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หน้าหลัก / YA/TEEN / Rich Love / บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

บททั้งหมดของ Rich Love : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

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Chapter Twenty-One

Carolyn – POVI stood stiffly in my ironed school uniform, fingers nervously brushing down the sides of my skirt as the debate auditorium buzzed with activity. The room was massive, lit with elegant chandeliers that dangled from high ceilings. A red-carpeted stage was mounted at the front, with a long table, microphones, and school nameplates lined neatly across. Around me, students from all over the country chatted excitedly, fixing their ties and adjusting their glasses. I felt like a stain in a field of bright flowers.The journey to Lagos had drained me more than I expected. My body still ached from the long ride, and my eyes were heavy from last night’s lack of sleep. My hotel room was beautiful, yes—with soft white linen, golden curtains, and a mini fridge stocked with water and snacks—but I barely got a chance to enjoy it. J.J had visited me not long after check-in to give his usual dose of superiority.“Don’t disgrace us.”Those words still rang in my ears. Like I was a tickin
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Chapter Twenty-Two

J.J – POVI’d never been second best at anything in my life.Not in this school. Not on any stage. Not even in my own damn house. My father made sure I had the best of everything, and I worked hard to stay ahead. Always one step above. Always the star. But ever since this stupid trip to Lagos started, Carolyn has somehow been stealing the spotlight.Carolyn.Of all people, her.I sat in the corner of the auditorium on the third day of the competition, gripping my pen so tightly it snapped in half. I didn’t even flinch. Just let the broken pieces fall into my lap. The room roared with applause again, this time louder than yesterday’s, and guess who was at the center of it?That quiet, pitiful girl who had begged for mercy under my shoe just a few weeks ago. That same girl who could barely meet my eye without flinching.Now she stood on stage, holding the microphone like she owned it, voice calm, confident, and persuasive. Judges nodded. Other schools whispered about her. One even calle
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Chapter Twenty-Three

Carolyn’s POVThe moment I opened my eyes that morning, something felt off.There was a strange silence in the air—too thick, too still, as if the world outside had taken a pause. I blinked the sleep from my eyes, rubbing my sore shoulder. The bed was still warm, my body heavy with exhaustion from the intense debates over the past three days. My head throbbed faintly, probably from nerves more than anything else.Today was the final day.The day we were supposed to prove ourselves and represent our school in front of the whole country.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched. After taking my bath, dressing up, and putting on my shoes, I was ready for the day. That’s when I realized something was wrong.I couldn’t open the door.I tried again—twisting the knob harder, jiggling it, pulling and pushing—but it wouldn’t budge. I stepped back and stared at it, my heart slowly beginning to race.What the hell?Was the door... locked from the outside?Panic began to slither int
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Chapter Twenty-Four

Carolyn’s POVI took my seat between J.J. and George.The air around us was ice.George muttered a low “Glad you made it,” without looking at me. I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or just for show. But J.J. didn’t say anything at all. He just leaned back in his chair, eyes on the panel of judges as they prepared their notes.I could feel his tension. Not the kind that came from nerves before a big competition—no, this was different. This was frustration. Spite. Bruised ego.And yet, I was too exhausted to let his silence shake me.Instead, I focused on the stage, where the final round was about to begin. Our school, Convent High, was facing two of the most competitive debate teams from Lagos and Port Harcourt. Both schools were infamous for grooming debate champions. Some of the best speakers in the country were sitting just meters away, sharpening their minds like blades.And here I was.A girl who had almost been locked away and forgotten.Our principal sat near the judges, smiling ne
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Chapter Twenty-Four

J.J’s POVThe crowd was still cheering. The trophy gleamed on the stage like it had been waiting its whole life to land in Carolyn’s hands.Ours.But let’s not kid ourselves—it was hers. She was the one who gave the closing argument, the one who turned the judges around, the one who brought the crowd to its feet. I should have been proud. I should have stood beside her and lifted the damn thing with her. But instead I sat there, still in my chair, jaw clenched, heart thudding with something far uglier than pride.Jealousy.God, it was eating me alive.She walked off the stage with her usual cautious grace, like she still didn’t quite believe the world had given her a win. Her eyes scanned the crowd as if unsure whether she deserved the applause. And when they landed on me—when she saw me still seated, arms crossed, not smiling—I saw it.Doubt. Hurt. Confusion.I looked away.She deserved better than that look from me.But that didn’t stop me from feeling it.The entire school team gat
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Chapter Twenty-Six

