Part 1

A man stepped eagerly into an apartment located in an upscale area, holding a small velvet-lined box in his hand.

Tonight, Frans planned to surprise his girlfriend, Arinda Afriyani Hermawan, on her birthday. They had been dating for the past two years.

Frans couldn't help but smile as he looked at the door of the apartment unit he had purchased on the anniversary of his relationship with Arinda. The apartment was now occupied by Arinda as a gift for their first anniversary.

As Frans entered, the unit seemed quiet. His gaze scanned the dimly lit living room. It was already midnight, so it was reasonable to assume that Arinda had gone to bed by now.

A few hours ago, Frans had claimed to be busy and unable to celebrate her birthday, which had angered Arinda, who called him unromantic. She had also declared her intention to sleep early that night and forbidden Frans from visiting.

However, Frans, who was preparing a surprise for her birthday, didn't care about her instructions. In his hands, he held a diamond-studded ring that would be a birthday gift for Arinda and a proposal ring.

Frans's lips curled up as he looked at the ring, still hidden inside the velvet box, and the slightly open bedroom door. He approached the partially open door.

Frans's hand extended, ready to press the handle and push the bedroom door open. However, before he could do that, his hearing caught a disgusting sound from inside the room.

"No way," Frans mumbled to himself, dismissing the sudden intrusive thoughts, accompanied by increasingly audible moans.

Yet, he remained convinced that it wasn't Arinda inside. They had been in a relationship for two years, and even when they spent nights together, Arinda had never allowed him to go beyond a hug.

Now? Frans shook his head, believing his hearing must be playing tricks on him. He quickly pushed the door open to confirm his mistaken thoughts.

However, when the bedroom door swung open, Frans froze instantly. His eyes welled with tears, and a crushing feeling gripped his chest. Before him, Arinda was betraying the pure love he had for her.

The pain gnawed at Frans as he watched Arinda, who was in control of the situation. She was the one who was the most passionate, her body glistening with sweat. Never had Frans imagined that Arinda could be so wild, given the love he had for her.

"Hurry up. I'll wait outside," Frans said flatly, one hand raised, signaling for Arinda to stay where she was. He refused to have Arinda run towards him, seeking forgiveness or making excuses. He couldn't bear to hear words that would only be more painful. It was better to end it and get rid of it as far as possible.

"Frans..." Arinda sighed, panicking as she saw Frans suddenly appear and witness what she had been hiding all this time.

Frans curled one corner of his lips, chuckling at himself for being so easily fooled by Arinda. He had sacrificed a lot in their relationship, but this was what he got in return. There was no forgiveness left to give, even a little.

So, when Arinda finished dressing, Frans and his two bodyguards were waiting in the living room, ready to clean the unit of all Arinda's belongings and traces. Frans also had all of Arinda's things thrown out of the unit and requested the apartment management to change the unit's password.

Arinda, not accepting Frans's eviction, struggled, crying and pleading for his forgiveness. However, Frans had no intention of accepting her apology. He had judged all women the same, promising not to engage in a relationship with a woman anytime soon.

One year later,

A slightly plump girl ran into the university campus area, desperately trying not to be late for her class. Her parents had gone out of town to build a garden, so there was no one at home to wake her up. Furthermore, she had stayed up all night to complete an assignment. As a result, Veronica woke up late and was running late for campus.

"Hopefully, there's still a seat," Veronica muttered. She hoped that the back row would still have an empty seat because she strongly preferred not to sit at the front and become the center of attention for her fellow students.

Moreover, she had to share a class with a girl named Bianca Marsya, who constantly ridiculed her shortcomings. Bianca even incited other students not to befriend Veronica.

"I knew it," Veronica sighed as her steps reached the classroom door. She saw that there were no more empty seats at the back; they had already been taken by her friends. She knew that today she wouldn't be able to focus on studying due to the whispers and smirks from her classmates.

Just as Veronica took her first step into the classroom, all eyes were already on her. Whispers and subtle mocking smiles followed her. Veronica could only smile and pretend they didn't exist, hoping that the professor who was supposed to teach would still be absent so she could go home.

"Since you're sitting in the front today, could you please have a bit of self-awareness and move to the corner so you don't obstruct our view?" said a beautiful female student, none other than Bianca. She deliberately disturbed Veronica to make her feel intimidated.

It was always like this. Bianca felt that Veronica wasn't worthy of receiving an education at their prestigious university. Unfortunately, Veronica had been accepted and could study for free because she had a scholarship. Responding to Bianca's bullying and insults could jeopardize her scholarship. Besides, Bianca was the youngest daughter of a university dean, so it would be very dangerous to go against her.

So Veronica remained silent and took her seat, staring at the professor's chair in front of her, hoping the professor would still be absent so she could go home.

"Good morning," greeted a tall, muscular, bespectacled man as he entered the classroom. The male professor, renowned for his handsome looks, caught the attention of all the female students. They had not expected such a young and attractive professor to be teaching their class.

Of course, it was a blessing to be able to meet him face to face. Until now, they could only admire him from a distance and exchange brief greetings when they crossed paths. The handsome professor was also stern and reserved, so not many students could engage in extensive conversations with him, except for those under his guidance. But now?

"Good morning, Sir..."

The entire class responded and took their seats.

"Alright. Let me introduce myself. My name is Frans Rudiart, but you can call me Mr. Frans. I am your substitute teacher for the time being because your regular professor is still hospitalized. I hope for your cooperation, and I trust you won't mind me filling in here," explained Frans briefly before beginning the teaching process.

"Sir, don't worry. How could we not want to be taught by such a handsome teacher?" quipped Bianca, trying to get his attention. She had been eyeing Frans for a long time, and this was her chance to talk to him. It was certainly a stroke of luck.

Frans curled one corner of his lips. "I've had my fill of sweet words like that. It's better to start the teaching process instead of wasting time. But before we begin, let's get to know each other," he said as he took a seat in the corner of the room.

From his seat, Frans could see all the students he would be instructing for some time until the regular professor could return to campus.

"You," Frans pointed at Veronica, who was seated right in front of him. "Introduce yourself! And the rest of you, please continue until we're done," he requested.

Veronica nodded and stood up from her seat. "My name is Veronica Wijaya, Sir," she said, offering a slight bow as a sign of respect to Frans.

"Veronica Wijaya the Plain," unexpectedly added Bianca, creating a stir in the classroom due to the beautiful student's comment.

"Mind your words and please behave as a proper student!" Frans rebuked, his gaze sharp. He didn't like people who acted arrogantly because of their advantages.

"Yes, Sir, yes. No need to get angry like that. Can't we discuss this nicely? I'm the daughter of a dean here, you know. You should treat me better," complained Bianca, quite surprised by Frans's response to her words.

"Well, since you put it that way, I'll be waiting for you in your father's office after this class," Frans challenged. He wanted to see how far Bianca's arrogance would take her.

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you there, Sir," Bianca responded, accepting Frans's challenge because she saw it as an opportunity from God to be close to him.

Frans let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't fathom how someone as young as Bianca could act like this, as if she had no manners.