Chapter 233: Chapter 233

Loud, deafening music boomed throughout the space. Different-coloured lights flashed around the dimly lit large dance floor. Many people, mainly youngsters, were packed against one another in every possible square foot of the place. Bodies were plastered against each other, rubbing and enticingly. It was challenging to see where one person started and where they ended.

Intertwined is what they were, which would make most prim adults cringe, but for these youngsters between the ages of thirteen, if not younger, and up until about nineteen, it was the time of their lives!

The music was bopping, making the few people who stayed off the dance floor tap their feet in sync with it. Some couldn’t help but sway their bodies in tune with it.

The DJ at the end of the room raised his microphone and shouted into it: "Woooohooooo!!!!!!!! Are you having a blast!?"

"YESSSSSSSSSSS!" Came the reply, and that even hyped them up more.

The room was filled with a light haze of smoke as well.

All the girls in this place had glams like never seen before, making them sparkle under the disco lights. Nothing about these girls’ dressings or mannerisms depicted their age. One word described the whole vibe of the place: ’ALIVE!’

On the side and in one corner was none other than the person and the main subject of Shelby’s worries, Samantha.

At fourteen, she was dressed beyond her age like the rest of her ’friends’ in there. She had on light glittering makeup that presented her like an eighteen-year-old, if not more.

Samantha wore a skimpy, body-hugging short dress that fully displayed her budding curves. She also wore a pair of beautiful sneakers that glistened in the dark. She held a glass of wine in her hands and swayed to the music.

It had only been a few weeks since Samatha’s birthday, which had conveniently been forgotten because her supposed new stepmother’s father had passed away. This further fuelled her anger and irritation towards Shelby.

Nonetheless, this was supposed to be her outing to celebrate with these friends. However, her eyes were only glued to one locked couple. The two had never separated since they entered the dance floor. They danced widely together, and Samantha wondered how they could remain that glued together with the moves they were making.

Upon closer inspection, Samantha’s eyes are most hooked on the guy’s form. This was none other than one of the most popular guys in their school, the Islanders Academy, and he was also her crush. He was the one guy who could make Samantha kick, the one that her young heart longed for, but he was taken, and this was also a widely known fact.

The only thing that made Samantha hold on to the idea of this person was that, even though this guy was taken, it was always by a different girl.

In simple words, he was always with a different girl, but he only dated the highest of the highest... i.e. the ’It’ girls, the ones who ended up being the cheerleaders and the pinnacle of high school.

Samantha averted her gaze when the two locked lips passionately on the dancefloor.

She stood still. So, still, it somehow looked odd. In the whole club, she was the only one who stood immobile. Her mouth dropped open in shock as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

One might view her action as silly, but considering the situation, Samantha was undeniably infatuated... a little more so than she could help, it would seem.

She had been trying to get his attention for as long as she could, but she had never been able to do so since she had been enrolled in the Islanders’ academy after her parent’s untimely death.

Her gooey and goofy eyes directed at the hottest guy in the school did not go unnoticed, and some had even teased her about it. In fact, teasing was just too soft of a word. Samantha had been the victim of psychological bullying in that timeframe!

’Just look at her! An ugly duckling, thinking herself a swan!’

’Hahhhaaaa.... She thinks she can just climb the social ladder by associating with the Thornstons. What a joke!’

’I wonder what qualification she even has to bother coming here.’

’I heard that she forced herself into the Thornstons’ home, claiming that Chairman Ian was her father... Can you imagine that?’

’And she sets her eyes on the hottest guy in school? Hahahahah....’

The words differed, but they usually followed the same lines. With time, Samantha grew and coiled into her shell at school and stopped associating with most of her mates. This even grew worse when her stepmother came into the picture.

Samantha was not sure how it had started, but the subtle psychological bullying got worse. It was as if these children were venting out the disappointment of their parents and siblings on the missed opportunity to get married to Ian. That line of thought was not far from the truth, though.

This made Samantha hate her new stepmother even more. As loud and rude as Samantha was in front of Shelby, she became almost mute in front of her friends and never bothered to say anything in the face of their hurtful words.

One might say that she was not physically hit, so it was okay, but psychological bullying was the worst of the worst. At least, with physical orchestrations, one can show ’evidence’ of the bullying. However, in her case, the students turned to angels in the face of authorities and devils when they were alone with her.

It had all somehow changed subtly the day Ian had sent them to school. These wealthy and privileged children understood power. The fact that Ian had ’neglected’ the three children for a couple of years made them the target of a whole lot. Samantha, as the eldest, she experienced the worst of it.

Seeing the mighty Ian personally drop the children off at school that day eased Samantha’s tension and bullying a bit. This was also the very first day that her crush talked to her... right after she had crushed into his firm chest.

Her excitement that day was too much for her to contain. She started receiving invites to their parties and other events.

Samantha did not have to sneak into those parties anymore and she could mingle... or so she thought.

It took her just a little time to realize that the invites were just shells. She found herself being relegated to the back most of the time, but Samantha loved it nonetheless.... At least she was inside and had a legitimate invite. Samantha just wanted to belong.

’Why does it have to be so hard!’

She wiped her tears furiously and made her way to the crowded bar. The night was alive, but she needed another drink. The air was getting too pungent with all the lights and smoke with each passing minute.

The frequent roar of the crowd and the DJ thrummed straight through the bodies surrounding her and into her eardrums. It would have been beautiful - perfect even - if not for one thing.... she was not in his arms!

She ordered another glass of wine and drowned it down quickly as tears blurred her eyes. The bar asked no questions about their age or anything. This was why the youths liked to hold wild parties there. For the owner, it was just good for business.

Samantha watched the two detangle themselves long enough to walk out of the place towards the bathroom. She had watched this scene countless times and hurt like hell each time. She knew what they would do in there, as she had heard most of the girls talk about it in some of their rare joint locker rooms.

She quickly made her way out and welcomed the cool blast of air that greeted her.

Samantha hailed a taxi and made her way back to the estate, but not before slipping on her large hoodie, which hid the entirety of the dress and her face as well.

The ride was uneventful, and she easily slipped back into her room, evading all the cameras and guards.... Or so she thought.

A report was sent to the relevant ears as soon as she had entered.

In her room, she stood examining herself in her full-length mirror in her bathroom for some time.

The room was beautiful and had everything she needed, but Samantha missed the warmth of her siblings. They were having minimal contact, especially after their father came out.

The thought of that made her heart swell with anger.

"This is all because of that woman! Who is she to take my siblings away from me?!"

Samantha felt an overwhelming need to see her siblings as she knew that, that would calm her down, so she made her way to Gabriel’s room and opened the door.

"Where is he? Did he go to Ingrid’s again?" She couldn’t help but smile. Her low mood lifted a bit at the thoughts of her little brother.

However, when Samantha opened the final door that separated Gabriel and Ingrid’s room that night, she froze, and her face contorted in anger.

"WHY! WHY! WHY!" the girl gritted out. The evenings’ proceedings and her thought that her siblings were being taken away compounded and clouded her eyes.

Not even the beautiful sight of her siblings crowded around their stepmother, all blissfully asleep on the bed with no care, could alleviate her mood. Samantha’s fury sprang up as if she was angry at the world.

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