Chapter 2

Since no one was willing to identify the culprit, I decided to punish the entire class with a pop quiz. Students disliked them, but it was a fitting punishment for those acting arrogantly just because they were in college.

"Take out your piece of paper and a pen," I instructed the class.

"No!" came the chorus of exhausted voices.

It was satisfying to hear them grumble, knowing this wouldn't have happened if they had brought the culprit to me. I gave them a challenging quiz, enjoying their struggles as they attempted to answer.

"Ten minutes is almost up!" I announced joyfully.

"Aww, please Mr. Elijah, we're sorry," Yumi, the exchange student, pleaded.

Ignoring their pleas, I collected their papers one by one. Maria also submitted hers, looking unusually exhausted and sad. Did something happen?

After two hours, I ended the class, packed the test papers, and headed to my car. Seeing Maria resting against it, I realized she wanted to go home.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Elijah, but I want to go home," she said, addressing me informally.

"Home? But classes aren't finished yet," I reminded her.

"Yes, but I don't wish to stay here. Please, let's go home," she pleaded.

Feeling obligated to leave with her, I drove us home. As she went inside, I braced myself for whatever news awaited me. Maria was clearly in trouble, but what had caused her distress? She acted strangely after I found her crying outside my office, and her shoes were full of holes.

"Hey, can we talk?" I asked, holding her hand.

She quickly withdrew her arm. "What is it, sir? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, head lowered.

"Did something happen in college today?" I pressed.

"No, something...no," she hesitated, but I knew she was hiding the truth.

"Okay, suit yourself," I said, leaving after her evasive response.

Maria's stubbornness reminded me of Gena, but they were two different individuals. As I prepared lunch, I called for Maria, but she didn't respond. Upon checking her room, I found she was gone but had left her bag behind, indicating she hadn't run away.

I waited for her for three hours before deciding to search for her. Returning to the spot where I first found her, I didn't find Maria, leaving me clueless about her whereabouts.

As I was about to leave, I heard Maria screaming for help. Rushing to her aid, I found her being bullied by some students, including the same boy who had made nasty comments about us in class.

Maria was escorted to my car while I addressed her bullies. They seemed to enjoy the scene, and I knew they would spread rumors about how I came to Maria's rescue.

"Mr. Elijah, we didn't know Maria was your girlfriend," one of them said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I looked at him incredulously, then grinned at his audacity. His friends seemed taken aback by my response.

"Mr. Elijah, did I say something wrong?" he asked, still keeping his hand on my shoulder.

"Get your hands off, or else I'll remove it," I warned, not making an idle threat.

He obeyed and rejoined his friends. I approached them and asked for their names.

"What are your names?" I inquired.

"Rita!" the only girl among them spoke up. "Anderson," the guy next to her said. "Jake," followed another. "Simon," said the next. "Benjamin," the last one, their apparent leader.

"And what is your relationship with Maria?" I directed my question to Benjamin, who seemed like he might have answers.

Benjamin avoided eye contact, allowing his friends to answer for him. "We have no formal relationship with Maria," they chorused.

"So why are you bullying her?" I demanded, this time directing the question at Benjamin.

"What's your business, Mr. Elijah?" he retorted, showing disrespect.

Besides talking too much, another thing I despise is being interrupted or shut down by the whimper of a child.

"You're all dismissed," I dismissed them. As Benjamin tried to leave with his friends, I grabbed him by the armpit, forcing him to stay.

He struggled to break free, but I let his friends go before throwing him to the ground. He looked back at me in anger.

"Do you know who my parents are? You will lose your job!" he threatened, his arrogance showing.

If it had been anyone else, I might have retaliated for how they had traumatized Maria. Instead, I suggested a game to Benjamin, to promise not to bully Maria again. He agreed out of fear, and I let him go, hoping he would keep his promise.

Later, I found Benjamin's forgotten cellphone and pocketed it before returning to the car. Maria was already asleep, exhausted by the day's events.

I took her home and tried to wake her, but she was deeply asleep. I carried her to her bedroom and laid her down, but she grabbed my hand in her unconscious state, pleading for me not to leave.

As she slept, she began muttering about her mother and started shaking. Worried, I comforted her until she calmed down, then left the room.

Exhausted, I got ready for bed, intending to grade papers before sleeping. As I opened my laptop, I noticed something flash before me. I approached the table and found gold earrings that belonged to Gena.

I couldn't recall taking them out, leading me to wonder if someone had tampered with my belongings. Or perhaps it was a sign from the heavens that Gena had returned in the form of Maria.

Despite their physical resemblance, Gena and Maria had different personalities. Gena was brave, while Maria seemed scared and unsure about everything.