THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION! ALL NAMES, PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS ARE FICTITIOUS AND DO NOT RELATE TO ANY TRUE EVENTS!

The story takes place in the fictional city of Autumndale in Colorado, in the Royal Academy of Ashwood.

"Miss Grace, you will be on stage in 2 minutes."

An Italian-looking middle-aged man, speaking a fluent British accent, looked towards a beautiful blond young woman around her early twenties, who was dressed in a gorgeous white performing outfit.

The young woman named "Miss Grace" looked at herself in the mirror in front of her and took one last deep breath before she answered.

"Ready to roll, Mr. Anderson!"

Every second, every moment that passed by seemed scary and every heartbeat felt more rapid and audible but Vanessa kept muttering the very common Bible verse she knew by memory, Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me ". Tension and anxiety gradually seemed to be built on her fair and beautiful round face.

At this moment, she heard the inevitable when loud claps and cheers were pretty much audible and the previously loud music of an opera song stopped.

At the nick of getting up, the sight of a small peach-colored sticky note caught her eye. And the sticky note read "YOU ROCK, DEAR!". Reading what was written on the sticky note, a warm feeling filled her nervous heart.

'I can't disappoint so many people now!'

"....... presenting Miss Vanessa Grace!"

The host announced on the stage.

Hearing the call for her on the stage, she steadily walked out of the backstage with grace and a pleasant smile. And there on the beautiful stage, the melody of a beautiful voice began to play, putting forward a mix of condescending, exciting, and melancholic feelings.

After the melodious, the audience burst into cheers, and claps of appreciation made Vanessa's heart feel excitedly joyful. She made a graceful bow at the audience at the end and left the stage looking as graceful as she could.

After that performance, Vanessa returned to a backstage room, tearing up a bit and praising God for helping her as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Lord, thank you, thank you, Lord!"

Her attention was soon taken when she heard someone knocking at the door of her room. But before she could check who it was, a tall familiar man in a cozy grey sweater and black trousers entered the room with a smile on his warm chiseled face and a bouquet in his left hand.

"You did it, dear!" He said, revealing an excruciatingly caring look full of love and pride.

As the man spoke, Vanessa's mind was suddenly flooded with memories of their past together. She felt a rush of emotion and tears began to stream down her face, although her expression remained captivating and beautiful, almost as if to convey that the tears were of joy rather than sadness. Despite the tears, the man nodded with a warm and understanding smile, as if he too could sense the depth of emotion that Vanessa was feeling in that moment.

8 Years Ago

"I'M SO DONE WITH MY LIFE!!"

Vanessa screamed as thoughts and memories of her parents arguing replayed in her mind amidst her breakdown in her bathroom.

Weeps of frustration, as heartbreaking as it could be for any parent to hear, were very much audible to any living entity around Vanessa's room.

Her parents had finally settled for a divorce owing to continuous disagreements and arguments over the smallest to slightly bigger things. And, her current breakdown was the result of having to bear the continuous rants of arguments still ongoing on call on the phone.

Washing her face with a distracted mind, Vanessa couldn't be more startled when she heard her bestie, Kennedy calling for her downstairs. Breathing a sigh of relief, Vanessa started getting dressed for school while gradually audible footsteps of Kennedy coming up could be heard.

"Van… I saw your dad move out with a horrid face. Everything alright?"

 A doubtful tone of a rather mature-sounding voice questioned the distressed Vanessa.

"Same old thing, Ken. Give me a minute, I'll get ready real quick." With a sigh, Vanessa was rushing putting on her blazer while trying to do her hair.

Kennedy, Vanessa's (best) friend of five years, was more than willing to give up another half an hour of her time to let her friend get dressed and pretty for school.

And yes, after a whole good forty minutes and twenty-eight seconds, they were at their classroom. Unfortunately or fortunately for Vanessa, she seemed to have erased the thought of her English assignment which was due at present and for which she was sent out of the class(she was given another day to complete it).

There was a reason why that could have been fortunate and unfortunate. Standing outside the class, she heard movements towards her right. Curious, she turned to gradually see a silhouette in the same old dark navy blue blazer and trousers and the blue-black striped necktie of their school.

As she stood there, lost in thought, a male student caught her attention. He appeared to be a year or two older than her, with neat and straight black hair that was styled in a classic mullet cut. His natural beige skin was impeccable, and his strong jawline gave him a strikingly handsome appearance. She couldn't help but notice his deep-set honey eyes with softly arched eyebrows that added a touch of mystery to his already enigmatic aura. He walked past her with a straight face, appearing visibly 'not-so-sociable'.

In The Cafeteria, Lunch Break

Kennedy could no longer keep up with her best friend's strange moods and asked the occupied-minded Vanessa.

"Hey, Van? Van? Van!"

"Huh? Yes? You were saying?" Vanessa gave an embarrassed apologetic smile for being absent-minded.

"Say, you have anything to tell me or maybe share something you know?" Kennedy asked while enjoying her meal, raising the question for the sake of not feeling too bored herself.

