Gabriela stepped into the apartment, her heels echoing through the silent halls. She dropped her purse onto the couch, expecting to see Isabella and Diana lounging on the sofa, engrossed in their latest scheme. But the living room was empty, the TV screen dark.
"Where are those two?" Gabriela muttered to herself.
She pulled out her phone and dialed a number, instructing the staff on the other end to check on Daniela at the hospital.
As she waited for the staff to confirm, Gabriela's phone rang. Her eyes lit up, expecting Miguel's name on the screen. Instead, Claudia's name flashed, and her smile faltered. She hesitated, but curiosity got the better of her.
"Hello?" Gabriela answered, her tone guarded.
Claudia's voice was venomous. "You think you're above the law, don't you? Collecting my mom's phone, sending thugs to follow her, and attacking her? What gave you the right to do that? I'll report you to the school, and you'll regret messing with me."
Gabriela's eyes widened in shock. "Claudia, I—"
But the line went dead. Gabriela's fingers flew across her screen, typing out a message to Isabella. "What do you know about taking Professor Jennie's phone? What are you guys doing without me?"
Just as she hit send, the door swung open, and Isabella and Diana walked in, laughing. Gabriela's gaze locked onto them, her expression intense.
"Hey, Gaby, what's wrong?" Isabella asked, noticing Gabriela's expression.
Gabriela strode toward them. "We need to talk."
"About what?" The two girls plopped on the sofa tiredly.
Gabriela sat too.
"Claudia said something about taking Professor Jennie's phone. What are you girls doing? Are you trying to get her imprisoned?"
"Of course yes. But that's not even the point now, Gaby. Claudia is not a rich girl that we all think. She's deceiving us. And we wanna make sure everyone in school finds out about that." Diana replied, sounding determined.
"That's a good one!" Gabriela exclaimed.
"But how do you intend to do that?" She was still confused.
"You've been through so much, Gabriela. We don't want you to involve you in this drama. Just sit back and watch." Isabella advised and she smiled.
~~~~~
The business students strolled across the campus, eyes glued to their phones as they watched a viral social media video challenge. The catchy tune and synchronized dance moves had everyone hooked. Gabriela, sporting an expensive crop top and short skirt, complete with beads and waistchains, was no exception. She laughed and danced along with her friends, all of them caught up in the infectious energy.
As the bell rang, signaling the start of their first lecture, the group reluctantly headed to class. Even the professors seemed distracted, with some skipping lectures altogether to keep up with the trending challenge.
In class, the students continued to watch and laugh, their phones still clutched in their hands. Claudia, Nadia, and Sandra even started dancing in their seats, drumming to the beat. Gabriela's friends rolled their eyes, teasing them about looking childish.
Michelle, however, remained engrossed in her book, seemingly immune to the chaos around her.
Just as the commotion was dying down, the door swung open, and a petite, brunette woman with round glasses walked in. She wore a blazer and exuded an air of strictness, her face stern.
"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Paisley, Nadia's mother, and I'll be your math professor this semester," she announced, her voice firm.
The room fell silent, with students quickly shoving their phones into their bags. Nadia's eyes widened, and she sank a little lower in her seat. Gabriela and her friends exchanged nervous glances, sensing a strict and potentially tough professor.
Professor Paisley wasted no time, writing a complex word problem on the board:
"Solve for x: 2x^2 + 5x - 12 = 0, given that x is a real number and the equation represents the trajectory of a projectile. Find the value of x when the projectile reaches its maximum height."
She added, "Any student who provides a wrong answer will face detention and miss a week's worth of lectures. You have two minutes."
The students frantically scribbled down notes and equations. Gabriela, Michelle, Carissa, Rafael, and Miguel raised their hands, confident in their solutions. However, Professor Paisley called on Claudia, who was chatting with a friend.
"Claudia, please share your answer with the class," Professor Paisley said.
Claudia yelled, "I haven't even started solving it! Why are you calling on me? Ask those who raised their hands!"
Professor Paisley's expression turned stern. "Excuse me? Did you just talk back to me in that manner?"
Claudia realized her mistake but tried to salvage the situation, though she was now speechless.
Nadia attempted to intervene, "Professor, maybe—"
Professor Paisley cut her off, her voice firm. "Shut up, Nadia. One more word, and you'll be eating crumbs for dinner for the next week."
The class erupted into laughter, and Nadia's face turned bright red.
Professor Paisley's gaze never wavered from Claudia. "Claudia, please get up and join the cleaning program. You're clearly not ready for this class."
