CHARLOTTE'S POV

Summer season just ended, indicating that it was time for graduation. At the beginning, highschool felt so boring. But as days passed, soon it became fun. I yet again made friends. Despite the hard times my family was going through, I was still able to keep my grades highest. I would always be grateful to my sister in law for that. She helped me with my studies all the time.

A light knock on my bedroom door pulled me out of the oceans of my thoughts. I turned around and found Rene, my sister in law, standing by the door frame. She held her hands on her mouth while tears were flowing freely from her eyes. "Jesus, Charle! You look so stunning. I bet all eyes will be on you tonight." Rene complimented me and my cheeks turned red.

I turned around and looked at my reflection in the full view mirror. I was wearing an ice blue ball gown. It was backless and had a choker on it. Since Rene was a fashion designer, she designed that dress for me when I was just 10. It was not prom. But since I didn't go to prom, Rene convinced me to go to the reunion/graduation party that was thrown by the principal.

My red curly hair was put up in a big messy bun. I had long hip length curly hair. Once straightened, they reached my knees. To elevate the gray color of my eyes, the stylist used dark red and black smoky shades.

I hated heels, so I was wearing silver slingback wedges. This new style indeed looked good on me. "Face the camera, give me your cutest smile, Charle!" Rene spoke as she turned me around. I smiled widely and held the hem of my dress. A second before she clicked, I let go of the hem. "Charle! You look like a model."

Before I could respond to her, I heard a loud honking from downstairs. "Looks like Arnold is here. I should get going now." I kissed Rene's cheek and ran downstairs. As I stepped out of the villa, Arnold whistled in a flirting way, making my cheeks burn again.

"Babe! You look so sexy." Arnold exclaimed and I smiled shyly.

"Let's go before Jeremy hears you." Arnold chuckled as he started the car and drove away.

Holding Arnold's arm, we stepped into the arena hall of the school. The hall was decorated with ribbons, balloons and there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the hall.

The hall was echoing with people chattering with each other. That's why there was slow music being played instead of the music everyone was talking about. I gasped loudly as someone hugged me from behind and Arnold was pushed away. I didn't need to look at that person. I already knew who would jump on me like that.

"Maggie! Didn't I tell you not to jump on me from behind? You are gonna hurt someone seriously, or worse, yourself someday." I scolded my best friend in annoyance, yet I was hugging her.

"You made it. I literally thought you would miss this part as well, like our prom." Pearl pushed Maggie away and hugged me. Pearl, Maggie and I, we were a group and we were inseparable. We had all the same subjects so we never got separated at all.

"I couldn't say no to Rene. She put up a lot of effort to make me this dress." Both Pearl and Maggie gasped, touching my dress.

"You are wearing a dress from a famous designer, no wonder you just outshined Emily once again." Maggie exclaimed, a mischievous grin was on her face.

"Whatever! I am in no mood to deal with her tonight. It's our last day in highschool. We will be separating for a while until we have achieved our dreams. Let's forget about everyone else and be with each other." I gave them a little speech. A smile appeared on my face as Arnold clapped for me.

"Getting ready to be a lawyer. I see!" He pecked my cheek and walked away, toward his friends. While I walked toward the dining table with my friends. I hadn't eaten all day because of the spa and my preparation for the college test I had in a week.

An hour later, I was sitting beside the stage, eating the cake. Maggie turned to me and almost pushed the cake out of my plate. "Oh my God! What now, Meg?" I asked her in annoyance.

"Look at her! She is now trying so hard to outshine you." Meggie pointed her finger at Emily. I frowned as I watched her flirting with a man. He definitely looked older than the rest of us.

"How can she outshine me by talking to a man? She is probably looking for a sugar daddy. You know her and her kink for older dominating guys." I giggled devilishly after I mentioned her kink. But to my surprise, Pearl and Maggie were not laughing at all. Instead, they were staring at me with shocked looks on their faces.

"Don't tell me you have no idea what it really is?" Pearl asked me, pointing her finger at that same man Emily was trying to flirt with.

Since day one, Emily and I have been rivals. She was the popular mean girl of the school who wore revealing clothes and dated almost every single guy in the school. I was the popular good girl who was famous not just among the students but also the teachers. I became her enemy when Emily tried to flirt with Arnold.

I looked at the man standing with Emily for a minute. He looked familiar, yet I couldn't remember him. "I have no idea who he is." I shot in annoyance.

"You have got to be kidding me! He is Benjamin LeBlanc, the only heir to the LeBlanc family. Don't you know! The LeBlanc family is also in business with your family." Pearl asked me and I rolled my eyes.

"No wonder why Emily looks so desperate to have him wrapped around her fingers. She is trying to reach the top by using a shortcut." Instead of answering them, I taunted Emily. She always liked the easy way to reach the top. She was a woman without a specific goal in her life.

"Oh shit! He is looking at you, Charlie!" Pearl and Maggie spoke together, making me jump in surprise. I turned around and I finally caught that mysterious gaze that I had been feeling on me since I stepped into the arena hall with Arnold.

"Whatever! I am not interested. My life is set. I will become a lawyer and Arnold and I will get married. We will soon be engaged." I replied to both of them.

I was standing with one of the teachers, talking to him about my future plans. Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found Mr LeBlanc standing behind me with a smirk on his face. "Yes! Can I help you?" I asked, out of confusion.

"I would like to have a dance with you, Tinkerbell." He exclaimed and without even asking my permission, he just grabbed my hand. I snatched my hand from his grasp immediately. He turned to look at me with an angry look on his face.

"I don't know you! Why should I dance with you? Besides, I am here with my boyfriend. Try someone who's single." I almost growled at him angrily. I was about to walk away when he grabbed my wrist again and turned me around.

"So many of the girls came in with someone special. But they are willing to ditch their dates for me. Are you sure you are not willing to do the same?" He asked me, stepping closer toward me. He wrapped one of his arms around me, pulling me closer to his tall figure.

I started to panic all of the sudden. I was not cheating. But it might look like I was cheating from afar. The last thing I wanted was to get in trouble with Arnold. He was my future. I had made up my mind.

Before I could think straight, my hand collided with the cheek of the man who was trying to grope me.

The chattering suddenly stopped and all eyes turned toward us. Due to the shock, his arms loosened up and I quickly took a few steps away from that crazy man. From the moment I looked into his eyes from afar, I knew he was bad luck and I was maintaining my distance. I lowered my guard for a moment while talking to a teacher and he got to me.

The shocked look on his face was somewhat dangerous. I quickly took a few steps backwards just so he wouldn't get a hold of me again. "Not every woman likes to have shortcuts to the top. Some of us are ambitious. And I am one of them. And why would I ditch my boyfriend for you? He is my future and you are nothing." I yelled at him bravely.

I saw him gritting his teeth and his eyes darkened up with pure anger. I gulped hard as I had never seen someone changing his attitude so quickly. I still masked my face with anger and yelled at him. "Stay away from me. You are not my type. Neither am I anywhere near the type you actually want." With that, I turned around and walked away. As far away from him as possible. He was dangerous, that's what it felt while standing in front of him. And I didn't want trouble in my life.