Skyler : ~

My life was never easy.

I grew up poor. Our apartment was small and old. The roof leaked when it rained. The walls were thin, so I could hear the neighbors shouting almost every night. The kitchen light kept blinking no matter how many times we changed the bulb.

My parents worked hard in a small grocery shop, but we barely earned enough for rent and food. I helped there after college, carrying heavy boxes and cleaning shelves. That was my routine every day.

I didn’t own fancy clothes or gadgets. My sneakers were torn, and my phone had a cracked screen. While other students talked about trips, cars, or new phones, I stayed quiet. My world was just… small.

The only person who never made me feel less was Sam.

Sam was rich. His house was huge, with shiny floors and servants who bowed when he walked in. He had everything—money, cars, clothes. But he never looked down on me. He was my best friend from the first year of college, and he treated me like family.

That evening, Sam asked me to come to his party.

“Come on, Skyler,” he said, jingling his car keys. “You work too much. Tonight, you need fun.”

I hesitated. “Your friends don’t really like me.”

“Who cares?” Sam laughed. “You’re my best friend. If I invite you, you belong there. End of story.”

I sighed and nodded. I didn’t want to go, but saying no to Sam was always hard.

When we reached his car, I sat in the passenger seat, feeling out of place already. The leather seat smelled expensive. I looked down at my plain jeans and faded shirt. My shoes were old. Everyone at his parties always wore fancy clothes.

By the time we arrived, my stomach was tight. His house was huge, glowing with lights. Expensive cars filled the driveway. Music and laughter spilled from inside.

I froze. “Sam… maybe I should go back.”

He rolled his eyes and pushed my shoulder lightly. “Stop. You’re with me, okay? Don’t think too much.”

Inside, everything sparkled. A big chandelier shone over the living room. People laughed loudly, holding drinks in shiny glasses. They all looked perfect, like models in magazines.

I stayed near the door, holding a soda can I grabbed from the counter. My hands felt sweaty.

Some people looked at me quickly, then away, like I didn’t matter. I heard whispers.

“Who’s he?”

“Sam’s poor friend, I think.”

Their words stung, but I kept my face blank. I was used to this. People always judged me for being poor.

I told myself I was here for Sam. That was all.

But as I stood there, surrounded by wealth and lights, I felt even smaller. Like I didn’t belong. Like I was standing outside a world that would never accept me.

The party felt louder the longer I stayed. Music thumped through the walls, people laughed in groups, and I stood alone, sipping my soda like it was my shield.

Sam had gone off to greet more friends, and I didn’t want to follow him around like a lost puppy. I told myself I could handle being alone. I just had to avoid attention.

I decided to step away from the crowd and walk toward the side hall. Maybe I could find some quiet there. I wasn’t watching closely, my head down, when it happened.

I bumped into someone hard.

My soda can slipped from my hand, spilling dark liquid all over the man’s suit jacket. I gasped, frozen, staring at the spreading stain.

“Oh my god—I’m so sorry!” I blurted out, panicked.

The man slowly turned his head toward me.

And for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp features that looked like they were cut from stone. His eyes were cold and dark, staring straight into me like knives. His suit was perfect, expensive, probably worth more than everything I owned combined. And now, because of me, it had a giant stain across it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he said, his voice low but sharp.

My throat went dry. “I—I wasn’t looking. I didn’t mean—”

“Clearly.” He looked down at his ruined jacket, then back at me. His gaze was full of irritation, like I was nothing more than a nuisance. “Do you even realize how much this costs?”

My chest tightened. Of course I didn’t know. I had never even seen clothes like his in stores. I wanted to apologize again, but the words stuck in my throat.

“I—I’m really sorry,” I whispered, my face hot. “I didn’t see—”

He cut me off. “People like you shouldn’t be here if you can’t even watch where you’re going.”

The words hit harder than I expected. People like you. He didn’t have to say it, but I knew what he meant. Poor. Out of place. Not good enough for a place like this.

