Part 2

However, from that point on, Frans felt challenged to take care of Veronica, who was said to be nerdy and often bullied by Bianca. To keep her scholarship from slipping away, Frans heard that Veronica never once argued or resisted. So, he was interested in substituting for the sick professor. It was also a way to fill his free time when there were no important meetings at the office.

Yes, ever since his breakup with Arinda a year ago, Frans had immersed himself in his ceaseless work. He also chose to become a professor so that his world wasn't limited to stacks of papers and computers alone. As a professor, he could meet many people with different characters, like Veronica and Bianca, for instance. He hoped that this would allow his life to be filled with busyness and his thoughts focused on other matters.

By doing so, Frans could completely forget about Arinda. If he were lucky, he could find a replacement, although that seemed impossible. Frans had been in love with Arinda for quite some time, giving her everything she wanted without any hesitation, pouring out all his love. However, he was betrayed and heartbroken by her actions with an irresponsible man, despite his unwavering commitment. This had left wounds that were beyond description.

Finally, the class ended. All the students scattered, heading to the cafeteria or their respective hangout spots, except for Veronica. She remained seated in the classroom throughout her lectures, except during practical sessions and when classes were over.

Frans, still gathering his books, was surprised to see Veronica still seated in her place. It was as if she didn't realize that class had ended a few minutes ago. Veronica remained silent, her head bowed as she read a book on her desk.

"Sir, let's go!" Bianca extended her hand to Frans. "Didn't you say you wanted to talk to me in your office? Come on!" she urged, shaking her hand to prompt Frans to take it.

Not knowing where Bianca came from, she suddenly appeared and surprised Frans.

"You go ahead! Wait for me there!" Frans replied before leaving Bianca and walking toward Veronica's desk.

Facing rejection from Frans, Bianca pouted and stomped her foot as she walked away. She muttered to herself upon seeing Frans approaching Veronica.

Once Frans reached Veronica, he placed several books on her desk, causing her to lift her head.

"Vero, can you help me by taking these books to my office?" Frans raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Sir." Veronica immediately stood up and picked up several books from her desk. Without saying much, she followed Frans from behind, partially covering her face with the books she carried.

Seeing Veronica walking behind him, Frans stopped in his tracks. "Why are you walking behind, Vero? Are you embarrassed to walk alongside an old man like me?" Frans pouted and sulked like a child. The thirty-one-year-old man tried to boost Veronica's self-confidence to make her feel better.

Veronica shook her head and stood right beside Frans. She didn't say anything. Frans then gently patted her head. "Come on!" he encouraged her while resuming his walk.

Veronica smiled happily. After studying there for so long, someone finally wanted to talk and joke with her. It made her feel enthusiastic and eager to keep pace with Frans.

During the journey from Veronica's classroom to Frans's office, there were many lame jokes made, causing Veronica to laugh occasionally. This was something unseen by both students and lecturers at the university.

Seeing Veronica laugh, Frans felt a sense of satisfaction. It reinforced his determination to transform Veronica into a cheerful student with high self-esteem.

A few minutes later, Frans and Veronica arrived at a room where several lecturers gathered. In that room, there were many doors to individual lecturer's offices. Frans's office was the furthest and most isolated from the others.

As Frans was about to enter his office, he was startled to see Bianca standing in front of the door, pulling her lips into a pout. She spoke as if she was talking to a lover who was late for a date.

"Why did you take so long, Sir? I've been waiting for you for ages," Bianca said, her lips still puckered. She acted as if she was speaking to her boyfriend who had arrived late for their date.

"Please come in!" Frans opened the door and gestured for Veronica to enter. He didn't extend the same courtesy to Bianca, as he intended to address her issues after Veronica had left.

"Vero, could you please arrange those books over there?" Frans pointed to a glass cabinet at the far end of the room, indicating for Veronica to organize the books she had brought.

"If you don't mind, could you also help me rearrange those books by their publication years?" Frans asked, pulling the corners of his lips into a smile.

Veronica nodded and immediately began rearranging the books inside the cabinet.

While Veronica was busy arranging the books, Bianca snatched the opportunity to speak up. Feeling frustrated at being ignored, she rolled her eyes lazily. For the first time, she felt neglected by someone else, which only fueled her growing resentment towards Veronica. She believed that Veronica had intentionally followed Frans to find out what they would discuss.

"Bianca, please take a seat!" Frans pointed to a chair in front of his desk. He had no choice but to address Bianca's issues as well because he felt uncomfortable with her constant attention.

Bianca let out a harsh sigh before sitting down. She shot Veronica, who was organizing the books next to Frans, a sharp glance.

