As they neared the school, Aurora hurriedly spoke up: “Don’t turn around, I’m changing clothes.” She still wanted to change back into her usual, ordinary attire, donning the outfit she had worn when she left home that morning.
“Are you that afraid the Montgomery family will find out you’re back?” Julian knew the reason for her actions; who else but the Montgomery family could make her do this?
“I have my plans.” She wasn’t ready yet, fearing that someone might secretly sabotage her efforts. Once her company was on the right track, she would naturally return and give them a big surprise. She already had a complete plan in her mind.
“I can help you,” Julian said earnestly. He had suggested it three years ago, but her departure had been a direct refusal.
“Mr. Barnet, I know you can cover the sky with one hand, but this is my revenge to take. If I had wanted help, I wouldn’t have left three years ago,” Aurora replied coldly.
“Little bunny, you’ll tire yourself out. Women should be protected by men,” Julian said gently.
“No one is born needing protection!”
Aurora thought of the hardships she had endured over these three years. At her poorest, she had fought with thugs over ten dollars, enduring humiliation and disarray just to survive.
She had struggled to reach this point today and was determined to repay all the suffering she had endured. She even suspected that her mother might have known about Magnus’s affair, causing her sudden death from a heart attack.
She had been only a few years old at the time, utterly unaware of the complexities of adult grievances. She simply wondered why her father hadn’t kept her mother alive. Why, less than a month after her mother’s death, had a strange woman moved into their home with two younger children who liked to bully her?
When Magnus was home, this woman treated Aurora especially well, but turned verbally abusive as soon as he left. Despite this, Aurora had never thought to harm them, until an incident three years ago made her completely disheartened.
Being weak only allowed them to bully her over and over. She would never let past grievances go!
Listening to her resolute response, Julian seemed to understand her a bit more. He pressed his lips tightly together and said nothing more.
“Stop here; your car is too conspicuous,” Aurora instructed him to park a distance from the school entrance.
Julian complied, “I’ll pick you up here later, no running away!”
“Yes, my Mr. Barnet,” Aurora replied somewhat helplessly, as this had become Julian’s catchphrase.
Watching her leave, Julian then turned and drove off, knowing he needed to take things slowly with her. Pushing Aurora too hard would only make her flee further. He sighed quietly; this girl would indeed be his toughest challenge.
With ten minutes to spare before the exam, Aurora headed to the classroom with her head down. Aside from Ian, who gave her an extra glance, no one else noticed her.
“Aurora, come to the Starbucks downstairs after the exam; I need to talk to you,” Gemma said as she passed by Aurora.
Aurora nodded, finding it strange. Why mention meeting at the cafe when they could have talked in the dorm yesterday?
“Okay,” she agreed.
She quickly completed her test and, within less than an hour, handed in her paper and headed down to the Starbucks with her handbag.
Since it was still early, she ordered a dessert, planning to enjoy an afternoon tea as the summer sunlight streamed through the glass window. The cafe was cool, and it had been a long time since she had such a leisurely moment. She idly flipped through a magazine, recalling Julian’s instructions, and decided to call him. Relying on her menstrual period to deter any real actions from him, she knew he was angry and would have to cool down slowly. Eventually, she would need his help, and now that he had approached her, why not use this opportunity to improve their relationship?
“Are you done with your exams?” Julian’s voice was actually quite pleasant, especially magnetic over the phone.
“Mhm.”
“I’ll come to pick you up soon, wait for me.”
“Come to the Starbucks, it should be conspicuous; I’m here now.” Aurora checked the time; Gemma should also be arriving soon. At most, she would speak with Gemma and then leave; she didn’t have the patience to truly enjoy afternoon tea with her. Bored, she flipped through some fashion magazines on the table. Despite wearing something very ordinary, there was a calm aura about her that made people reluctant to disturb.
“Aurora, sorry to keep you waiting, it’s all because I craved ice cream and Ian took some time to buy it,” said Gemma as she sat down with another person.
Aurora lifted her head from the magazine, puzzled by Gemma’s need to explain this specifically.
“It’s fine, order whatever you want,” she said, pushing the menu towards Gemma. Why was Ian here too?
Gemma ordered some of the most expensive items on the menu, as if only the priciest drinks could match her noble status. Aurora sipped her coffee delicately, elegantly wiping away the froth from her lips. She didn’t pretend to be different, but her demeanor set her apart from ordinary women, carrying an aloof coldness. Though often ridiculed, she never argued.
Some thought her weak, but she was simply disdainful.
Ian had no ill intentions towards her, but after seeing her true self yesterday, he couldn’t remain as indifferent as usual.
“Aurora,” he said, her name which he often called now suddenly made him nervous, and he didn’t know why.
Gemma noticed Ian’s discomfort and nervousness, a stark difference from before. It seemed Penelope was right; if she kept delaying, Ian might truly end up with Aurora. His reaction was similar only to when they first met during freshman year, when he was too shy to make eye contact and spoke cautiously.
Now, he was showing the same attitude towards Aurora, something Gemma couldn’t tolerate as long as she hadn’t found a wealthy man to marry. With graduation looming, Ian likely had a promising future; he had pursued her for three years, and she couldn’t let Aurora just take advantage of that.
Aurora closed the magazine, “Gemma, what did you want to talk about?” she asked directly. If Gemma had something to discuss, why did she bring Ian along? Were they close enough to have afternoon tea together? Anyway, she was utterly confused.