Chapter 72

72 Face To Face

Kalea stupidly still thinks Aluna is a friend.

She wanted to make sure she came back with her own eyes Aluna really betrayed her. Even though in her small heart, she kept denying it.

It took some time for Kalea to really believe that Aluna was the culprit. For a week, Kalea watched Aluna’s movements. The girl with the burgundy hair wasn’t always with her now, because Violet and Aluna’s friends forbade her not to be friends with Kalea anymore. And at that time, Kalea had also said that it was better for them to keep their distance for a while.

Aluna really did that.

Kalea was no longer treated badly by people directly, but she was still shunned by them. Kalea doesn’t have any friends at all, and her condition is now really similar to Zeline. Kalea looked at the table where Aluna and her friends which were filled with laughter together.

It’s like Aluna forgot about her.

Kalea got up from her seat and ventured to approach the woman who she had always considered as her only friend and who understood her the most. “Luna,” Kalea called, making the group of girls stop talking.

“Huh? What do you want, bitch?” Violet cursed, looking at Kalea scornfully.

“Hey, sweet talk,” Aluna said while hitting Violet’s mouth lightly, causing laughter between them. Aluna put her attention back on Kalea, with a sweet smile on the girl’s face. “What’s wrong, Lea?”

.....

“C-can we talk for a minute?”

“No!”

“Violet! Of course you can! Come on!” Aluna asked while pulling Kalea’s arm ignoring Violet’s prohibition.

“Hey, don’t take too long!” Violet shouted.

“Okay!”

Aluna pulled Kalea’s arm until the two girls reached the balcony of their faculty building. There was no one there, just the two of them.

“So, what’s wrong? Oh my god! We haven’t talked in a long time! The situation is still difficult,” Aluna said, smiling bitterly and then sitting on the chair provided.

“Luna ...” Kalea called softly. She was still unsure of whether or not to talk to Aluna.

“Yes?”

“Regarding my revealing secret. I’m not actually accusing you, I just wanted to ask. That ... you weren’t the one who leaked it, was it?” Kalea asked nervously, her palms starting to sweat.

Even though she knew that Aluna was the culprit. However, she couldn’t directly accuse her all of a sudden.

“Huh? Me?” Aluna suddenly laughed loudly, as if Kalea’s words were a very funny joke. Kalea remained silent, waiting for Aluna to finish laughing. Not long after, the girl with the burgundy hair stopped laughing with tears in her eyes because she laughed so much. “I’m so sad you accused me, Lea.”

“I-I’m not accusing you!”

“But, Lea, didn’t I promise you not to tell anyone?”

Kalea looked down, then nodded slowly. “Yes, you promised that.”

“But you seem to doubt me, don’t you?” Aluna pursed her lips, sad. It was as if her heart was hurt at the accusations from her best friend.

“Sorry, Luna. I don’t want to believe that either, but-”

“Zeline told you?” Aluna cuts, looking at Kalea seriously.

“Y-yes.”

“So you trust her more than I do?” Aluna covered her entire face with her palms, making Kalea uncomfortable, and immediately sat next to her friend. “I didn’t expect you to trust Zeline more.”

“It’s not like that, Luna ..., but she also told me that you like Arthur.”

Aluna was silent, then lowered her hand from her beautiful face. She turned to Kale. She was surprised, but Aluna covered all forms of expression by remaining motionless. Kalea must have known about it sooner or later. “You believe that too, Lea?”

Kalea was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I’ve spoken to Arthur, saw how you guys texted affectionately.”

“This shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Eh?”

“You can’t be jealous, can you? Didn’t you say you didn’t like Arthur?” Aluna asked, making Kalea gasp slightly. Because this is the first time Kalea has seen Aluna’s eyes full of hatred.

“So you really intend to take Arthur away from me?” Kalea asked back. There were so many questions she wanted to ask someone she always considered her best friend.

Aluna laughed scornfully, she seemed to bring out her true nature. “Hey, Lea. You’re suffering from being a sugar baby Arthur, aren’t you? Let me take your place.”

Kalea’s eyes were rounded, it’s not like the Aluna she knows. “You don’t feel guilty at all?”

“Guilty? Why?” Aluna asked raising an eyebrow, then grabbed Kalea’s shoulders which were tense. “It’s okay, Lea. I can replace your job. You don’t have to worry about money. All Arthur’s money that should be for me, I’ll give it all to you. How about it? Great idea, right?” Aluna suggested, with a sweet smile growing on her beautiful face.

“No! Don’t joke, Luna. I still don’t want to believe that you actually did that to me. You’re evil,” Kalea said in a trembling voice. She pushed her hands away from her shoulders. “Aren’t we friends?”

“You think so yourself,” Aluna replied, turning her face away making Kalea widen her eyes in disbelief.