"Ahem! Why are you looking at Veronica with such disdain?" Frans asked, leaning back in his chair. "If you don't mind sharing, I could help both of you become friends."

"I don't hate her, Sir! I just don't like her broad physique. It doesn't match well with me. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's right that she's studying here on a scholarship either. I don't like that either," Bianca explained in detail what she disliked about Veronica. The perceived lack of compatibility with Veronica was reason enough for Bianca to despise her, as she wanted to be friends with someone equally attractive and wealthy.

Veronica, hearing Bianca's comments about herself, pretended to be deaf, ignoring Bianca's words and staying focused on her work. She wanted to finish her tasks as quickly as possible so she could leave the room.

"Alright then. I understand your reasons for disliking Veronica. But I suggest that after this, you avoid disturbing her since she doesn't affect your life. Keep your distance and avoid looking in her direction to prevent incidents like what happened in class earlier. This is also a warning, the first and last one. If you violate it, I will take this matter to your father. Now, please leave and think carefully about my advice."

"Are you kicking me out?" Bianca pointed at herself, unable to believe that Frans was politely dismissing her after giving her what she considered unreasonable advice.

"I'm not kicking you out. I'm done with you. So, why are you still here? I have many other tasks and matters to attend to."

"Ugh, typical annoying lecturer," Bianca muttered, rising from her seat and swiftly exiting Frans's office. She still couldn't believe that Frans had treated her rudely, especially when other lecturers were kinder.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I'd also like to take my leave now; I've finished organizing all the books," Veronica slightly leaned back. "Excuse me!" she said quickly before leaving. Uncomfortable being alone in the room with Frans, Veronica decided to follow Bianca's footsteps.

"Wait, Vero!" Frans immediately stood up and caught Veronica's wrist. "Let's have lunch at the cafeteria; it's my treat. I won't accept any refusal in any form. Consider it a thank-you for helping me organize the cabinet," he said with a determined smile.

"No, Sir. I'm genuinely happy to help you. Besides, I brought my own lunch from home," Veronica released herself from Frans's grip. "Excuse me, Sir!" she said quickly before leaving Frans's office.

"If you refuse lunch, let me take you home!" Frans said before Veronica closed the door to her room.

Instead of answering, Veronica acted as if she hadn't heard anything Frans had said. She simply walked away, clutching her chest, which had been aching without clear reason.

Frans grinned wryly as Veronica disappeared behind the door, completely ignoring his invitation for the second time. He felt irritated because Veronica had declined him twice.

He couldn't help but wonder why Veronica was turning down his offers. What was he lacking that made her continuously reject him? What harm could there be in accepting? 

Frans pulled one corner of his lip into a smirk, regarding this as a significant challenge to win Veronica over. It was the first time someone had declined Frans Rudiart's invitation for lunch.

"It's unbelievable that someone would reject Frans Rudiart so casually," grumbled Frans before getting into his car.

His frustration at being rejected by Veronica kept escalating. If he had known her class had already ended, it would mean that Veronica had deliberately disregarded his offer to drive her home.

Frans quickly started his car to follow Veronica home. He knew that Veronica lived not far from the campus and typically walked to and from there. It took her about fifteen minutes to reach the campus.

After driving for a few minutes, Frans finally spotted Veronica. She was walking, head bowed, seemingly afraid to look at anyone or any vehicles passing by.

He immediately pulled his car to the side of the road, inviting Veronica to ride with him. However, her response remained the same. No, she insisted. Her excuse was that her house was close, and she didn't want to trouble Frans.

Frans's irritation grew even stronger. However, he didn't give up. Instead, he followed her from behind, trying to discover where she lived.

After a few minutes of walking, Frans's eyebrows furrowed when he saw Veronica rush into a crowd of people on the roadside. He promptly parked his car, alarmed by what might be happening.

Seeing a deformed motorcycle by the roadside, it was clear that the crowd had witnessed an accident.

"Veronica!" Frans's eyes widened when he saw Veronica hugging a man covered in blood. Beside him, someone lay on the side of the road, their identity concealed by a cloth.

With trembling steps, Frans approached, comforting Veronica, who was crying hysterically.

"Don't cry, I'm here," he whispered softly.

Veronica turned to him, her gaze filled with despair. "Please, help me, Sir! The ambulance is on its way, but at least save my father!" she implored, her voice barely audible.

Frans nodded and sought help from the bystanders to carefully lift the injured middle-aged man, who turned out to be Veronica's father, into his car. It was evident that the man's condition was critical.