His Bride, Not By Choice

CHAPTER2

He Saved Anne

Anne's POv

The soft whispers that filled the classroom slowly faded away into complete silence when a deep, cold voice filled the room from the front, right at the podium where the teacher stands.

The person speaking was none other than Mr. Collins. He was someone who people thought was quite ugly and really unusual, but surprisingly, he was also the sort of person that many girls daydreamed about.

The strange thing about him was that for the past two months, no one had seen his face because he always had a mask on whenever he was anywhere near other people.

As I found my spot in the classroom and sat down, I caught sight of Rex looking at me. His eyes were focused on me, but I felt angry and chose to turn away from him.

Instead, I directed my attention to the pages in front of me, scribbling down notes and trying to capture all the important things that the teacher was saying, even as I felt a swell of different emotions inside me.

When the lectures finally came to an end, and it was time for all of us to leave, I got up and started to put my books away, shoving them into my bag as I prepared to go home.

Just then, Becca walked over to me, her face looking quite sad and heavy as if she carried a big weight on her shoulders.

"I’m really sorry, Anne," she said softly, her voice almost breaking. "I wasn’t thinking straight."

Even though I wanted to turn away, something inside me held me back as I took a step back, feeling the tension between us.

"I saw my dad hurt my mom again yesterday," she continued, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I just wanted to take out my emotions on someone, and I’m so, so sorry, Anne," she said, reaching out toward me, but I stood still for a moment, looking at her, feeling a mix of pity and contempt inside me.

Becca had often shared with me her struggles at home.

I remembered my own past experiences of being mistreated, and my heart ached for her. It was a painful feeling, knowing what it was like to go through tough times in family life but it is no excuse to treat me how she did.

"It's alright, Becca but you and I? We can’t, I don’t think I wanna be friends anymore," I reply in the most calm voice I can muster.

"Come on Anne, I said I’m sorry," Becca held my hand, a look of plea in her eyes.

I looked down at her, hating how the look in her eye was getting to me. She may be mean now but she was there for me when no one else was.

“One condition,” I reply, “you must see a therapist about what’s going on, you can’t keep taking it out on other people.”

"I will, I promise and you know what? I want to throw a party this Friday to show you how much I care and to make it up to you," she told me, a hopeful spark in her eyes, which made me giggle a little.

"You don’t really have to do that, you know," I reminded her gently, "because parties aren’t really my thing."

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also wanted to be honest, and then she shook her head in disagreement, insisting that we would celebrate no matter what.

After a long, long time of talking and sharing words with each other, we eventually decided to go our separate ways.

As I walked down the empty street all by myself, I felt my heart start to beat faster and faster in my chest.

This street was known to be a very dangerous place in our area. Many girls had suffered terrible things there, like being hurt, kidnapped, or even worse. It was very scary to think about, but I had no other way to get home.

I had walked this path many times before, and thankfully, nothing bad had ever happened to me. But today felt different, and an uneasy feeling crept into my heart.

I was wearing a dress that was special and rare, something that might make strangers think I came from a wealthy family.

As I walked alone, I couldn't help but wonder what others were thinking about me.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, two very large men appeared from around the corner, and I felt a jolt of fear shoot through my body as my heart raced even faster.

One of the men, with a cruel smile on his face, said something that sent chills down my spine.

"Thank God, he’s not here to save you today," he said while licking his lips. The words made my mind swirl with confusion. "Who is he talking about?" I thought to myself, but I couldn't figure it out.

Just when I thought they were going to come closer to me, they stopped in their tracks. Their faces showed fear as they stared intently at someone standing behind me.

With my heart pounding, I turned to see who it was. As soon as I looked, I saw a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to freeze me in place.

The man standing there had a very cold aura about him, and he looked so strong and striking that I couldn't help but be mesmerised.

His hair was neatly pulled back, and his shirt was open at the top, revealing strong muscles that made him look powerful.

His gaze darkened as he focused on the two men, who were now trembling with fear, looking as if they might lose control of their bladders at any moment.

One of the men quickly confessed, "Ronald sent us to do it," and I felt completely confused.

Who was Ronald? And why were these men after me? Did this handsome stranger know who Ronald was?

Before I could ponder it any longer, he suddenly pulled out a gun and, without delay, shot both men in their legs. It was shocking and frightening.

Just like that, strong and hefty men appeared from nowhere and took the two attackers away.

The mysterious man turned to me and simply said, "Let’s go," as if everything was normal and I should just follow him.

I felt a mix of emotions: fear, confusion, and a strange kind of relief.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I also knew I didn’t want to stay there any longer.

So, I took a deep breath and followed him, still trying to wrap my mind around everything that had just happened.