“What do you mean? You don’t think so?” Kalea asked, shaking Aluna’s shoulder.

“Stop touching me!” Aluna snapped and immediately got up from her seat. She brushed her shoulders as if she had just been touched by trash. This made Kalea even more hurt, the Aluna she knew would not be like that to her. “If I really like Arthur, and reveal your secret to everyone, then why?” Aluna asked so arrogantly, not feeling guilty at all.

“Why did you do that? What did I do wrong? Did ... I ever hurt you?” Kalea subconsciously clenched her hands that wouldn’t stop shaking. She wanted to know to what extent Aluna brought out her true heart.

“Do you know why I became friends with you?” Aluna asked, Kalea remained silent waiting for an answer that would come from Aluna’s mouth. “Because you’re pathetic.”

Tears started to well up in Kalea’s hazel eyes, she was still holding back from crying in front of her best friend. Ah, she doesn’t know whether to still consider Aluna a friend or not.

“In order for me to be seen as a friendly and kind person, I had to be friends with you. I thought you were just a pathetic person at school, but it turns out that after knowing your family’s condition, I feel even more pity. Your life is really not happy,” Aluna said, completely unaware that the words that came out of her mouth really cut Kalea’s heart “Honestly, I’m friends with you just to satisfy my ego. Ah! Seeing you suffer and thinking I’m the only good person in your life is very comforting to me, Lea,” Aluna continued while laughing crisply without any burden at all.

Kalea lowered her head, she could no longer utter a word to speak. Her chest was tight, she wanted to leave here to cry as loud as she could.

“And when you say that you are now a sugar baby, it makes me angry. Especially when you find out that the man you are in a contract with is Arthur Jefferson? Why would he be interested in an ugly woman like you? In every way I’m better than you!” Aluna snapped so insulting Kalea. “I don’t accept it, I want Arthur to be mine and I think if you suffer, you will be angry with him until your contract ends,” Aluna continued as she looked at her beautiful pink nails.

“You don’t love each other, right? You told me you weren’t interested in Arthur! And Arthur said the same thing. Then why are you still together? That’s ridiculous,” Aluna hissed, staring at Kalea sharply.

“I told you that Arthur and I had a contract for money and sex, not love.”

“I know! But than with you, Arthur is better off with me. I won’t ask him for money, because I’m not poor like you,” Aluna replied, getting lighter in speech. “So you better terminate the contract, just let me do it.”

“That’s Arthur’s decision.”

“Why is it so hard? You can persuade him to stop!” Aluna said, her emotions were getting out of control. She walked over to Kalea again, bringing her face closer to the girl with the brunette hair while putting on a pleading expression. “You can do it, right? If you still consider me a friend, you should be able to sacrifice for me.”

Kalea stared blankly at Aluna, her fist getting stronger. The feelings are mixed. She shook her head slowly, then said, “I can’t.”

“You’re mean! You must be happy to see me chasing Arthur like this, right? Lea, you should know that you’re going to get dumped by him too. You’re uglier and poorer-”

Slap!

The sound of the slap was able to silence Aluna. The girl couldn’t believe what Kalea had done to her. Her cheeks felt hot from the slap. She held her red cheek.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Aluna shouted furiously.

Kalea’s hands were still shaking after slapping the person she always considered her best friend. She didn’t think she could do it herself. The tears she had been holding back for so long now rolled down her cheeks. “Your words have gone too far, Luna.”

Aluna gritted her teeth, she looked at Kalea with anger. It didn’t matter if the girl in front of her had been hurt by her sharp mouth that was like a knife. “Then what? What are you going to do? Complain to Arthur by showing your tears that have been hurt by me? You are weak, naive, and stupid!” Aluna said is endless.

“Whatever you say. I’m not going to ask for your apology for all your bad treatment of me. At least I know, you really never considered me a friend,” Kalea replied while wiping her tears harshly.

“Yes, indeed. You also don’t need me anymore because you have a bitch accompanying you, right?”

“Bitch?”

“Zeline! You guys are perfect, you’re both bitches!”

Kalea took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, not wanting to pay attention to Aluna anymore. Even though her heart ached, she accepted it.

“Where are you going?!” Aluna shouted when Kalea started walking away from her.

Kalea didn’t pay attention, but her steps were stopped when someone stood in front of her.

“Eh~ the fight is over?”

“Zeline,” Kalea muttered, surprised that the blonde girl was here.

Zeline walked over to Aluna with a cold face that was able to make Aluna a little scared.

“You really took out your entire empty brain, didn’t you,” Zeline said with a slight smirk that seemed thin.

“W-what do you mean? Get away from me!”

Slap!

Kalea’s eyes were perfectly rounded by what she had just seen.