Chapter 121: What If She Refused To See Me?

After we finished lunch, which I had barely touched, the bell rang.

The sharp sound echoed through the cafeteria, making everyone around us start moving at once. Chairs scraped against the floor, students picked up their bags, and voices filled the room as everyone prepared to return to class.

I barely noticed any of it.

My food was still sitting almost untouched in front of me.

I had no appetite.

We walked back to class with the other students. The hallway was crowded, and the sound of footsteps followed us as students hurried toward their classrooms.

Usually, I would have complained about having to return to lessons so quickly, but today, I didn’t care.

The moment I sat down, I already felt like I was somewhere else.

Classes went on as usual.

The teacher stood at the front of the room, writing on the board while the sound of chalk scratching against it filled the classroom. Pages turned around me. Pens moved across notebooks. Someone coughed softly behind me.

But none of it stayed in my head.

I stared at the words in front of me without understanding them.

I tried to listen.

I really did.

But my thoughts kept drifting back to Sylvia.

I couldn’t get her out of my mind.

Eventually, I slipped my phone out and lowered it beneath my desk.

My fingers felt slightly cold as I unlocked it.

I opened my chat with Sylvia. The moment her name appeared on the screen, something tightened inside my chest.

I started scrolling through our old messages.

There were so many of them.

Sweet messages, stupid jokes, little arguments that we had quickly forgotten about, messages where she told me she missed me, and messages where I told her I loved her.

I read them slowly, letting my eyes move over every word.

A small smile almost formed on my lips when I came across one of her silly messages.

Then the smile disappeared as my eyes began to sting.

I swallowed hard and blinked several times, trying to hold back the tears.

I’m such an idiot.

I was the one who wanted the breakup.

I was the one who told her we should end things.

At the time, I thought I could handle it. I thought I would be fine without her.

But now...

Now that she was actually giving me what I had asked for, I realized how badly I had been lying to myself.

I couldn’t handle it. Not even a little.

I missed her.

I missed having her beside me. I missed seeing her messages appear on my phone.

I missed knowing that no matter how bad my day was, I could always talk to her.

My throat tightened.

I stared at the keyboard for a few seconds before my fingers finally started moving.

Amelia: Babe, please come back to me. I will accept all your punishment.

I read the message again.

My heart was beating so hard that I could almost feel it against my ribs.

What if she didn’t want me anymore?

What if she had finally reached her limit?

I didn’t want to think about it.

I closed my eyes and pressed send.

For a few seconds, I kept my eyes shut, and then I slowly opened them.

It marked two lines immediately.

My heart jumped.

She had seen it.

I waited as I stared at the screen.

One second passed. Then five and ten minutes passed too, but there wasn’t any reply.

I swallowed.

Maybe she was thinking about what to say.

I waited a little longer. But still nothing.

Unlike Sylvia, she would normally reply almost immediately.

Even if she was angry with me, she would say something. But this time, she had only read my message.

My fingers tightened around my phone.

Had she actually started hating me?

The thought made my chest ache.

No.

Please.

I couldn’t bear that.

I lowered my phone and tried to focus on the lesson again.

It lasted less than a minute before I picked it up, but there wasn’t any message.

I checked again later, and still nothing.

Every few seconds, my eyes kept drifting toward the phone.

I couldn’t stop myself. I kept hoping her name would suddenly appear on my screen.

It never did.

The clock seemed to move slower than usual.

By 2 p.m., the dismissal bell finally rang.

The moment I heard it, I stood up immediately.

My chair scraped against the floor as I quickly gathered my things. I shoved my book into my bag without bothering to arrange anything properly.

I just wanted to leave. I needed to see Sylvia.

"Bye, Cam. Make sure you come and get your car that’s with me," I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder.

Camila looked at me. "Where are you going?"

"To the Ashford mansion," I replied quietly.

Her expression changed slightly. "Won’t you come for practice today?"

I shook my head.

"Cam, I won’t be able to concentrate in this state."

My voice came out softer than I intended.

Camila stared at me for a moment. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"Okay, then. Just take care of yourself for me."

I nodded. "I will."

I waved at her before turning toward the door. I took a few steps, then stopped.

I looked back at her one last time and gave her another small wave.

She waved back, and then I finally walked out.

The hallway was already filled with students leaving the building. Their voices echoed from the walls, mixed with the sound of shoes tapping against the floor.

I barely noticed anyone.

I walked as fast as I could.

My bag bounced lightly against my side with every step.

I couldn’t wait another minute to see Sylvia.

The thought of standing in front of her made my stomach twist with both hope and fear.

What if she refused to see me?

What if she told me she was done?

I pushed the thoughts away. I would deal with that when I got there.

Right now, I just needed to see her.

Today had felt terribly empty without her.

Even though I had spent the entire day surrounded by people, I had never felt more alone.

I finally reached the parking lot.

The afternoon sun was warm against my skin, and the air carried the faint smell of dust and hot pavement. Cars were moving in and out as students left for home.

I pulled the key fob from my pocket, and my thumb pressed the button.

The headlights flashed and the car unlocked with a soft click.

I hurried toward it, my heart already racing at the thought of finally seeing Sylvia again.

I opened the driver’s door and got inside.

The familiar smell of the car filled my nose, a mixture of leather and the faint perfume that had been left inside for days. I dropped my bag onto the passenger seat and closed the door.

For a moment, I just sat there, and my hands rested on the steering wheel, but I didn’t start the engine.

My mind was already at the Ashford mansion.

With Sylvia.

I picked up my phone again, and there was still no new message from her.

I opened our chat and stared at the last message I had sent her.

My chest tightened all over again.

"Please, Sylvia," I whispered.

I hated how desperate I sounded, even though there was no one around to hear me.

I locked my phone and placed it in the cup holder.

Then I started the engine. The soft rumble of the car filled the quiet space around me.

I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

The afternoon traffic was already building. Cars moved slowly ahead of me, their tires rolling over the warm asphalt as sunlight reflected off their windows.

I tapped my fingers nervously against the steering wheel.

Every red light felt too long. Every car in front of me seemed to be moving too slowly.

I kept glancing at my phone whenever I stopped, hoping that Sylvia had finally replied.

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

What was I going to say when I saw her?

I had replayed the conversation in my head so many times that I didn’t even know which words would come out first.

I was sorry.

I missed her.

I didn’t mean what I said.

I wanted her back.

Those were the things I wanted to tell her, but what if she didn’t want to hear them?

I swallowed and kept my eyes on the road.

I couldn’t blame her if she was angry.

I had hurt her. I had asked her to leave me, and now I was the one chasing after her.

Maybe she thought I was only coming because I regretted being alone.

But that wasn’t true.

I hadn’t understood what I had until I almost lost it.

The rest of the drive passed in a blur. Before I knew it, the familiar road leading toward the Ashford mansion came into view.

My heartbeat immediately picked up.

I could already see the tall gates in the distance.

I slowed down as I approached.

The large mansion stood ahead, just as beautiful and intimidating. The afternoon sunlight fell across the pale walls and the wide windows, making the entire place look almost peaceful.

But my stomach was twisting. I parked in front of the gate and turned off the engine.

Silence filled the car as I stared at the mansion through the windshield.

My hand reached for the door handle, and then I stopped.

Suddenly, all the confidence I had built during the drive disappeared.

What if she didn’t want to see me?

My fingers tightened around the handle.

I took a deep breath. I couldn’t turn back now.

I opened the door and stepped out.

The warm air brushed against my face as I walked toward the gate.

My heart beat harder with every step I took.

I reached at the gate and raised my hand.

For a second, I just stared at it and then finally used my remaining confidence and knocked.