Chapter 25

N O E L L E

“She’s a fashion designer in Germany,” Alyssa said with greeted teeth. I ran to her and cried. I told her everything that happened, and she searched for Vanessa’s information online. She followed her on I*******m and checked all her previous posts. “She’s gorgeous!” She was just angry a while ago, and now she’s complimenting her.

“You don’t have a chance, Elle.” I threw her a death glare, and she chuckled nervously at me. “You are my best friend, so I am taking your side.” Alyssa showed me several pictures where Levi and Vanessa were happily traveling around the world. They were from the same university, and their family was friends.

“Will you stop rubbing salt on my wound?” I asked as I blew my nose. Alyssa has been talking to me frankly, telling me only just the truth.

“You should tell about it to Maxwell.” She said, and I quickly shook my head.

“No! Don’t tell him about it, please.” I cried. “I don’t want to disappoint him, Aly.” I said while crying. “I don’t know what to do. It’s what I want at first. I want him to find someone else and forget about our contract, but now I don’t want it to happen. I regret wishing for it.”

Alyssa sighs. “Do you think Levi loves you?” She asked while looking sadly at me.

“Yes, Aly. I felt it. I saw it in his eyes. We were even planning for our future together, and in just one snap, everything has changed.” I explained.

“He loves you, but I think he loves her more than he loves you, Elle.” Her words pierced through my heart, and it hurt a lot. The fact that he loves someone else pained me.

“A person has only one heart, Aly.” I rolled my eyes at her in annoyance. “He can’t love two persons at the same time.”

“Okay. Let me rephrase it for you. Levi loves Vanessa, not you. He just used you. Is that enough?” She smiled at me, and I glared at her.

“Why are you doing this to me, Alyssa?!” I shouted at him.

“I want you to open your eyes, Elle! You’ve been crying for three whole days! You have skipped school, for Pete’s sake! Wake up, Noelle!” She shouted at me, losing her patience. “The Noelle Lewis I knew would never skip school over her love life! Your priority is your studies, right!?”

I cried louder when I realized she was right.

“Cry all you want, but please don’t skip school anymore, Elle. You are ruining your future. I understand that you love him, but don’t you think he’s worth it? Why don’t you let him feel that you can live without him?”

I wiped the tears on my cheeks. “Stop watching so many drama series, will you?” She rolled her eyes at me. “I love Levi, Aly. It’s the first time I felt something like this for someone, and I wanted to treasure it forever.” Tears started falling from my eyes again. “I couldn’t believe he could easily forget his feelings towards me, and it hurts so much. I never thought he would do this to me.”

“Probably his feeling towards you is not strong enough to choose you.” Ouch!

“You are hurting me, Alyssa.” I blurted out.

“Noelle, I want you to know what I really think about your relationship with him. He chose Vanessa over you. Don’t you think it’s a sign to give up? Please stop making a fool out of yourself.”

Should I really give up without even trying?

“Aren’t you happy that he has already found his true love? I mean, let’s look at the bright side, Elle. I think you are lucky enough to know that he is in love with someone else before marrying him. You won’t have to file a divorce. You are not his ex-wife, but his ex-fiancée, right?” She said before clapping her hands as if she says a brilliant idea.

I don’t know if she’s really my friend or my enemy. She keeps hurting me.

The next day, I decided to think normally again. I attended school again, and Maxwell bombarded me with questions about my absence. I told him that I was sick and needed to rest for three days. He noticed my pale face and thinner body.

I made myself busy by catching up with the projects, assignments, exams, and lectures that I missed. Despite my busy schedule, I still think of Levi. I want to message or call him, but the pain in my heart is stopping me from doing it.

My prayer to find him someone else has been granted and I should be thankful.

It’s the thought that I keep reminding myself to ease the pain in my heart. I need to keep myself busy and stop myself from thinking about him.

A month had passed, and still no sign of Levi. I saw Allen one time at the department store, and we were both shocked to see each other. I found out that Levi asked him to buy gifts for Vanessa. I found myself crying the moment Allen turned his back on me. It’s been a month already, but I still couldn’t believe that Levi decided to break my heart.

Our school will hold laboratories, pharmaceutical and diagnostic center field trips for two days. We have booked our hotel in a resort near the area to stay overnight.

“I’m glad Levi let you join our school trip,” Maxwell said as he picked up my bag and got on the school bus. I followed him inside the bus, and we sat in the middle area. He let me sit beside the window, and he’s beside me. Alyssa decided to sit beside her crush.

“He has nothing to say about it,” I said as I smiled at him. He looked at me in confusion, and I quickly changed our topic.

Maxwell and Alyssa became my outlet of frustration and sadness. They make me happy and preoccupied even though Maxwell has no idea what is happening to me.

We had a lot of fun doing the laboratory activities at our first destination. I learned a lot about their work routine and the problems that they encountered during their actual experiments. Chemists and Biologists shared their work experience and their advice for future professionals.

“Your dad has a pharmaceutical company, right?” I asked Maxwell while we were walking towards the hotel. The sun is about to set, and we need to prepare immediately for dinner. He nodded. “Are you going to be a chemist or a doctor?” I asked.

He shrugs his shoulder. “I don’t know yet.” He said while smiling.

“You should decide as soon as possible, Max. There’s only a year left before we graduate in college.”

“Time flies so fast, huh.” He commented, and I nodded.

Our school prepared dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, and they served seafood. Maxwell and I’s eyes twinkled in amusement and excitement. We happily dig in and eat as much as we can.

After a few hours, we decided to stay at the seashore and stared at the starry skies above us. Maxwell brought cocktail drinks.

“Aren’t you cold?” He asked me before placing his polo over my shoulder. I smiled at his sweet gestures. “Is everything alright, Noelle?” He suddenly asked, and I chuckled at his question. “What’s funny?” He asked.

“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Everything is fine, Max. Don’t worry about me.” I think he notices something is different about me, but he can’t figure what it is.

We stayed at the seashore while talking about our school trip until one of the professors told us to get back to our hotel rooms and announced our departure time tomorrow morning.

We were walking towards the entrance of the hotel when someone bumped Maxwell’s shoulder. We stopped on our track and looked at him. My eyes widened in shock to see Levi shooting a death glare on both of us.

What the hell is he doing here?!

“Honey, what’s wrong?” I gasped when Vanessa peeked from his other side. She is wearing a two-piece swimsuit under a see-through gown. They look like a newly married couple on a honeymoon.

I feel like the air surrounding us suffocates me all of a sudden. My heart feels the same pain I am trying to forget.

Maxwell looked at Vanessa in shock and then at Levi, and lastly at me. “Noe—“ I held his arm to stop him from talking, and I smiled at him.

“Let’s go,” I whispered to him, and he looked at me in confusion.

“But Levi—“ Levi hasn’t stopped looking at us like we were doing something wrong.

“Let’s just go, for now, Max,” I said as I dragged him with me. “I’ll explain later,” I said, and he just let me drag him.

“Isn’t she Noelle?” I heard Vanessa ask Levi.

It’s a long night between Maxwell and me. I tried so hard to hide it from him, but it blew up in just a second.