A nobody

For some reason, his thoughts turned to that day in October, when he had met Layla for the first time the day their professor paired them as project partners.  

He remembered after they got an A plus on the project, she jumped into his arms and he lifted her and swung her around with joy, both of them laughing so hard the whole class was stunned and staring.

Since that day, she has been glue to him and they have been inseparable. He took every class she took, during his best so she wouldn't fall behind and graduate along with him. This coming Saturday, they were graduating, and he had fulfilled his promise to her that make sure she did, so her family could see her worthy to be their heiress and take over the family business. And now, she was about to finally get the life she wanted.

"Layla?" Rene finally found his voice again and she snapped her head towards him, a dangerous glint in her hazel eyes and her mouth set firmly in a thin line. "It's you, right?"

A scoff escaped Layla's lips as she narrowed her eyes at Rene. "Of course, it's me, Theo," she said, her tone laced with sarcasm and frustration. "Who else would it be?"

Rene shook his head, trying to clear the confusion and disbelief. "I don't understand. Why? Why would you do this?"

"Do what?"  She crossed her arms defensively, raising an eyebrow as if she couldn't fathom why Rene had asked such a question. 

"You just hit me?"

"I needed to bring you back to reality because who do you think you are bashing at my dorm at these ungodly hours and causing a scene!!"

Meeting her glare, Rene felt a surge of anger mixed with disbelief. "Who do I think I am? I'm your boyfriend, Layla! I was coming to propose to you!" His voice wavered with the intensity of his emotions, a mixture of love, anger, and profound hurt.

For a second, Layla's eyes flickered briefly with something akin to regret, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "Theo, you're overreacting," she said dismissively, her tone cold and detached. "We were never as serious as you thought we were."

"Not serious?" Rene echoed, his voice rising. "We've been together for four years! We made plans, we shared everything. How can you say we weren't serious?"

"Plans? What plans can you afford to make with me?! See... I knew all along that you are a golddigger. You couldn't wait for me to even graduate to inherit my family company, you latch onto me like a parasite. You thought you could ride my coattails to a cushy life, didn't you?" Layla's voice was dripping with venom, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light.

Rene felt his heart shatter further with each word she spoke. "A golddigger? Layla, I loved you! Everything I did was for us, for our future together. You believe I was using you?"

She laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Oh, Theo. You're so naive. Love isn't enough. It never was. You should have known that."

Rene's mind spun, trying to reconcile the woman he loved with the stranger standing before him. "You don't mean that, Layla. I know you don't. This isn't you."

"Believe what you want," she said with a shrug. "But I'm done. You need to leave."

"Layla, please, just tell me why. What did I do wrong?" Rene's voice cracked, the pain overwhelming him.

'"You are poor." 

"What?"

"You heard me."

Rene stood there, stunned, unable to process what he had just heard. The rain outside continued to pound against the windows, matching the storm that raged within his heart.

"Poor? That's it? That's why you're ending this?" Rene's voice trembled with a mix of incredulity and despair. He had never felt more helpless.

"Yes, Theo, that's it," Layla replied, her tone ice-cold. "I need someone who can support my lifestyle, who can match my family's expectations. You were fun while it lasted, but it's over now. You need to understand that."

Rene's fists clenched at his sides, and he fought to keep his composure. "So, all those times we spent together, all those memories we made... they meant nothing to you?"

Layla's eyes softened for a moment, but she quickly regained her hardened demeanor. "They were just moments... I guess you can say I was using you too. You are brilliant and I needed to graduate. So I was using you too. You are brilliant and I needed to graduate. So I played along. Now that I've achieved what I wanted, there's no reason for us to continue this charade."

Rene felt a wave of nausea wash over him as her words sank in. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "You used me to get ahead. All those times you said you loved me, it was just part of the act?"

Layla's expression remained cold. "Yes, Theo. That's the truth. I'm sorry if you thought it was more than that."

A bitter laugh escaped Rene's lips. "Sorry? You're not sorry. You never were." He glanced down at the wilted bouquet and the jewelry box in his hand, feeling a profound sense of loss. "I was going to ask you to marry me, Layla. I thought we had a future together."

"Marriage? With you? Don't make me laugh," Layla retorted, her voice dripping with disdain. "You never had a chance."

Rene felt his heart shatter completely. He took a step back, looking at Layla with a mixture of sorrow and anger. "I see now. I was just a stepping stone for you."

"Exactly," she replied, unflinching. "Now, leave before I call security."

Just then the door opened behind her, and a man with messy brown hair stepped out, dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt. He reached out to Layla, kissing her softly on the lips as a smile spread across his face.

"Is everything okay?" he whispered huskily, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Or..."

"Yes, I am fine, Jason. I was just asking him to leave." She nodded toward him, her eyes flitting to meet Rene Ford's, but he avoided her gaze.

Looking away from her, Jason scowled at Rene and then asked, "Who's this?"

"He's... He's... a nobody." Layla said flatly, turning her attention back to Rene, a smug grin playing across her features.