As Claudia stood, humiliated, Sandra spoke up, "Do you know who she is? She's the daughter of—"
Professor Paisley interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. "I don't care about her family. She's not accepted by the Flores family, and she's a bad influence on this school."
Claudia stormed out of the classroom in tears, with Professor Paisley continuing to criticize her.
Nadia's eyes followed Claudia, filled with pity, but Professor Paisley's warning was clear: "If you want to go out with her, you might as well leave this math lecture."
The class fell silent once more.
"Michelle, please share your solution to the problem," Professor Paisley said.
Michelle stood up, confident. "The solutions to the quadratic equation 2x^2 + 5x - 12 = 0 are x = 3/2 and x = -4. Since x represents the trajectory of a projectile, the relevant solution is x = 3/2, which corresponds to the maximum height."
The class erupted into applause. Professor Paisley smiled, impressed. "Correct, Michelle. Well done. I'll have the head of department transfer the leadership role from Nadia to you, effective immediately."
Nadia seethed with envy and anger, while others whispered about Michelle winning the new professor's favor.
"Argggh!!! That bitch! First, Damien seems to have grown closer to her and now she's the new president. I feel ruined! Even mom is on her fucking side!!!" Nadia cried out.
"We'll think of something else, Nadia. But you have to chill, okay?"
"Chill? How do I chill when Claudia isn't doing anything to ruin that Michelle? Her nudes are with us and we need to fucking post them!!! Let's give the internet something else to talk about."
"We can't, Nadia." Sandra shook her head.
"Why?"
"Let's think of something else. Something that'll bring her down completely. Something that'll make everybody hate her. And only Claudia knows that. You have to tell your mom to free her from cleaning program."
"I don't think that will be easy."
~~~~
"You're such a thief, you know?"
"Why?" Michelle was confused.
"You stole Professor Paisley's heart. Just like you stole mine." Damien was teasing Michelle as they walked side by side to the library, their hands touching.
She chuckled.
"So what book are you gonna read?"
"I don't know, maybe something about math. And you?"
"I'm gonna read your eyes. You know the library's not really my thing. I visit the library because you're present."
Damien's phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out to read the text.
"See us in the changing room for our final basketball practice. Asap." Damien's eyes widened when he recalled that he had practice.
"Oops. Plans changed." Michelle faked a frown.
"Did something come up?"
"Yeah...It's our final basketball practice. All the girls are gonna be there too."
"I'm not coming." Damien's heart jumped.
"What? Michelle, you have to."
"Why?"
"Your presence is important."
"I just told you about the math book I wanna read. Isn't that more important? You never know what's gonna happen in tomorrow's math class."
"Should you answer every question?"
"Please. If you really like me, you should abide by the rules. And the rules are, my decisions are final. If you've planned a hangout, we're cancelling it because studying is a very crucial part of my life right now. I never wanted to be an office worker but I want good grades. Please, Damien."
Damien smiled mischievously.
"Who told you that I like you?"
"You said that...yourself." She replied shyly.
"I love you, Michelle."
"Huh?" Her heart skipped and her lips parted, trying to process the information.
Damien saw her expression and changed the topic.
"See you at the basketball court. Don't you dare visit that library." He walked away, leaving her perplexed.
~~~~
"Do you think I should do this with him?" Michelle asked Gabriela, who seemed to be focused on watching the viral challenge.
"Put this away, Gaby. You've been on it for so long."
"No, Michelle. It's so good. You should also check it out."
Gabriela turned the phone to her.
"It looks fun but I'm trying to talk to you. Let's talk first, and then we both watch." Gabriela was attentive.
"You were talking about Damien, right?"
"Yeah." Michelle replied dryly.
"Damien told me about his feelings and he wants a relationship, that it seems I'm not ready for." Michelle spoke sadly and Gabriela was shocked.
"Really? But why aren't you ready? Don't you feel the same way?"
"I do. But what if the feelings are temporary? What if he breaks my heart? What if he cheats? What if I have to move on? What if...what if he disagrees with me? What if there's something about me he won't like?"
"Michelle. You've known Damien since you knew Miguel was your - half-brother. And I'm sure he has been in love with you since he laid his eyes on you. I'm sure he knows a lot about you already. He has been trying to tell you about his feelings for so long. And now that he finally got the chance, it must be heartbreaking to know that you're not sure if it's right to go into the relationship. Damien is a really good guy and I know you're gonna have a lot of fun with him."
"You know what, I want you to tell him how you really feel about this. When he responds, follow your heart and give him an answer." Gabriela concluded.
"That's such a great idea, Gaby. Thank you so much."
"Yeah. Anytime. Now, can we watch this?"
