I ordered myself shrimp dumplings like the stubborn drama queen I am and found peace under a tree in the park. Away from people. Headphones in. Perfect.
Chewing happily, I stared at the sky like I wasn't having a full mental breakdown under the disguise of good seasoning.
And of course... my mind wandered right to that cursed night last year at the campus party.
I was drunk, obviously. Kaiden and I had a massive argument about something stupid — like we always did. And in the heat of that mess, Jonas had been lingering around like a stray dog for two years, waiting. So I said yes to him out of pure spite.
Pure. Malicious. Drunk. Spite.
And to seal the deal, I kissed Jonas right there in front of everyone, bold as hell. The crowd gasped, Jonas looked like he won the lottery...
And Kaiden?
I swear I've never seen him like that.
His face — white as paper. Frozen. Shocked. Like I slapped him with a dictionary of betrayals. Eyes wide. Terrified.
It was the one time I won against him.
So I kept dating Jonas. Why?
To keep poking the bear. To wipe that smirk off Kaiden's stupid pretty face whenever Jonas touched me in front of him.
And it worked—every damn time.
But that night... it wasn't all petty victories. I ruined more than Kaiden's ego. That was the same night I blurred out Kyros' secret. The one secret I was supposed to guard like a dragon. I almost destroyed twelve years of friendship because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. It took weeks to fix it between us. And happily. It's all fix now cause one main reason thank god his crush actually liked him back so it wasn't much drama actually his love story is more dramatic anyway it wasn't just drama and fights.
Brother told me later—I almost got into an accident that same night. Said I was lucky someone was nearby, someone who dragged me back before a car hit me. But I don't remember. My brain was a broken radio, static and noise that whole night.
Just like yesterday. After that truck hit me, I remember barely anything. But there was someone. Someone rushing over, yelling, panicking, calling for help. He's the one who called the ambulance. I remember lying flat, face crushed into the gravel, blood in my mouth, the world tilting...
But I remember one thing.
His boots. Black. Shiny. Expensive. Branded. The type of boots rich assholes wear to business meetings and expensive brunches. That's all I saw before I passed out.
Who the hell was it?
And why does it feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a story I don't even know yet?
I chewed on the dumpling, thinking about it all.
Me and Kaiden? We've been enemies since Kindergarten.
Actual lifelong nemesis contract, signed in blood and broken pencils.
It started with exams — always fighting for first place. He'd get one mark more, I'd flip the desk. I'd win next time, he'd sharpen his pencil like a sword, smirking at me like a villain in a drama.
Then he started fighting me for candies.
Yeah, candies. I still haven't healed from that trauma. I'd waited in line at the store forever, finally about to buy my favorite ones, the last pack on the shelf...
And this devil—Kaiden—cut the line, bought all of them, stood right in front of me, and ate them one by one... while staring at me. I cried. Like, full on tears in the middle of the store. A mess. A tragedy. Brother had to carry me out like a broken doll, and you know what he did? He bought me the whole candy shop. Every kind of candy. Just to make me stop crying. Spoiled, I know. But still... I never forgave Kaiden for that. After that, it was war.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
No. The real monster move happened in high school. There was this big school gathering. Fancy, boring. I noticed Kaiden whispering to the waiter and messing with a glass of juice. Didn't think much of it. I should've known better. The waiter handed me that drink. And me, being me, obviously drank it like an idiot. First few minutes? Fine. Then suddenly, my stomach flipped like a circus show. I barely made it to the bathroom, throwing up like a cursed anime character. Later at the hospital?
Poisoned.
Someone had laced that drink. The doctors said I was lucky — throwing it up quickly saved me. But Mr lucky didn't make it better. You think I cared about luck? Hell no. Kaiden was there. Smug. Silent. Watching. Did he do it to hurt me?
Or... did he somehow know someone else tried to poison me and made sure I drank it only to vomit it out safely? Did he save me in his twisted devil way?
Nah. Screw that. I'm sticking with the version where he poisoned me. He's my enemy. That's the rule. I don't care if my brain keeps whispering doubts.
Next day?
We fought like wild animals behind the gym. Actual blood. Real wounds. Broken lips, scratches, fists flying like anime fight scenes. I swear someone recorded it in slow motion. We almost got expelled, but no... we just got a three-hour lecture from Matthew and a week of silent treatment.