"Well, ummm…." Mumbling to herself, Vanessa noticed her friend wasn't paying attention to her, probably unaware of how exhausted her friend was with her mood swings that changed every forty minutes.

"Well, Kenny…. the thing is"

"Hmmn? Yes, what is it?"

Forcing herself to be courageous, she couldn't help but spill the beans already.

"So you know that I like a senior from the sophomore year of Grade 10 right?"

"So you know that I like a senior from the sophomore year of Grade 10 right?"

Vanessa, with her hands fidgeting nervously, spoke in a fast-paced manner, her words tumbling out in a jumbled mess. Her awkward smile betrayed her anxiety, and she struggled to maintain eye contact, her gaze darting around the room. Despite her nerves, Vanessa did her best to convey her message, her voice growing in strength as she spoke.

Kennedy just hummed 'Yes' and focused on eating her lunch, making Vanessa feel relieved.

However, not more than two seconds had passed Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief when Kennedy suddenly squinted and looked at her friend and said in a very surprised and unexpected tone, nearly giving her a heart attack.

"You said WHAT!?"

"You…..heard what I said." Turning her head away from Kennedy in slight guilt.

"Bro….. I knew something was very fishy about you these days. I knew it was something big but this is way more unexpected."

Kennedy continued staring at her friend with a blaming glare and investigative look.

Vanessa finally turned to face her and in a small voice said.

"I'm sorry."

Waiting for an answer from Kennedy, Vanessa looked at her with expectant eyes with a hint of girly coquettishness.

Seconds later, unable to bear her friend's cringe puppy eyes, Kennedy sighed.

"Fine, that's enough."

Vanessa giggled to herself at Kennedy.

'I knew this would always work.'

"Van, who's the guy again?"

Faced by Kennedy's question, Vanessa slightly blushed, the slightly chubby cheeks of her round face turning peach in color.

" Umm…." Vanessa mumbled, unable to answer or rather unable to express her mind.

"Wait…." Kennedy, in a suspenseful tone, looked at Vanessa with eyes that seemed to know who it was, leaving her gulping her saliva with nervousness.

"Is it the athletic soccer enthusiastic senior, Kyle?"

Kennedy asked with an expectant look for affirmation. However, to her surprise, Vanessa gave an awkward smile, shaking her head.

"Then is it the super smart, psychotically good-looking otaku, Zane? Or.. or…could it be the music prodigy, Alexander?"

Kennedy was in a predicament, confused about who her best friend, Vanessa Grace, the typical uncrowned campus belle, would have a crush on. She had guessed the most probable ones but none of them seemed to even catch her attention a bit.

"Well……don't tell anyone hmmm?"

"Obviously! I won't! Tell me who it is."

"It's Preston from Class 2 of the Sophomore Year (Grade 10)."

Vanessa mumbled a soft sentence as she blushed once more and walked out of the Cafeteria in embarrassment.

"What? Who's that?"

Kennedy was unsure of who it was but surely determined to find who it was.

5 Hours Later, Grace's Family Mansion

Vanessa, who was back home from school, scrolled down Instagram reels on her phone, eating chips, laughing at people on social media, and enjoying her time when all of a sudden, she remembered the events of today and suddenly got up, mumbling to herself in worry.

"Hopefully, Kennedy won't tell anyone."

At the same time, at Burton's Family Mansion

"Hey Violet, are you busy?"

Kennedy was on the phone with someone at the moment.

As Kennedy dialed the phone, she could feel the tension mounting within her. She knew she had to make this call, no matter how difficult it was going to be. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, someone answered. It was Violet, the recipient of Kennedy's call. Kennedy could sense the sadness in Violet's voice, but to her surprise, Violet quickly changed her tone. In an instant, her depressed expression was replaced by a fake, cheerful demeanor. Kennedy couldn't help but wonder what was going on in Violet's life that made her put on such a facade.

"So What's up?" Violet asked Kennedy.

"Okay so….. Vaness told me not to tell anyone but I'm telling you. So don't spill the beans either. The thing is, can you tell me about a guy named Preston from your class?"

Kennedy asked in an earnest tone with caution.

"Oh? Preston? You finally consider it to be serious only now?"

Violet couldn't help but let out a mischievous chuckle, teasing and playfully mocking her.

"So you knew as well?! But why did she tell me so late then?"

As she tried to make sense of the situation, her expression shifted to one of utter disbelief. She turned to Violet, her voice tremulous as she asked for clarification. At that moment, she was certain that she was the only person Vanessa had confided in. It was a shock to realize how mistaken she was, as Violet's response made it clear that she was not the first to hear this news.

" She did tell you first, at the beginning of the year to be precise, now it's March, don't you remember? Well, she did procrastinate a lot before finally telling me since you never remembered his name or minded nor bothered to keep him in your mind."

With a playful scoff, Violet told her friend and cousin carefully without hurting both sides of the friendship.