"Sure. C'mon." Gabriela and Michelle sat there for thirty minutes, watching and laughing.
"Can you do this dance?"
"No way, Gaby. It's not for me."
"Why do you think it's not for you? Is it because of the facial expressions or the twerk? I can teach you if you wanna learn."
Michelle giggled.
"I'm not doing that."
Lunchtime was almost over and news spread that the dance and entertainment department were going to perform that dance trend during The White's Academy's Annual Music Festival which was coming up in a week and would be organized by that department.
The dance trend was already being rehearsed and Michelle could see students running there to listen and see their dance performance.
Isabella, Diana & Carissa walked into the lecture room where they were, laughing heartily, standing on a desk and twerking nonstop while they sang and spoke about the difficulty but excitement when dancing to it.
Michelle watched them with a smile on her face.
Gabriela played the song on her phone. They continued the street part of the dance, doing hair flips, waving and other seductive moves.
This time, Gabriela joined in the twerking and Michelle couldn't help but wonder and compliment her body control.
"It's so fun to see the Flores heiress dancing in real life."
"Who killed it more?" Carissa asked Michelle.
"It's so hard to pick, though. You guys are doing it like professionals." They all giggled.
"We should go see what the girls from the entertainment department are up to."
~~~~~
The dance and entertainment department girls gathered in the practice room, surrounded by mirrors and dance floors. Gabriela, Isabella, Michelle, Carissa, and Diana arrived, and the room fell silent as all eyes turned to them. The six Latina girls, known for their impressive dance skills, stood poised and ready.
The dance coach, a lively woman with a big smile, hit the Play button, and the music started. The Latina girls launched into the trending dance, their movements sharp and synchronized. Their expressions were on point, exuding confidence and sass.
As the song reached the pre-chorus, the girls watching couldn't help but join in, chanting the lyrics and dancing along. The practice session transformed into an impromptu concert, with everyone caught up in the energy.
When the music stopped, the girls turned to Gabriela, their faces beaming with admiration. "Gabriela! Oh my gosh, we're so honored!" they chimed, rushing to take selfies with her.
Gabriela laughed, happy to oblige. As they snapped photos, she offered words of encouragement, "You guys are doing great! Just remember, when we get to the pre-chorus, there's a slight change in the waist movement. Let's try to sync it with the beat and amp up those baddie expressions."
The coach nodded, impressed. "Yes, let's try it again with Gabriela's feedback."
As they rehearsed, the room murmured with admiration for Gabriela's talent. When she demonstrated the dance, the girls gasped, mesmerized by her fluid movements and sassy expressions.
After several trials, the girls finally nailed the routine. As Gabriela was about to leave, the coach called out, "Gabriela, wait! I have a request. Would you be willing to lead this performance? Your expertise would take it to the next level."
The girls cheered, and Gabriela's eyes widened in surprise.
"Um...do you wanna give this a try?" Carissa stood next to Gabriela whispering in her ears.
"Ma'am, it's a good idea but I'm a business student and not part of...."
"That doesn't really matter! We're in love with your confidence. Please join us."
"Okay..." Gabriela agreed and the girls was elated.
~~~~~
Isabella, Carissa, and Diana arrived at the address Sheila Myers had sent, exchanging skeptical glances. They had expected...well, they weren't quite sure what, but the cozy cottage-style house surprised them.
Inside, Sheila greeted them warmly and offered them a seat in the living room. "Can I get you girls something to drink?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and caution.
Isabella wasted no time, her voice direct. "We're not here for drinks, Ms. Myers. We're here about Jennie. We want to know who she really is. What do you know about her?"
Sheila's expression turned guarded, and she hesitated before responding, "Why? I still don't know you yet."
Carissa took over, her tone firm but polite. "Jennie's daughter, Claudia planned Daniela Flores' r@pe just to get back at Gabriela Flores. We want to expose her and get her jailed, but we need evidence. We think you might be able to help us understand why Jennie married Alejandro Flores and why Claudia is so desperate to be at the top."
Sheila's eyes clouded, and she sighed. "There's a lot...but I don't know if I should be the one to say it. You see, most of the bad things Jennie did...they affected her husband, Diogo Myers. He used to be a rich business tycoon."
The girls exchanged confused glances. "Rich?" they chimed in unison.
Sheila nodded.
Diana frowned. "But...we heard Jennie's husband was poor."
Sheila's smile was tinged with sadness. "That's what they want you to think. But the truth is, you need to talk to her husband. He's the one who can explain everything better."
Isabella's eyes locked onto Sheila's. "We'll talk to him. Where is he?"