Chapter 37

Rhianne and Andrew were now dancing and following the slow rhythm of the music. Andrew was still holding Rhianne's hand. She also noticed that the way Andrew stares at her is different. It was really a funny idea, but Rhianne feels like she was now a rabbit under strict surveillance from a hungry wolf. "Rhianne, are you not feeling comfortable with me?" Andrew suddenly asked. 'Yes! You are still young yet you can already give me a scary feeling!' "Of course not." Rhianne smoothly lied. "Why do you ask?" "I am not going to hurt you." Andrew said. "So there is no need for you to be scared of me." "But I just told you—" "You are lying." "Huh?" Andrew shows Rhianne a half-smile before he lifts his free hand. He gently ran a finger through Rhianne's cheek and stopped it on the corner of her lips. He slowly taps it twice before gliding his fingers off her face. "Every time you speak a lie, the corner of your lips are twitching a little." Andrew explained. "Huh?" Rhianne was surprised. She had that kind of habit? Rhianne was confused with this sudden information. Maybe that was the original habit of Rhianne Cartel every time she was lying? While they were dancing, a couple suddenly bumped into them. Andrew covered Rhianne with his body to protect her. When the couple collided with Andrew's back, he suddenly clenched his jaw and softly hissed in pain. The couple apologized before walking about away from them. "Are you okay?" Rhianne asked in concern. "...It's nothing." "I do not believe you." Rhianne said. If he was okay, why does he showed that pained expression? When Andrew saw the doubtful expression on Rhianne's face, he smiled at him before adjusting his hold on her hand. "Rhianne, did you know why am I absent for a week?" Andrew asked out of nowhere. "Because you are very sick and cannot attend the class?" Rhianne answered. "I was absent because my mom beat me so hard and pushed me on the staircase. Fortunately, all I got was minor injuries and some bruises." Rhianne's feet suddenly stopped moving. It was also the same with Andrew. Rhianne lifted her head to see Andrew's expression. He was also looking at Rhianne with a calm and serene expression. As if what he said just now was someone else's experiences. "Is...Is it true?" "If I say that I just lied to you, will you also believe that?" Without answering his question, Rhianne pulled Andrew's arm away from the dance floor. Andrew did not say anything and obediently followed Rhianne. Rhianne quickly brought Andrew to the nearest vacant room and close the door. After that, she turned around and faced Andrew. "Show me." "Hmm?" "Show me your injuries!" Rhianne fiercely said. Instead of getting mad, Andrew smiled at Rhianne before turning around and slowly lifted his shirt. Against his ghastly pale skin, there was a huge patch of purplish bruise with yellowish blotches on his back. The size of his bruise was similar to the size of a saucer. Rhianne covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from releasing a loud gasp. Andrew pulled his shirt down and faced Rhianne again. He was still smiling as if he does not care if there was a bruise on his back. Rhianne did not know what to say. She was greatly shocked by this sudden situation. "Is it still hurting?" She asked. "It was nothing. I was used to it." Andrew nonchalantly answered. "Used to it?" Rhianne asked. Andrew did not answer her anymore. But Rhianne clearly understood his silence. This is not the first time his mom hit Andrew. Ignoring her stares, Andrew pulled Rhianne to the vacant chairs and urged her to sit beside him. "You know, my mom was never like that." Andrew started. "I can still remember her image as a loving and caring mother for me and my sister. My dad passed away when I was still a baby so my mom raised me and my sister alone." Rhianne does not know why Andrew was telling her this, but she listened to him quietly. "After working so hard, my mom finally got a huge promotion. Our life was starting to get better. Because my mom got a stable and high-paying job, she started to live luxuriously. She bought a new car and fill her vanity with precious and expensive items and enrolled my sister in this school. I thought that was enough for my mom to be happy. But I was wrong." Andrew paused for a while, but he still continued. "After experiencing a world of rich people, my mom also changed. She is not the loving and caring woman my sister and I know. She becomes obsessed with worldly possessions and started envying the rich people. Afterward, my mom's personality had completely changed. She became short-tempered, rude, and vulgar. She deliberately ignored me and my sister. Because she was too busy, she simply finds a maid to take care of us." Rhianne was still listening to Andrew's story, but she can hear a hint of anger on his voice. "After that, we suddenly learned that my sister was sick. She had a third stage of brain cancer. Her symptoms showed up late that is why we never got a hint that she was sick. During her confinement in the hospital, my mom was on a business trip so she only sends money to pay her hospital bills. But it was all useless because it cannot save her life. My sister did not survive her operation last year and died." After taking a deep breath, Andrew continued. "After her funeral, my mom forced me to move to a different house in Quintel City. We all know that Quintel City is a place where the