And still... here we are.
Years later. Same chaos. Same war. Same Kaiden.
I shoved another dumpling into my mouth, glaring at nothing.
What is he to me?
Enemy? Villain? Poisoner?
Or... something else I'm too stubborn to see?
Now that I think about it... Did Kaiden really hate me? Did he really want me dead all this time? Or was it... fake? Just his stupid, annoying way of existing?
I sighed, chewing another dumpling, brain fried from overthinking, when someone suddenly plopped down beside me.
I flinched—It was Kyros.
Thank God.
'What are you eating without me?' he said, stealing one of my dumplings and shoving it into his mouth like the traitor he is. I just sighed in relief. At least it wasn't someone here to lecture me again.
'I've been feeling... weird,' I muttered. 'Since yesterday, since forever, honestly. Stressed.'
'Hmm... heard you finally broke up with Jonas.' Kyros grinned, happy about it. 'Good thing. Thank God, you did.'
Of course he was happy. He's hated Jonas from day one.
'Why though?' I frowned. 'Why do you and Matthew both hate him so much? Always dodging the reason. Tell me now!'
Kyros paused, like he was thinking whether to spill the truth or not. Then he sighed.
'I didn't tell you because I thought you actually liked him... and Brother Matthew told me to shut up about it, afraid you'd throw a whole drama scene before we figured things out. But since you're finally free—' He took another dumpling, chewing, casual, while my life was literally about to collapse.
'Remember that high school party... when you were poisoned?'
I stiffened. 'Yeah?'
'Jonas did it.'
My world cracked.
'What?' I breathed.
Kyros nodded. 'Yeah. After you were rushed to the hospital, Brother Matthew and I went straight back to the bar to figure out what happened. We checked the CCTV. Jonas gave you that drink. It was a slow-acting poison... but lucky for you, you drank something else right after, threw it all up, and survived.'
I felt sick again, my stomach flipping even though I was eating my favorite dumplings. My fingers shook.
'And guess who made you vomit on purpose,' Kyros said, eyes sharp.
'yep it was your arch dear nemesis, Kaiden.'
Silence.
My breath caught.
Kyros looked at me like I was the dumbest, slowest idiot alive.
'You seriously never noticed? He's always acting like he wants to kill you, but the second real danger shows up, he's there protecting you like some psycho bodyguard. It's like...' he paused, smirking, 'he'd shoot your reflection in the mirror, but guard the real you like a dragon over treasure.'
I blinked, stunned, speechless.
'Even that night you blurted my secret out like a dumbass... I was mad, yeah. That's why I didn't tell you the rest. After you accepted Jonas' stupid love confession that night, Jonas tried to take advantage of you. You were drunk—but Kaiden showed up.'
My heart felt like it dropped down to my stomach.
'He destroyed Jonas. Beat him half to death, no mercy. While you were too busy throwing up on the pavement like a drunk gremlin. You even stormed off into traffic, remember?'
I vaguely did. Like flashes of light, noise, headlights...
'Kaiden saved you again that night. You nearly got flattened by a car, but he pulled you back last second... got hit himself. Broke his arm.'
I stared at Kyros, jaw dropped. My brain could not keep up.
'Remember when you called him "one-armed loser" for weeks?' Kyros raised an eyebrow. 'Yeah. That broken arm? That was your fault. He saved your life, and you bullied him for the injury. Do you know how many times he still carried your drunk ass around campus with that busted arm while you screamed at him?'
I actually wanted to die. Right there. On the grass. Funeral under the tree, dumplings as my grave flowers.
'But... why? Why would Jonas want to kill me?' I managed, voice barely there.
Kyros leaned back, stretching like this was just a fun tea session for him.
'One reason: He's the son of your brother's biggest rival. Jonas never actually liked you. He was just using you to get at Matthew. Revenge. Plain and simple.'
I felt like the biggest idiot alive. Everything clicked. Jonas' fake smiles, his weird controlling behavior, the arguments... and all that time, I thought Kaiden was the enemy.
Turns out...He was saving me.
Over and over and over again.
And I treated him like trash.
I wanted to scream into the void.