The call with Violet ended briefly, with Kennedy in utter disbelief, of how dumb and forgetful she could get. She opened Instagram on her phone and quickly typed in a few words.

doodly_entity: Hey Van, I've not been able to remember some things because I keep burying them deep in my mind and always forget to recall them! All of this is purely due to ADHD!!

vanessszzzz: …. (Typing)

vanessszzzz: What? Are you alright?

Kennedy was psyched when she heard that her bestie had a crush. However, she then had second thoughts about being so attached to guys. It was pretty ironic because Kennedy herself had a crush on someone, but she hadn't told anyone about him yet, not even Vanessa.

After much effort, Kennedy gave up on searching and stalking the guy as that guy had pretty much no pictures of him on the internet or whatsoever social media, forcing her to roll her eyes in frustration.

' What, does this guy have a social phobia ?!!'

2 Months Later

22 April, 2015

While Kennedy thought Vanessa's crush on the particular guy would be only a momentary one, Vanessa's actions said otherwise. Above her actions, her words claiming she had liked him for a year already could be proof of disagreement with her best friend's thoughts.

After the day Vanessa spilt the beans about her crush, she had been open in expressing it to Kennedy. For example, they would take a walk in the morning before class starts, crossing through his class; after lunch, they would go to the places he could be found with his friends; at night she would ask about Violet or his dorm mates and so on.

At School, Ashwood Royal Academy, Autumndale, Colorado

Vanessa was a stunning girl who radiated warmth wherever she went. Her sparkling personality and infectious smile made her an instant hit among her peers. Despite having a few close friends, she also had a surprisingly wide circle of acquaintances. She was of average height, with long, naturally blonde hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves. Her skin was smooth and flawless, with a warm ivory tone that complemented her features perfectly.

Without much doubt, Vanessa found herself unexpectedly smitten with a guy she used to see around but never really paid much attention to. Preston was a tall, handsome lad who exuded an air of mystery and intrigue. He had a stoic, almost cold-looking demeanour that often made people wonder what was going on in his head. However, Vanessa was surprised to catch him smiling warmly with his friends on a few occasions.

Despite being a bit of a delinquent when it came to academics, Preston was a sports prodigy. He excelled at basketball and was a valuable asset to his team. But what set him apart from the rest was his unwavering integrity and loyalty. He was a true Green Flag, never engaging in drugs or other vices. He was always polite and respectful, and had a 'once in, all in!' attitude towards his friends and loved ones. All in all, he was the kind of person that anyone would be lucky to have in their life.

Despite all these, it never occurred to Vanessa, even as a delusional dream, that there would be the same kind of attraction he felt for her the way she had for him.

It was not another special day in school for VManhua as she strolled around the humongous campus of Ashwood with her best friend after lunch.

".....after that, Mr Bo and Lin Su'er finally found the girl's twin brother and you know what ....."

"I know right? I never liked that side couple! "

A very intense conversation about the continuation of the comic and novel "Spicy Wife's rebRebornrld" was going on between two manManhuanatics.

"Hi, Vanessa!" A familiar tone of unpleasant 'extra-friendliness' was heard on their right that forced the two engrossed Manhua fanatics to quickly put on a sweet forced smile.

They turned to see the only person they suspected it to be, the one and only, Raelynn Campbell!

Raelynn Campbell is a girl with a short stature and fair complexion who is currently studying in Class 3 of Grade 9. She is often referred to as a "pick-me" and "people-pleaser" due to her behaviour, which leans towards being overly accommodating and agreeable. Despite her friendly and clingy nature towards everyone, she is regarded as the least popular student of Ashwood, with people avoiding her company. Her reputation as a 'backstabber' is not entirely unwarranted since she has been known to betray others' trust, which has resulted in her having no real friends at school.

"Hello Rae, what's up?" Vanessa asked with a not-so-enthusiastic and expressive facial expression.

"Nothing, you just seemed to have become prettier!"

Raelynn continued in the same enthusiastic and overly friendly tone with a smile so uncomfortable to bear.

"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet of you!" Vanessa sweetly thanked her with a sweet fake smile blending with her sweet fake words.

Anyway, Kennedy saw that she was being ignored and couldn't help but roll her eyes secretly. She also felt sorry for her friend who had to go through such a terrible situation.

"By the way, I heard something just some while ago." Raelynn looked right and left then said.

"Ohh, what is it?" Realising, she was getting to the point of her, being here, Vanessa could not be more overjoyed in her heart.

"So.....I heard some girls talking that you were trying to be the third wheeler of your friends' relationship. But I'm sure it's just a rumour."

Raelynn answered in an oblivious tone, pouting a little.

Kennedy looked at Vanessa with an expression that said "What the Freaking Hell?!!"

Confused, Vanessa tried scooping out more info.

"What? Which of my friends?"

"They were saying that you were acting as a third wheel between Samuel and Kylie, and Aaron and Jina. However, I explained to them that you are just good friends with both Samuel and Aaron, and you also happen to be close friends with Kylie and Jina."

Raelynn continued this time in a slightly coquettish voice, in an attempt to convince the girls in front of her.