The air was thick with tension as Jennie snapped back at Miguel, her voice laced with venom. "He doesn't know, do you wanna go tell him?" Miguel's eyes flashed with anger as he turned to Claudia. "How could you do that to your half-sister?" he thundered, his words echoing through the room.
Claudia's expression twisted in a mix of anger and bitterness. "What do you know about the Flores family?" she spat. "Do you even know that Daniela isn't a child of the Flores family? Esmeralda Flores had her with some pauper."
Miguel's face went white, shocked by the revelation. But his compassion didn't waver. "And so?" he demanded. "Isn't she human? Doesn't she deserve to be loved? Why do you think she deserved such ill treatment, especially from you?" His voice cracked with emotion. "You've crossed a line, Claudia. You've brought tears to Gabriela's face and caused Daniela bodily harm. Do you know how hurt and devastated Gabriela is? Apologies can't fix what you've done. The only thing that can happen now is for you to face the consequences."
Claudia's tone shifted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not like I'm going to apologize to you or her. I don't know what changed you, Miguel. Since you became friends with Gabriela, you've become... humane." Her eyes flashed with contempt. "Didn't you used to view the lower class with disdain? Did Gabriela change your views? Has she turned you into that stupid person I never wanted?"
Miguel's face reddened with rage. "I don't want to hear anything from you," he bellowed. "What has Gabriela done to you that you thought you could repay her with this? Why are you so consumed by jealousy over her affluence and beauty?"
Claudia's face contorted in anguish. "You can call it jealousy, but it's also love," she screamed. "She came out of nowhere and took you away from me. It wasn't enough that our relationship ended for no reason; she had to come and steal your heart." Her voice cracked. "You became harder towards me after you became friends with her. You even slapped me. Is there more to this? Are you in love with her?"
Miguel's words dropped like a bombshell.
"Yes. I'm in love with her. And I know she feels the same way. I'm waiting for the right time to tell her, and the right time is when you completely vanish from our sights."
The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Claudia's eyes widened in shock, tears struggling to fall. Jennie's gasp echoed through the room, and the atmosphere seemed to shatter, leaving Claudia broken and devastated.
"In that case, I think Gabriela will continue suffering. She hasn't cried enough. She'll shed more and more tears until those feelings she has for you - dies."
"You dare not do anything to her again. Like I said earlier, you've crossed the fucking line. And you're gonna pay dearly. I have our conversation recorded here, and it's evident you despise Gabriela Flores." Miguel raised his phone.
Jennie wanted to snatch it but he dodged it.
Claudia also made attempt but he pushed her. She nearly hit the ground but her mother caught her just in time.
"Nah. Do you think I'll just let you have your way? Mr. Alejandro will find out about this. In my opinion, I think the man is blind. How could someone be so mean to the apple of his eyes and he still let the woman be his wife and the girl be his stepdaughter? If he can't protect Gabriela the way he should, I'll have to do it." Angry tears streamed down Claudia's face.
"Miguel, please. Think about everything you've had with my daughter. How could you be so cruel?"
"I had nothing with your daughter, Professor Jennie. Don't be deceived by anything she says. You forced me to date her in search of popularity. While we were dating, you also thought it would be a great idea to seduce Mr Alejandro Flores because you felt he needed a woman after the demise of his wife."
"And lastly, you said something about slapping. If you dare move close to Gabriela again, I'll show you the monster I can be. You won't even get a chance to do that because you'll be arrested before you know it. Bye." Saying that, he left the house, a satisfied smile on his lips.
"Arggghh!!!" Claudia fell to the ground, crying out loud.
"Did you hear what he said, Mom? He's in love with Gabriela! Mom, why?? Why does that bitch have it all? Money, fame, and now, the most handsome guy?"
"Hands down, Claudia."
"No, Mom. We have to do something. I can't just sit back and watch."
"Claudia, you can't do anything. Didn't you hear what he said? He could get you arrested. Remember the police couldn't see your face or capture the faces of those thugs. But if he presents the voice recording to them and a picture of you, they could easily get you."
"Look, dear. The only option is for you to leave the city. For now, you could stay with grandma and...."
"Grandma???! What the fuck, Mom? How could you suggest that? I'm not staying one second with her. Mosquitoes, dirty water, bad weather conditions, poor environment, stale food? There's no way. What you should be thinking about now is how to stop Miguel from leaking the piece of information to anyone. You are a professor in The White's Academy. You are Mr. Alejandro Flores' wife. You should be able to do something."
Yes.
Jennie felt that there was a way.
The White's Academy business students bustled about, preparing for the morning lectures. As the bell jingled, students poured into the lecture room, engaged in heated discussions. The topic was the Daniela Flores case, with everyone buzzing about her current health condition. Despite the Flores family's efforts to keep the incident under wraps, news had spread like wildfire.
Rumors swirled that the police were on the hunt for the thugs involved and Claudia, the suspect who had managed to escape without being identified. Students speculated about the case, their voices creating a cacophony of whispers and debates.
Meanwhile, Claudia walked into the lecture room with her entourage, seemingly oblivious to the commotion surrounding her. Her minions chatted about their favorite pop singer's upcoming album release, a stark contrast to the conversations around them.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly when Carissa stormed towards Claudia, her anger palpable. Without warning, Carissa slapped Claudia across the face, sending shockwaves through the room. Gasps and murmurs erupted as students scrambled to process the sudden outburst.
Claudia's eyes widened, her cheek reddening, while Carissa's face burned with fury. The lecture room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the unfolding drama. The tension was palpable, leaving everyone wondering what would happen next.