“I’ll clean it, I swear—” I tried, but he stepped back sharply, as if the thought of me even touching his jacket was disgusting.

“Don’t bother,” he said coldly. His eyes swept over me once, taking in my plain clothes, my old sneakers, the crack on my phone peeking out of my pocket. His lips curled in something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Figures.”

I felt small. Embarrassed. Like the whole party had stopped to stare, even though maybe no one noticed. My ears burned, and I wanted nothing more than to disappear.

Before I could say anything else, a voice called out, breaking the tense silence.

“Neil!”

I turned. Sam was coming toward us, grinning like always.

Neil? My heart gave a strange thump. So this was him—the famous Neil Kingsley. The CEO. The man people whispered about like he was untouchable.

And I had just spilled soda all over him.

—

Neil :~

I hated parties.

Too loud. Too many people pretending to laugh at jokes that weren’t funny. Too much fake charm. But my father insisted I attend. “Connections matter, Neil,” he always said. “Our family’s name has to be seen.”

So I went. I walked into Sam’s house, already annoyed, already wishing I was back at my office with real work to do.

And then it happened.

One second I was moving through the hallway, the next—soda spilled across my jacket. Cold liquid soaking into fabric that had been tailored in Italy, made only for me.

I froze. Then I looked down.

A boy stood in front of me, wide-eyed, holding an empty can with shaking hands. He looked terrified, his mouth opening and closing as if words couldn’t find him.

I didn’t care who he was. All I saw was someone careless enough to ruin a suit worth more than his entire outfit put together.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snapped.

He stammered, his voice small, apologizing again and again. My irritation grew. People like this always apologized. But apologies didn’t fix anything.

“Do you even realize how much this costs?” I asked.

The boy froze, his face turning red. His clothes were cheap, worn at the edges. His sneakers looked like they’d fall apart any moment. He clearly didn’t belong here.

“People like you shouldn’t be here,” I said before I could stop myself. The words came out sharp, colder than I intended, but I didn’t take them back. I meant them.

He whispered something about cleaning the jacket, but I stepped back. I didn’t want his hands anywhere near me.

And then Sam’s voice cut through the moment.

“Neil!” he called, cheerful as always.

I turned slightly.

The boy’s eyes flicked between us, confused. That’s when I realized—he didn’t know who I was until now. His face shifted, as if my name carried weight. Of course it did.

Neil Kingsley. CEO. The one everyone whispered about.

But for some reason, his expression wasn’t the same as everyone else’s. It wasn’t admiration. It wasn’t fear of my power. It was something different.

Embarrassment. Hurt.

For a brief second, I felt… something.

I ignored it. I told myself he was nothing but an accident. A poor boy who shouldn’t have been in my way.

Still, as I moved through the rest of the party, I caught myself thinking about him. His wide eyes, the way his voice shook, the way my words had cut him too sharply.

I told myself it didn’t matter. He didn’t matter.

But for some reason, I couldn’t forget his face and how annoying he is. later I went to my house . because with that look I can't carry on with party . I hate people who comes on my way. I do my hygiene and went to bed luckily after some time I found myself in deep sleep .

Skyler :~

The morning light slipped through the thin curtains of my small bedroom, landing across my face. I rolled over with a groan, pulling the blanket higher. My head wasn’t aching, but my chest was heavy.

I couldn’t stop thinking about last night.

The party. The people staring. The whispers about me. And most of all—him.

Neil Kingsley.

I clenched my teeth just remembering his face. That sharp, cold expression. Those dark eyes that looked at me like I was dirt on his shoes. His voice, low and cutting, as if every word was meant to stab.

“People like you shouldn’t be here.”

It replayed in my head again and again. I had faced insults before. Growing up poor meant getting judged all the time. But something about the way he said it felt worse. Like I didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as him.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my face. The room was quiet, too quiet. My parents had already gone to the shop. That meant I had a few hours before I had to join them. A few hours to think, though I didn’t really want to.

