Rejection

“A date?” she repeated, her tone mixed with confusion.

“Yes, a date!” I said, forcing a smile. “We should go out, have some fun at the amusement park or a nice restaurant like couples do.”

Her eyes hardened immediately. “Couples?” she scoffed, crossing her arms. “Vincent, I think you’re getting the wrong idea here. We’re not couples!”

My jaw dropped and I blinked at her, stunned. “ Anna, are you mad at me? I mean, I came to your house. Your parents welcomed me! Yesterday, we even took a walk together! You were nice to me laughing, talking...” My voice cracked. “Why are you saying these things now?”

She sighed heavily, as though my very existence drained her patience. “I admit I’ve been nice to you recently,” she said, her voice low, “but that doesn’t mean I love you, Vincent. That doesn’t make us a couple. I only did those things because…” she hesitated, then added coldly, “because I wanted to piss off Lorna and Clarice. Nothing more.”

Her words sliced through me like a sharp blade. I felt like I'd been blindsided, my entire world shaken. "You don't mean that," I whispered, my voice cracking as I took a step closer to her. “You can't say you don't feel anything for me Anna. I like you. No I love y…”

“Vincent, stop!” she yelled, taking a step back.

The distance between us was suffocating, and her voice was sharp enough to make me flinch.

“You don't just fall in love like that, you don't even know me deeply, focus on your life, I will do the same here.” she said, shaking her head. “You’re rich, Vincent. Your life is easy. You’ve got everything handed to you. Meanwhile, I’m struggling…struggling just to keep up, to secure a future. We are from different worlds. For me, love is the last thing on my mind.” 

She turned to leave, but I couldn’t let her go. I grabbed her wrist not forcefully, just enough to stop her.

“Please,” I begged, my voice breaking. “Just one date. I’ll wait for you. However long it takes, I’ll wait.”

Her eyes darted to my hand before she yanked it free. “No,” she said firmly.

“Anna,” I pleaded, desperate now. “I already made plans. I... I booked the whole venue for us.”

She paused, then laughed coldly. "That's the problem with you," she said, her voice full of dislike. "You think money can fix everything and people will do what you want. Well, I’m not something you can buy. I don’t care if you booked all the restaurants in Paris. My answer is still no.”

She stormed off, leaving me feeling shattered. I struggled to catch my breath as a heavy weight of rejection settled in.

I pulled out my phone and called Max.

“Yo, Vincent,” he answered.

“‘She rejected me.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Who?”

“Anna,” I replied.

There was a pause before he burst into laughter. “What did I tell you, man? That girl is out of your league!”

"Great advice," I said sarcastically, already regretting the call. 

"What's your plan now?" he asked.

 I sighed. "I don't know...I'm lost. I love her, Max. I'm not ready to give up on her.”

“Love? Bro you just met her.” Max said. “This isn’t love. It's an obsession.”

"I know it sounds insane, but I just can't get her out of my head.” I muttered. “I’m going to win her over. Somehow.”

“Vincent,” he warned, “I don't think that's a good idea, what if she ended up hating you more?” 

“Trust me,” I said, ignoring the nagging doubt creeping in. “All girls like surprises and money. I’ll figure it out.”

“Ugh Vincent don't do that.. she” I hung up before he finished his statement.

 I got home, went straight to my room and searched the internet on how to win a girl's heart.

I spent the entire night reading articles online about how to win a girl’s heart. Tips from relationship experts, some were absurd but I was willing to try anything, for Anna.

“She would die out of happiness.” I smiled, imagining some scenarios where I surprised her. She was happy and excited that she hugged me.

I blushed, stood up from the chair and danced slowly round the room.

“You are so brilliant Vincent, you are a genius” I complimented myself.

The next morning, I showed up at her place with a massive teddy bear, a bouquet of sunflowers, and a note that read: "From the guy who’s not giving up."

She didn’t even open the door. Instead, I saw her peek through the curtain and shake her head.

I left the gifts on her doorstep, hoping they'd help change her mind. But as I walked away, I felt a nagging doubt that I was going about this the wrong way.

Later that day, Max called.

“Dude, you should check social media,” he said, barely containing his laughter.

“What?” I asked, already dreading the answer.

“She posted your teddy bear. With a caption.”

I opened the app and found the post. It read: "Money can buy toys, but it can’t buy respect. Nice try, though."

I clenched my fists, my face burning with anger and embarrassment. It wasn't just rejection I felt, but embarrassment.

But then I saw something else in the picture. Something I hadn’t noticed before.

It wasn’t just the teddy bear. It was the pair of scuffed sneakers sitting beside it.

Men’s sneakers.

Who the hell did those belong to?

Those sneakers haunted me for the rest of the day. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them sitting there beside my teddy bear, mocking me. I couldn’t shake the image or the question: Who was he?

Was Anna already seeing someone? Even if she was, the guy isn't as rich as I. Looking at the sneakers, one would know they are cheap, probably $25. I bet he isn't handsome either. I smiled.

But Why did Anna choose him over me? My thoughts were out of control.

I decided to confront her.

The next day, I waited for her during break.

I leaned against the wall outside the classroom trying to appear calm despite my racing heart. When she came out, her eyes met mine, and she let out a deep sigh.

“Vincent, what now?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets, trying to steady them. "Can we talk?" I asked, my voice a little unsteady.

She glanced around, clearly uncomfortable.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, and she raised an eyebrow, nodding slightly, though clearly hesitant. “If this is about the teddy bear…”

“It’s not,” I interrupted, though it definitely was.“Fine. Make it quick.”

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Who's he?" I asked, trying to sound casual despite the jealousy growing inside me.

Her face went blank. “What guy?”

“The one with the sneakers,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “The ones in your post. Are you seeing someone?”

Her expression shifted confusion, then disbelief, and finally anger.

"Are you kidding me?" she snapped, her voice sharp. "I just want to know," I pressed, my voice growing louder. “You owe me that much.”

She laughed bitterly. “I owe you? Vincent, I don’t owe you anything. We’re not together. We’ve never been together. And for the record, those sneakers belong to my brother.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Your brother?”

“Yes, my brother!” she spat, crossing her arms. “Not everything revolves around you, Vincent.”

I tried to speak, but she raised her hand, silencing me. "Enough," she said firmly. "This has to stop. You're embarrassing yourself, and I'm done being part of it." She turned and walked away, leaving me stunned and speechless.

Later that evening, Max found me sitting on a bench outside the library, staring blankly at the ground. "Let me guess," he said, sitting down beside me. "She rejected you again.”

I didn’t respond.

"Come on, man," Max said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe it's time to move on." I shook my head, looking up at him for the first time. “No,” I said, my voice steady. “I can’t.”

“Vincent?”

“She’s wrong,” I interrupted.

"I'm not being a fool, I'm fighting for her," I said, my determination growing. "And I'm not going to give up.”

Max sighed, clearly exhausted by my determination.

"What's your plan?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

I didn't have one, not yet. But as I sat there, a bold, reckless idea began to take shape.

"I'll show her," I muttered, more to myself than to Max. "I'll prove I'm not just some entitled rich kid. I'll prove I'm all in.”

Max buried his face in his hands. "We're doomed.”

Maybe we are, but I don't care.