hugged herself and breathed the fresh air that she was ready to take in. If she had known that speaking about the whole thing was going to be easy and uplifting, she would have done it a long time ago.A few minutes later, Ken returned to the living room with a plate of cookies. She quickly sat up and went for a piece the moment the plate landed on the stool."You made this?" She asked after taking a bite.Ken smiled and took a piece. "Well, miss Jane there are a lot of things you must learn about me and yes, I baked those yesterday and kept them in a jar."Jane hummed and took another happy
Cassie clenched her jaw with her arms still folded across her chest. "Give me one reason why I should listen to you Master Yohi?"He sighed and held up her malicious stare. "You are angry my child and despite your anger, you decided to show up here."She turned away and he continued speaking."Even after hearing my conversation with father last night, you took the risk and showed up here. This can only prove the point that you have doubts about my involvement in the situation and I implore that you give me the chance to speak.She turned to him with trembling lips. She pulled the stool and sat. Master Yohi was right. After eavesdropping on them last night and after pondering the issue several times, she still had doubts about the Master's loyalty and decided to confront him."Stay calm. Get rid of all your rage because I need you to listen to everything I'm going to say to you, Cassie."She nodded and shut her eyes."Take deep breaths and clear your mind." The master advised.She inha