Carolyn’s POV We were leaving Lagos in a few hours, but I had already packed. I didn’t have many things, and truth be told, I wanted to be done with this place. The hotel, the debate venue, the heavy applause I never asked for, the quiet side-eyes from students who didn’t believe I deserved the win—it all clung to my skin like smoke from a fire I didn’t set. I stood by the window in the lobby, watching the morning traffic move like a slow dance of chaos. Cars honked, vendors shouted, and buses groaned as they swerved in and out of lines. It reminded me of home—chaotic but familiar, safe in a weird way. My hand rubbed my arm absently, still feeling the bruise from where I slammed into the locked hotel room door yesterday. I could still see the cleaner’s shocked face as she opened the door, and I could see the dust floating in the light behind her. I’d smiled then, politely, hiding the mess inside me. I hadn’t said anything to the teachers. No one. Because what was the point? I knew
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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Carolyn’s POVI don’t know how long I sat there.At some point, George passed by. He slowed when he saw me, then thought better of it and kept walking. Maybe he knew. Maybe J.J. had told him what happened. Or maybe George had seen the way J.J. looked at me lately like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ruin me or rescue me.Not that it mattered.I needed silence.And the stairwell gave me that.There, in the echo of my breathing and the hum of the building, I allowed myself to feel it all. The shame. The confusion. The self-disgust. The subtle flicker of pain that came from knowing that despite everything—despite the cruelty, the games, the manipulation—a piece of me still wanted J.J. to see me.And not just see me—but understand me. Respect me.But maybe that was my problem. Hoping for empathy from someone who had made it his life’s mission to keep people beneath him.I stood up slowly and walked to the nearby mirror in the hallway. My reflection stared back—messy braids, faded lip balm,
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Chapter Twenty-Eight

J.J’s POVMonday morning came too quickly.The same white walls, the same polished floors, the same students pretending to care about grades while scheming behind their designer backpacks. The school looked the same, but something had changed.Me.Or maybe not.Maybe I was just realizing that Carolyn Okoli—yes, Carolyn, the charity-case girl with the odd blue eyes—was still stuck in my head long after that final debate round ended.It made no sense.She defied me, embarrassed me, won... and then ignored me like I was irrelevant. She hadn’t even looked at me since we got off the plane from Lagos. And for someone who used to practically shake in my presence, that silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.I hated how much that bothered me.I hated that I noticed her absence in the lounge this morning.George did too. He looked at me over the rim of his smoothie, one brow raised.“She’s not coming today?” he asked casually.“Why wouldn't she?” I snapped.George gave me a look. “
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Chapter Twenty-Nine

J.J’s POV The cafeteria held its breath for a moment.Then it happened.Oge reached Tina’s table first. Carolyn looked up from her tray, confused. She probably thought they were just walking past. They weren’t.With no warning, Oge raised her tray and smashed it onto Tina’s head—right in front of half the cafeteria.Jollof rice, fried plantain, stew—everything exploded across Tina’s braids and blouse.Gasps filled the air.Tina froze for a second, the food dripping down her face like some horror movie scene. She looked like she didn’t even know what had happened. And Carolyn? She shot up like lightning. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” she screamed, grabbing napkins, trying to help Tina wipe her eyes. Bola stepped in next. Her tray hit the table, splashing juice everywhere, narrowly missing Carolyn’s skirt. Emma clapped slowly, theatrically. “Well, well, well… looks like your friend’s lunch got an upgrade.” My heart thumped once. Carolyn’s eyes shot toward the back of the
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Chapter Thirty

Carolyn’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not really.All I could see when I closed my eyes was Tina’s face—her stunned silence, the way the food clung to her braids, the way her mouth opened in confusion and pain as everyone laughed.And J.J.Standing there.Watching.Doing nothing to stop it.Because he had ordered it.Because I had refused to serve him.I kept tossing in bed, twisting the bedsheet in my hands like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. I was furious. Not just at J.J—but at myself. For trusting him. For liking being around him. For confusing cruelty with something else. Something softer.Something I hoped was real.But what he did to Tina?That was a line.And he crossed it.The next morning, I didn’t wait for him to come to me. I wasn’t going to be the girl who stayed silent anymore.I stood at his usual parking spot, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the gate as the morning sun climbed over the buildings. I didn’t care if people stared. Let them. Let them whisper about the scho
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