That night, I couldn't sleep at all. Kyros' words kept playing on loop in my head like a broken record. Every time I closed my eyes, it was there—Kaiden saving me, Jonas poisoning me, my brother's serious face when I asked him if I was too reckless it was all too much. A whole week passed. Jonas was nowhere to be seen on campus well around me, finally.
But Kaiden? He was the same as ever—teasing me, annoying me, breathing in my direction like I owed him money.
Except now... I couldn't even feel angry anymore. I didn't know what I was feeling.
My headache never fully left. Even after the bandages were off, my brain still felt scrambled like someone opened my skull and stirred it with a fork.
So I did what I always did when I needed peace:
I went to the draping room. Fashion major problems.
I opened the drawer to grab my sketchbooks—my designs always gave me comfort, like a warm blanket for my chaotic brain—
But when I opened it...Empty.
What. The. Actual. Fuck.
Panic spread like fire in my chest. My designs. Gone. Who the hell steals sketches? Then I remembered—
This room had a secret camera installed months ago after some juniors tried stealing people's drafts.
Heart racing, I practically flew to the security room and checked the footage.
What I saw made my blood boil.
Jonas. Jonas freaking Devins. Sneaking in here like some third-rate movie villain, stuffing my designs into his tacky fake leather backpack.
Without thinking, I grabbed my bag and ran.
The basketball court was packed, loud, sweaty boys shouting, sneakers squeaking. Kaiden was there, of course, looking annoyingly good while throwing a perfect shot like he was born on a court. But I didn't care. I had another target in mind.
I spotted Jonas with his friends practicing free throws, acting like nothing happened.
I didn't even hesitate.
'JONAS DEVINS, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!' I screamed, launching myself at him like a wild animal.
My bag flew somewhere behind me as I grabbed his jersey with both fists and just punched him, over and over, with everything I had. Years of annoyance, betrayal, heartbreak—I unleashed it all on his face.
Gasps and shouts echoed around the court as the whole game stopped and everyone circled around us like a fight in a high school drama.
'MAVERICK, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!' Jonas barked, stumbling, trying to grab my wrists to stop me.
'What am I doing? What were YOU doing? Stealing my designs now?! You snake! You fake-ass boyfriend! I swear I'm gonna break your nose, return my stuff or die!"
He finally lost it, shoving me hard and raising his fist like he was going to hit me. I flinched, eyes squeezing shut, arms flying up to cover my face. But the punch never landed.
When I opened my eyes, Jonas' wrist was caught in a strong grip. Tight. Veins flexing.
Kaiden. He'd stepped between us, calm like a storm before a tornado.
'Careful,' Kaiden said softly, eyes locked on Jonas. 'Don't think you can use your hands any way you like... not while I'm here.'
Then he smiled—and that's when Jonas should've run. Because Kaiden's smile was never kind, it was lethal. CRACK. One punch. That's all it took. Jonas flew backward, landing flat on the court, out cold. Everyone around gasped.
I covered my mouth. 'Damn, you're insane,' I whispered, shocked. My heart wouldn't stop hammering.
Kaiden cracked his knuckles, casually, like he hadn't just knocked a man into next week.
'Wasn't I always Insane?' he said with that cocky grin. He glanced sideways at me. 'I just saved your handsome face, you know. You could thank me.'
I rolled my eyes. 'Why would I thank you? You're annoying.'
Then I smirked. 'Wait... did you just call me Handsome?'
Kaiden raised a brow, amused. 'When did I ever say you weren't?'
I blinked, shocked.
Come to think of it... he never actually called me ugly. I was always the one calling him every bad name under the sun.
I rolled my eyes again, lips twitching, refusing to smile. Not giving him the satisfaction yet. But damn it... my heart was smiling anyway.
Of course, my brother was informed immediately, and like the terrifying genius he was, he handled it perfectly. Jonas stole my designs to sell them off to his father's company, but with the secret footage from class, we had undeniable proof.
What shocked me more was that Matthew still had the footage from that party—Jonas slipping poison into my drink. How he managed to get the road CCTV footage too, I didn't even know, but turns out... that accident wasn't really an accident.
It was planned. By Jonas. And his father.
With all that proof, Jonas was gone. Suspended. His father's company in legal chaos. My designs were returned—and thanks to the drama going viral online, they got even more attention.
Apparently, nothing says 'talented designer' like a whole company trying to steal your art.