CHAPTER 4

My eyes met Oak's, and his intense gaze sent a shiver down my spine.

Oak's voice was low as he spoke, "Get ready for Leila's party."

I frowned, confusion etched on my face. "What party?" I asked, but he turned and left my room without a word.

My mind raced as I wondered why Leila would invite the quadruplets, knowing how they treated me. The thought of facing them in a crowded party made my stomach twist with anxiety. I silently pleaded with the moon goddess, "I don't want to be embarrassed in public today, please. Please."

I got ready and was touching up my makeup when I heard a knock on the door.

As I opened the door, Oak's eyes roamed over me, his expression unreadable. "Ready to go?" he asked, his voice rigid.

I nodded, my heart racing, and we headed to the car. Rowan took the wheel, Ash sat in the front passenger's seat, and I sat with Maple to my right and Oak to my left.

The tension in the vehicle was palpable, the quadruplets' eyes fixed on me like predators. Ethan's absence only added to my unease.

To distract myself, I took a minute to take in the quad's appearance.

Rowan wore a midnight blue tuxedo with a black bow tie, looking elegant.

Ash chose a charcoal grey suit with a lavender shirt and a slim black tie, giving off a modern vibe.

Oak stood out in a deep burgundy velvet blazer, black trousers, and no tie, with a silver brooch on his lapel.

Maple kept it classic with a black suit, white shirt, and a silver-grey tie.

Together, they looked stunning, each showing off their unique style while still looking like a perfectly matched set.

Sometimes, I wished that they weren't this good looking. Because how can they be bullies but still be blessed with every good physical feature known to man?

It's like the moon goddess took special time when putting them together.

I, on the other hand, had on a floor-length emerald green gown that hugged my figure perfectly, and silver stiletto heels.

When we arrived at the party, the boys immediately jumped out of the car, leaving me by myself.

It was like they didn't want to spend a single second with me if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

This got me thinking and asking questions I had no answers to.

If they didn't like me and didn't want to spend time with me, why did they invite me to go with them to the party?

Was it to embarrass me in the presence of their friends and almost the whole school?

Gosh, this was so confusing and exhausting.

I decided to just stay in the car and not attend the party until they forgot about me. Then, I would go show my presence to Leila, wish her a happy birthday, probably lie about being sick, and go back home. Sounds like a good plan.

I smiled to myself and took out my phone from my purse and started watching TikTok. I was engrossed in my phone, laughing my ass off, and didn't notice someone staring at me from outside the car until the person opened the car door, jolting me from my phone screen.

I looked up, and it was Maple. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Watching TikTok," I answered bluntly.

He sighed. "I mean, why aren't you inside?"

"I don't wanna go in just yet. I'll come in later," I replied, praying to the moon goddess to make him go away.

"Let's go inside," he said with a serious look.

I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, so I put my phone back in my purse, stepped out of the car, adjusted my dress, and started walking ahead of him.

I was so scared and uncertain; I really didn't want to be bullied here. I didn't have the mental energy to take it. I would definitely just cry.

New plan: I'll go in, locate Leila immediately, and ask her why she invited the quads. From what she says, I'll plan my next action.

I stepped inside, and the party was held in a spacious basement, the kind where countless teenage memories are made.

The walls were decorated with colourful string lights and a few homemade posters announcing the event. In one corner, a large couch and several mismatched chairs formed a casual seating area, perfect for chatting and laughing.

A makeshift dance floor occupied the centre of the room, cleared of furniture and bathed in the glow of a rotating disco ball. Music rang from a speaker setup on a small table, where a laptop and a tangled mess of cables connected to a carefully curated playlist.

A table against one wall was laden with snacks—bowls of chips, candy, and a few homemade treats. A few more decorations, like birthday balloons and streamers, added a festive touch, while the dim lighting and occasional flicker of candles created an inviting, laid-back atmosphere.

I felt different orbs on me, making me feel self-conscious.

Why is everyone staring at me? I plastered an awkward smile on my face and concentrated on searching for Leila.

I was still looking around, trying to find her in a crowd of drunk and tipsy high schoolers, when I felt someone pull my left arm hard.

I looked over and saw Leila glaring at me. Why is she glaring at me? What did I do? I just got here; I couldn't have possibly gotten her mad right?

"What's up, Leila? Happy birthday," I said, trying to sound friendly.

"Fuck you, Bianca," she replied, looking mad as hell.

"What? Why? What did I do?" I asked her, confused as hell.

Leila's response was laced with anger. "How dare you come in here and steal all the attention from me? This is my party, for crying out loud. And why are you dressed like that? Does this look like your wedding?"

I was taken aback by her harsh words. "What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Leila's response was venomous. "You are dressed like this is your party. It's not. It's my party. Couldn't you have worn something ugly? Why did you dress so fucking good?"

By this time, a lot of eyes were already on us. This was exactly what I tried to avoid. How could she be mad at me because of how I was dressed? I looked at my gown and didn't see anything wrong with it.

Instead of arguing with her, I decided to ask her why she invited the quads to her party, knowing that they hate me and always bullied me. "Why did you invite the quadruplets?" I asked, ignoring the eyes that were boring holes in my body.

Leila's smirk was menacing. "Because I wanted drama," she replied, her voice dripping with malice.

Leila's smile was evil as she said, "I know the quads hate you, and will always bully you, that was why I invited them, knowing you'd be here too. I mean, what's a good party without some drama"?

I was taken aback by her admission. Wow, I thought I had one person from Moon Lake Academy who liked me. I couldn't be more wrong.

I stared at her with teary eyes, trying my best not to cry in front of her. Instead, I smiled and turned to leave, but her next words stopped me in my tracks.

She walked up to me and whispered, "Since you disrupted my party with your presence, and took all the attention from me, how about I let everyone here know a lil secret about you."

My mind raced as I wondered what she could possibly know about me. We had just met, so what secret could she possibly reveal?

I tried to reassure myself that she didn't know anything, but a tiny voice in my head warned me otherwise. And I was right to worry.

The words she said next broke me completely. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and I let them flow.