Michelle

Chapter Sixteen: The Reflection Of Anger

He turned to his mother, who was cowering in the corner, her hands covering her head. Zach knelt beside her, trying to comfort her, but she pushed him away.

"Mom, please, what's going on?" he asked, confusion and fear twisting his insides.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with pure hate. "You! Ever since you came into our lives, we've been fucking miserable!"

Zach felt his fists clenching at his sides. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!"

She pushed him away, her sobs becoming more and more violent. "I should've left you to die on the side of the fucking road! Get the hell out of here!"

He stumbled backward, tears welling in his eyes. As he walked out of the house, he tried to keep it together, to keep his emotions in check. But he couldn't hold back the sobs that tore from his chest. It was like his whole world was falling apart, and he had no idea how to put it back together.

He walked down the road, lost in thought, his mind consumed with anger and frustration. The rain fell in sheets around him, but he didn't even seem to notice. Suddenly, he came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, his fists clenched at his sides.

He started to punch the air, imagining the faces of his adoptive parents. "You think I'm fucking happy about this? You think I wanted to be part of your goddamn family?" he screamed, each word dripping with venom.

As he continued to lash out, he lost his footing and fell to his knees. He let out a heavy sigh and stared down at the puddles forming on the ground. But then, something caught his eye. He saw a reflection of a girl standing next to him, holding an umbrella over their heads.

He looked up at her, and their eyes met. Her concerned expression softened his anger, if only for a moment. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

He sat there, feeling the rain soaking through his clothes, as he tried to collect his thoughts. The anger still burned inside him, but he felt a sense of comfort in knowing that he wasn't alone.

"Are you okay, sir?" the girl asked, concern written all over her face.

He was caught off guard by her sudden appearance, and for a moment, he couldn't find his voice. He just stared at her, drenched from the rain, with a blank expression.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, she offered him her hand, and he took it gratefully. With her help, he managed to stand up, albeit unsteadily.

"Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse.

The girl smiled at him and handed him her umbrella. He stared at it in surprise, and she chuckled.

"Don't worry, I have another one in my bag," she said.

He watched as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out another umbrella, which she promptly opened and used to shield herself from the rain.

"I should go. My brother's waiting for me. Bye!" she said, waving at him.

As she turned to leave, he called out to her. "Hey! Er... When can I see you again?"

She stopped and turned around, a curious expression on her face.

"I mean... when can I see you again to bring this back to you?" he added quickly, holding up the umbrella.

The girl shook her head. "Oh, no. It's all yours now. No need to give it back to me."

"Okay," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other. He couldn't help but notice how pretty she was, with her beautiful hair and bright eyes.

"You should go to your brother. Thank you again," he said, finally breaking the silence.

She laughed quietly. "You're welcome. Goodbye."

With a small wave, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the rain. He watched her go, feeling a strange sense of longing in his chest.

As he continued on his way, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see her again.

For the next couple of days, Zach and his fling went to the cafeteria and sat at their usual spot. She kept on complaining about some girl she hated, and Zach couldn't help but roll his eyes and let out a sigh.

As he looked around, his eyes widened when he spotted the girl who had given him the umbrella a few days ago. She walked in with a stack of books in her arms and settled at a table nearby. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she started reading.

The girl beside him noticed his gaze and nudged him, "Can you see that girl? That's Michelle. She's the one I'm talking about!"

But Zach couldn't focus on her words. He was still watching the girl with the books. His fling continued, "I swear, she acts like she's the smartest one in the room. She's getting on my nerves!"

He shrugged, not wanting to engage in the conversation. But then she asked him to help humiliate the girl. Humiliate the girl who had helped him in the rain? He couldn't believe it.

He stood up to leave, but his fling grabbed his hand, demanding his attention. "Hey, I'm asking you a question, Zach. You can't just ignore me all the time!"

He removed her hand and glared at her. "I don't want to see you again, you hear me?"

"Why?" she asked, turning to the girl once more. "Oh! Do you like that fake genius?!"

That was it. Zach's anger boiled over. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Try to mess with her, and you'll be facing my wrath."

Her mouth fell open as he stormed out of the cafeteria, making sure to glance at the girl before heading to his classroom.

He couldn't believe how much he had invested in this one-sided love. It felt like he had been ignoring the rest of the world just to focus on her. But now, as he sat in his car, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

He thought about all the times he had tried to approach her, only to be met with cold indifference. He had sent her messages and gifts, but she never even bothered to reply. And now, he was going to show her that he wasn't someone to be ignored.

He grabbed his phone and tossed it onto the empty passenger seat of his car. With a smug expression, he wrapped his fingers tightly around the steering wheel and brought the engine to life.

"You think you've won, don't you?" he muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "But you forgot one thing, babe. I might be injured now, but I still have a car, and I'm taking back what belongs to me."

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