My phone buzzed on the table. A message from Sam.

Sam: Wake up, lazy. Meet me at the café? I’ll treat you breakfast.

I almost smiled. Sam always knew when to pull me out of my thoughts. I quickly replied.

Me: Okay. 10 minutes.

I washed my face, changed into clean jeans and a plain hoodie, then left the apartment. The street outside was noisy, filled with honking cars and vendors calling out their goods. It felt normal, safe, unlike last night’s glittering chaos.

By the time I reached the café, Sam was already there, waving at me with his usual grin.

“Sky!” he called out, patting the chair beside him.

I sat down, and a waiter came over immediately. Sam ordered a table full of food, way more than two people could eat. I only asked for coffee.

“So,” Sam leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “How was the party? Fun?”

I gave him a flat look. “Fun? Are you kidding me?”

He blinked. “What? You didn’t enjoy?”

“Enjoy?” I scoffed. “Sam, I humiliated myself. I spilled soda all over someone’s suit. And not just anyone—Neil Kingsley. Your oh-so-important friend.”

Sam’s grin faded. “Oh. That’s what happened.”

“You knew him?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Of course,” Sam said casually. “Our families have known each other forever. He’s… well, you know who he is. The big CEO. Everyone respects him.”

“Respects him?” I repeated bitterly. “More like worships him. But he’s not some god, Sam. He’s… he’s arrogant. Rude. Self-centered.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you really hated him.”

“Hated?” I leaned back, crossing my arms. “That’s too soft. He looked at me like I was trash. Just because I made a mistake. Just because I’m not rich like him.”

Sam chuckled lightly. “That’s just Neil. He’s always been like that. Cold. Serious. He doesn’t let people close.”

“That’s not an excuse,” I snapped. “He insulted me. In front of everyone. Do you know what he said? ‘People like you shouldn’t be here.’”

Sam’s expression softened. “Sky…”

I shook my head. “I’ve heard things like that before. From others. But for some reason, coming from him, it felt worse. Maybe because he said it like it was fact. Like it was written in stone.”

The waiter brought our food. Plates of pancakes, eggs, and toast covered the table. The smell should have made me hungry, but my stomach twisted instead.

Sam poured syrup onto his pancakes, watching me carefully. “I get it, okay? Neil isn’t easy. But maybe… he didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

I laughed bitterly. “Oh, so I should excuse him? Because he’s rich? Because he’s powerful? No thanks.”

Sam sighed. “You always judge people too quickly.”

“Judge?” I shot back. “He judged me the second he saw me. He didn’t even try to know who I was. Just one look, and I was already beneath him.”

Sam stayed quiet for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. Then he said, “You know, Neil’s not exactly happy either.”

That caught me off guard. “What do you mean?”

“He works all the time. Day and night. He doesn’t have friends. He barely talks to anyone. His life looks perfect, but I think he’s… lonely.”

I frowned. Lonely? Neil Kingsley? That sounded impossible. A man like him didn’t need anyone. He had money, power, respect. People lined up to please him.

“Lonely or not,” I muttered, stirring my coffee, “he’s still a jerk.”

Sam laughed softly. “You’re stubborn.”

“Or maybe I just don’t like being treated like garbage.”

Sam leaned back, shaking his head with a smile. “Fine, fine. Hate him all you want. But just remember—you and Neil might be seeing more of each other.”

I froze. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Our families… they have connections. Business stuff. You’ll probably run into him again.”

I groaned, dropping my face into my hands. “That’s the last thing I need.”

Sam chuckled. “Relax, Sky. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get used to him.”

“Never,” I muttered into my hands. “Never.”

But deep inside, a tiny voice whispered something I didn’t want to hear. Why are you still thinking about him, then?

I pushed it away. No. I wasn’t going to waste my time thinking about Neil Kingsley.

Still, when I walked home later, his face came back to me. Those cold eyes. That sharp voice. The way he looked at me like I was nothing.

I hated him.

So why couldn’t I stop remembering?

—