Love in the Halls

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Adjusting to my new city and school was tough, but I was starting to get the hang of it. Janine and I spent more time together, exploring the city and discovering new places. She showed me a quaint little bookstore that quickly became one of my favorite spots. Aiden and I kept in touch through constant messages. His support made everything feel less daunting.

Pero hindi laging masaya. One day, habang naglalakad ako pauwi, napansin kong may sumusunod sa akin. Sinubukan kong bilisan ang lakad ko, pero ganun pa rin. I turned around at nakita kong si Ethan pala. Nagulat ako.

"Sophie, we need to talk," sabi niya, his voice serious.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?" tanong ko, trying to keep my composure.

"I moved here too. I needed to see you," sagot niya.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin. Ethan was part of my past, and seeing him brought back a lot of memories—both good and bad.

Ethan kept popping up everywhere—sa school, sa paligid ng bahay ko. It was getting creepy. One day, he confronted me.

"Why are you avoiding me, Sophie? We had something special," he said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Ethan, we're over. Matagal na. I moved on," I replied, trying to stay calm.

But Ethan didn't take it well. He started spreading rumors about me sa school. Sinisiraan niya ako sa mga classmates namin, saying na I was cheating on Aiden with him. It was a total mess.

Janine and Mia tried to help me, pero mahirap i-control ang mga tsismis. My reputation was getting ruined, and it felt like everything was falling apart.

One day, I got a call from my mom. "Sophie, we need to talk," she said, her voice trembling.

"What's wrong, Mom?" tanong ko, kinakabahan.

Turns out, may mga problema kami sa finances. My dad lost his job, and we're struggling to keep up with the bills. I could hear the worry in my mom's voice, and it broke my heart. I wanted to help, but I felt so helpless being so far away.

"Your dad... he's sick. Kailangan natin ng pera for his treatment," she explained. It broke my world completely..

Parang gumuho ang mundo ko. I had to balance school, dealing with Ethan's rumors, and now this. Janine suggested na maghanap ako ng part-time job to help with the expenses, and Aiden offered to lend some money, but I felt overwhelmed.

I got a part-time job at a café near school. Balancing work and school was exhausting. Madalas akong late sa mga klase, at minsan hindi ko na kayang gawin ang mga assignments ko. My grades started to slip, and my teachers noticed.

"Sophie, is everything okay?" tanong ni Ms. Reyes, my math teacher, one day after class.

"Yes, Miss. Just a lot going on," sagot ko, trying to hold back tears.

Hindi ko alam kung paano ko pagsasabayin lahat. Every day felt like a struggle, and I started to feel really alone. Hindi na ako nag abala pa kausapin mga kaibigan ko sa Cebu miski sila Lily at Emily.. I'm so pathetic.

One evening, after a long shift at the café, I got a call from Janine. "Sophie, you need to see this," she said, sounding panicked.

She sent me a link to a social media post—mga pictures namin ni Ethan from before, na pinapalabas na recent. "Cheater" was plastered all over the comments. I felt sick to my stomach. Ethan was determined to ruin my life.

"Why is he doing this?" tanong ko kay Janine, tears streaming down my face.

"I don't know, Sophie. But we need to fight back," she said, trying to comfort me.