rich people lives and my mom was too obsessed with this kind of luxurious living. Though we can be considered now as rich, our lifestyle is still not enough for her. She wanted to enter and experience the glamourous life of the people in high society." Andrew paused for a moment to look at Rhianne. "Do you know what did my mom asked me to do?" "...What is it?" Rhianne asked. "She wanted me to become your friend and if possible, make you fall in love with me." These words gave Rhianne a chill on her spine. She got sudden goosebumps on her skin and stares at Andrew with wide eyes. "My mom discovered that her college friend was married to a business tycoon in Quintel City and became richer than before. She was really envious of Mrs. Cartel who got all the things she wanted in life. When she learned that Mrs. Cartel has two children, my mom quickly visited your house and brought me with her. She wanted me to become close with the Cartel family, especially to you. Then after that, she also transferred me to this school after knowing that you are also a student here so I can have more chance of being close with you." "Andrew..." "I really tried to get close to you. But will you believe me if I tell you that I am doing it not because of my mother's orders but because I just really want to be friends with you?" "...But why?" "I don't know. Maybe because I fell in love with you at first sight." Andrew said with a smile. Then he continued again. "When my mom discovered that I am not doing her orders, she got mad and threw her jewelry box at me. Afterward, she accidentally pushed me on the stairs. My mom was really fierce at that time, you know." Andrew said then he let out a chuckle. But of course, Rhianne cannot laugh at his terrible joke. She observed Andrew while he was telling her this story. Andrew does not look like he was lying to her. In fact, he looks like someone who was trying to make himself look calm and struggling to tell all of this to Rhianne while Andrew was carefully choosing his words. "Fortunately, I am still alive. I did not hit my head and I did not receive any internal injuries. But I stayed in the hospital for a week because I got a fever and I was advised to take a lot of rest. I was bored at that—Hey. Why are you crying?!" Rhianne eyes glimmered with watery tears. When Andrew suddenly asked her, she sobbed and tears flooded in her eyes like the waters rushing down from a waterfall. Her lips trembled and Rhianne's shoulders heaved with emotion. "Why are you crying?" Andrew asked in a tone laced with helplessness. He gets his handkerchief from his pocket and starts wiping Rhianne's tears. "Because...Because you were clearly hurting but you do not want to cry. So...I-I will be the one to cry f-for you." Rhianne said in a broken voice. Andrew halted from what he was doing and stares at the girl crying her eyes out in front of him. Though Andrew may look very calm, the trembling of his fingers never missed Rhianne's eyes. She cannot imagine how can he endure these things. His mom was abusing him and he lost his sister last year. Andrew was clearly hurt but he never said anything up until now. "Foolish girl. You are still crying over silly things." "This is not a silly thing!" Rhianne exclaimed. "You are hurt! Can't you see your bruise at your back? It's so big so it must be too painful!" "You do not have to cry because of it." Rhianne sobbed again thinking how much pain Andrew was enduring right now. Andrew was not only physically hurt, but he was also mentally and psychologically hurt. Rhianne detested the people who abused others. And she was hating Andrew's mother for hurting her own flesh and blood. "Stop crying now, Rhianne. It was a long time since these things happened to me." Andrew said. "I have already forgotten those things that happened to me." 'Liar! How can you easily forget those horrible things?!' "Why...Why are you telling me this?" Rhianne asked. "Because I will be leaving this school next week." "...Huh?" After wiping Rhianne's tears, Andrew let out a sigh and sit beside her again. "I told my doctor that my mother was physically abusing me. Then the doctor told this incident to the police and they did some investigation. To be honest with you, my mom was already arrested. As for me, my auntie who was living abroad will take care of me in the future. This will be my last week at this school." "You...are leaving?" "Yes." A huge silence suddenly enveloped the room. Rhianne was looking at Andrew. Her confusion was clearly evident on her pretty face. Letting out a sigh again, Andrew stands up from his seat and pulls Rhianne to stand up too. "It was getting late. You should go home now." "Andrew, are you..." "Don't worry. I am not going to disappear. I told you, right? I still have one week before I leave this city." When Andrew opens the door, he saw Keith standing in front of the vacant room. Keith scowled at him and Andrew replied it with a half-smile. "Be sure you will bring Rhianne back to their house." "Tch. You do not have to remind me that." Andrew gently pushes Rhianne towards Keith and tells her to go home now. As for Keith, he did not ask Rhianne about her puffy eyes but instead, he hold her hand and guide her towards the exit. While they were walking, Rhianne turns her head to look at Andrew who was still standing in front of the vacant room. Andrew waved his hand at Rhianne before walking in the opposite direction.