"We all know Claudia is a mean witch, but I'll like to explain that she's more than that. If you wanted all the money, you could have just walked up to Gabriela and told her how you felt. If I were her, I would be compassionate enough. Probably giving you 50% wouldn't be too little." Carissa sounded sarcastic.
"What do you mean? You just came out of nowhere and raised your hand like that." Nadia spoke.
"Michelle told me everything. How you were at the scene where Daniela was r@ped by your thugs." The students were alarmed.
"Michelle?" Michelle walked into the lecture room, her face peaceful as usual. Nadia walked up to her and pulled her by the arm.
"Explain, why you think Claudia must have kidnapped Gabriela and hired a thug to rape her sister. Playing the detective? You're sure gonna regret it." Sandra snatched her bag and threw it.
Michelle wasn't too confident, especially because Carissa was giving her that look.
Before they could do anything, Diana, Damien and Miguel walked in, their eyes narrowing to the scene unfolding before the students.
Seeing Miguel, Claudia signalled to her minions to stop, but they ignored her.
"Michelle." Miguel called and his tone was commanding.
Nadia and Sandra put on annoyed looks.
"Tell your sister, that she's wrong. Claudia didn't do anything of that sort to Daniela Flores. She shouldn't make that mistake again, else she'll be expelled."
"Did anyone speak about expulsion?" Professor Jennie came in and students maintained composure.
"Michelle, why are you always trying to prove your point despite how weak you are? You used to mind your business in this school, since the issue of your nudes. What changed? Oh, because you think Gabriela and Miguel are here for you?" She scolded.
"Aren't you a professor in this prestigious academy? Do you also support that bullies should continue doing this to students who are vulnerable? Michelle here isn't and will never be that girl who you can take advantage of. She's stronger, not because she's got her brother and her friends, but because she's ready to get up and fight for her dignity in The White's Academy. I won't let any professor ruin the future of any student by continuing to promote stuff like this." Damien snapped.
"And who are you to talk back at me? Did I ask you anything? I was facing Michelle."
"I'm Mr. White's son and he owns The White's Academy."
"That doesn't actually matter, because....I'm a high profile Professor here, and your father can't object when I say I want a student expelled from his academy. Michelle has to leave our school."
"What?"
"She wants her dignity, right? We still have her nudes, and can delete them once she leaves. How could she even dare to accuse my daughter of such a thing and even telling her friend about it? I've sent a text to Mr. White and in no time, he'll approve her expulsion."
"And you, Miguel. Don't try anything funny, else your sister's dreams will be shattered. She won't have admission anywhere. She won't even be employed if she tries to."
She walked closer to Miguel, leaned in and whispered into his ear:
"Should I delete the text, or...you delete the voice recording?"
Miguel's expression was unreadable.
~~~~~~
"You mean Dad and Professor Jennie are dating? Oh my God." Diana exclaimed.
Damien and Miguel couldn't wrap their heads around it.
"Professor Jennie has acquired more power and connections than we think, just with her seductive charm. How could she be such a bitch?" Damien exclaimed.
"Did you really delete the voice recording you had?" Carissa asked.
"Yes. I forwarded it to Isabella before deleting." They all sighed in relief.
"Wow, a smart move."
"When are we going to present the evidence to the police?" Diana asked, her voice dripping with impatience.
"I don't know."
"I'll let Isabella know by tomorrow. Claudia and her mother will be jailed."
~~~~~
Isabella was humming her way to the female's restroom when she recalled that she had carelessly left her phone on the table.
She wanted to retreat when she felt someone pull her close.
"Rafael!" She gasped, trying to hide the blush that appeared on her face.
"What are you doing here? I mean...I haven't seen you in a long time."
"Well, I had to go on a business trip with my Dad. I told Miguel about it."
"Oh, where?"
"Milan. I had to fly back for our upcoming basketball match."
"You told Miguel. And you thought it was right to hide it from me." Isabella rolled her eyes and turned to leave.
"I heard about what happened to Daniela Flores. Tragic. But was it really Claudia? Miguel told me a few things."
"It was Claudia. Gabriela said it herself but when the police wanted to see her for interrogation, Mr. Alejandro refused saying they shouldn't visit or question his daughter because she's traumatized. Jennie is using Michelle, so Miguel wouldn't leak the evidence he's got. He sent it to me and I was just about listening to it." Isabella replied.
"There was even a text saying I shouldn't play it in Gabriela's presence so i'm gonna listen to it alone."
"Where's your phone? Let's listen to it." Rafael smirked playfully.
"I...left it in the cafeteria. Let's go. Have you had lunch? Sit with me and I'll order something nice." Rafael chuckled.
"Really? Okay. I've really missed you."
"You left texts, but I ignored because you didn't tell me anything about where you went."
Isabella walked to her table.
"Give me a sec. I wanna say hi to some dudes." He walked away and her face fell, seeing that her phone had been touched.
"What?" The voice recording and text from Miguel wasn't there anymore.
It had been deleted.
"Fuck. What just happened?"
~~~~~
"How could you be so careless?!" Diana yelled at Isabella.
She bit her lower lip, hurt.
"Yelling won't solve the problem, Diana." Damien said with a sad tone.
"But how are we going to tell Miguel that the voice message was just gone?"
"Who deleted the text? How did the person know it was sent to you?" Diana continued.
"It's just frustrating. I can't help but yell!"
"Quiet, Diana."
"We can't just present Claudia as the culprit without any evidence. Gabriela can't just accuse Claudia without proof. Everyone knows they are enemies. What are we going to do?"
"Listen. We know who Claudia is. We know she's not rich and fancy. And since her mom thinks she's superior by dating my Dad, I think we'll have to show her how the rich kids operate." Damien shared a thought and the girls were interested.