Franklin's breathing had slowed, but the smell of wine clung to his clothes like shame. I sat beside him after finally removing his shoes, hesitating before reaching for his coat.

He looked peaceful, almost vulnerable... so different from the cold, aloof, or mean fiance who always seemed to enjoy seeing me in pain.

As I tugged at the sleeves, he stirred, making me freeze in fear. What if he miraculously returned to his senses? I'd definitely be in for it. I gulped hard as he mumbled, calling me Sylvia, probably the girl in red he had taken out earlier.

"Come on, baby," he giggled, his eyes still closed, his voice thick with sleep and alcohol. "I need you by my side"

He reached out suddenly, grabbing my wrist and pulling me forward. I quickly lost my balance and landed against his chest, my breath heavy.

His arms wrapped loosely around me, a reflex rather than a choice.

"You smell different," he muttered. "Why'd you change your perfume?" he asked, still thinking I was her.

I stayed still, my heart thumping loud enough to hear. I knew I should pull away. But part of me didn't want to move. It felt like he really needed someone by his side, even if that person clearly wasn't me.

Moments passed. He was already asleep. I carefully eased myself out of his hold and adjusted the blanket over him. As I turned to leave, I heard him gag.

"Franklin?" I called, running back to him.

He sat up just in time to throw up directly on the floor.

I winced but acted quickly, fetching tissues and water. I wasn't used to cleaning up a mess that big, so I called Ana Maria, who came with a damp towel. Together, we cleaned him up as best we could, and I stayed by his bedside until I eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke to find I had fallen asleep sitting on the floor, my head resting on the edge of his bed. My back ached.

Franklin stirred, then sat up. His eyes met mine. I saw the confusion on his face, which quickly turned to disgust. "What the hell are you doing here?" he roared.

I flinched, standing to my feet. "I... I just helped you get back. You were drunk, and you..."

He cut in furiously, "You were in my bed?"

"No, I was just making sure you were okay!" I snapped, my voice trembling.

"You crazy, little brat!" He stood abruptly, brushing past me like I was the mess he needed to clean off himself. "Next time, mind your own damn business" he warned, opening the door and gesturing for me to leave.

I stared at him, trying to control my emotion. I was hurt, deeply hurt by his words. But I swallowed the pain and left the room as he instructed.

That morning, he left for school without eating breakfast. He just changed and headed out with his driver. The car he broke the day before had already been towed to the estate's auto repair shop. Next time, I thought, he wouldn't drive drunk.

After getting dressed for school, I shoved my laptop into my backpack, zipped it, and headed to the garage where my driver waited patiently. He pulled the back passenger door open for me as usual, then shut it before hopping behind the wheel and starting the engine.

On our way, I couldn't stop thinking about Franklin. That girl, Sylvia, it was obvious they were in love. Even though I was his fiancee and shouldn't be bothered at all since he was already mine, I was becoming increasingly worried. They were probably schoolmates. Maybe even classmates. Which meant they saw each other every school day.

Boiling in anger, I told my driver not to stop as we approached Bluebell Junior High.

"Head straight to Silver Ridge High" I ordered, and the confused-looking man accelerated past Bluebell's main entrance without questioning my command.

When we arrived at Silver Ridge, the security guards didn't allow us to drive in. They told us to turn around and leave, but I had a better plan. I showed them a rare picture of me and Franklin and told them he was my brother. Miraculously, it worked. They let us in.

We parked in the student parking lot, and I raced toward the main building's entrance, all eyes on me. Of course, I was still wearing Bluebell Junior High's uniform. They were probably wondering what I was doing there.

Anyway, I looked around for Franklin or Sylvia, until someone stopped to ask if I was lost or looking for someone. It was a junkie-looking blonde girl. At first I thought about ignoring her, but on a second thought I decided to show her Franklin's picture on my phone.

"Oh, you are looking for the handsome heartbreaker in 10th grade, huh? What business do you have with him?" she asked in a low voice, looking at me in a strange, unsettling way.

"I... I am his sister. Can you take me to him?" I stuttered, unsettled by the bizarre look she was giving me.

"His sister? Wow. Sure... I will take you to him but," she leaned in closer, "how much are you willing to sacrifice for that?" she asked.

"What?" I blurted, not quite understanding her.

With a smirk, she rubbed her thumb against her fingertips; the silent, elegant demand for cash.

"Pay a hundred bucks, and I will take you to him" she smiled wickedly.

But just then, I caught sight of Franklin watching me from a distance behind her in the hallway. He looked somehow stunned.

"Thanks for your willingness to help, but I've seen him already," I said, walking past her until she grabbed my arm.

"Not so fast, Miss," she whispered into my ear. "You have to pay a consultancy fee. Otherwise, I am gonna squeeze you into dust right where you stand" she threatened, sending shivers down my spine.