21. GOLDEN SPEECH

ACT FOUR SCENE TWO

GOLDEN SPEECH

sahar glacé

PERSPECTIVE

"Confess to the whole school tomorrow..." there was no possible emotion great enough to explain how I was feeling. Overwhelming guilt? Anger? Sadness? Too many emotions to actually firmly state I'm feeling a certain way. I didn't want to do this, I didn't want my aunts name to be disgraced in front of highly affluent people. Most importantly, I didn't want my newly made friends to see me as a traitor.

A tear slides down my face. Pathetic. That was the only way to describe me. A pathetic person who doesn't understand the difference between wrong and right. I should've trusted my gut feeling but instead I trusted the idea of friendship. I couldn't let Normani down no matter what, witnessing her downfall made my heart churn and my mind rage for a bright red revenge. I wanted the billionaire bad boys club to fall for the sake of friendship, not caring whether what I was doing was moral, I just had to destroy them.

It's my downfall now.

Today is the golden speech. It's where the student body president (which is Helius due to winning the elections) alerts student about the weekly results of the school in the school league table. And it's a opportunity for students to be elected specifically by each billionaire bad boys club member to perform a speech to the whole entire school. Well for me it's not an opportunity but a way to destroy my reputation and teach me a lesson about messing with rich people like them.

But in a sense, Asher has allowed me to escape from this world I don't belong in. After all, a peasant will always remain a peasant. It's an unforgivable act, betraying those you stood your ground with. At least I'll go down with a purpose, I did it to save my friends that I cherish, they don't deserve losing things they were born with. And my last living relative, my aunt. Although she never treated me like her blood, she doesn't deserve to lose her wealth all because a small mistake I made.

I'll finally have a purpose. Protecting those I love, leaving this school, living my life as an average person with an average paying job. It doesn't matter to me, wealth doesn't provide you happiness if you have too much of it. Too much will drive you wild, too much will make you arrogant and malicious. You would continue wanting more. That's why I shouldn't be rich, a peasant, a person who grew with nothing can never have everything.

"You're reading out a speech?"

Luca looks at me, his expression was hard to decipher. I gulp, of course, he'd be here. This is a way for his well known club to be praised and placed above everyone. But this time, this time someone will be confessing to doing things behind their back. And I'm not sure how it's going to go, and how he's going to feel. After all, he is someone I've known for a long time, the mere idea of him finding out what I did would ruin a lot of things.

I nervously chuckle. "Yeah, I hope you enjoy it, I really hope you do Luca."

"Why wouldn't I? I've read your creative writing pieces in English, you have a way with your words Sahar." his words touched my heart, too bad he was mistaken. The way I'm going to speak today, he'd wish I never spoke to him ever again.

"I've always wanted to write a novel, but there's always that feeling that my writing will never be enough. I'm sure people won't like it because sometimes I don't like it either."

Luca furrows his eyebrows. "You are your biggest critique, nobody will ever feel satisfied with their own writing and that's the sad truth. All I'm going to say is that I enjoyed your writing and I think you should do whatever you feel like — after all, you are your own worst enemy so break that saying and do things that you'd never imagine doing." he smiles brightly, his euphoric words once again melted my heart. I couldn't tell him, I couldn't possibly tell him that the words I'll speak today will end our growing friendship. From childhood friends to strangers, a truly melancholic story.

And it's all my fault.

"I-I—" i stammer.

Luca moves closer towards me, his eyes scanning my face. "Are you," he pauses, I could feel his eyes meet mine. "... crying?"

I jolt back. "No, why would I be?"

Luca eyes me suspiciously. "I could've sworn your eyes were on the verge of crying."

"It's allergy season." I smile.

Luca returns the smile. "I suppose you're right. I'll be at the hall, I can't wait for your speech." I watch as he leaves with a sad smile. He seemed too nice to hurt, he seemed too quiet to anger... everything about him, seemed too nice.

"Allergy season, stop lying Sahar." I jump at his voice. It was Helius. He scans my face, a frown appearing on his as he wipes the tears that unknowingly fell. "Why do you always seem to lie; why don't you ever tell the truth? You would feel so much relaxed without the weight of white lies."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I turn around, all I had to do was read the speech in my han— no. The speech, it was gone. I just had it. My ears follow the sound of paper, it was in Helius' grip. He was reading it with an expressionless face, his eyes seemed to stay still, unwithering.

"I had a gut feeling you were assisting Normani and Solar, you always seemed too suspicious around us." Helius says, tearing the paper up. "But I've been monitoring your actions this whole time, you suddenly seemed to lose interest in destroying the billionaire bad boys club, it's as though you wanted nothing to do with it anymore. And that day with Asher, you gave up your comfortable life for two snakes and a wretched aunt? I know she's not your mother Sahar, she's a horrible witch who seems to body shame you each and every time you breathe." his words were sharp and abrupt.

"W-What do you mean by snakes?"

"Normani and Solar of course. The two of them wanted you gone, they seemed to dislike your presence and so Solar placed Jumin's document in your bag as a way for you to finally get caught for 'conspiring' against the billionaire bad boys club when really and truly that wasn't your intention but theirs." his words struck my heart like lightning. I didn't want to believe it. My closest friends, we trusted each other. We were soulmates, the three of us, the trio that could've never broken in a million light years.

"No..." I could feel the tears endlessly falling. I sniffle, I truly admired them as friends. Even though their intentions weren't the best, I still believed them, I still trusted them enough to sacrifice everything for the sake of them living a good life.

Helius pulls me into a hug. "I should've told you earlier, but each time I wanted to talk to you, there was either Asher or Luca around you. You don't deserve any of this Sahar, the idea of you falling doesn't sit right, I can't allow it to happen, don't listen to him... don't lose everything because of his petty feelings and ideals."

"Petty feelings. Asher never has petty feelings Helius, I've truly done him wrong and I sincerely want to apologise to him but I can't, he won't let me and I can't tell him the whole truth because I still adore Normani and Solar and my aunt, even though she's not the greatest person, she's still blood and I could never let what happened to my mother happen to her too."

Helius rubs my back. "I didn't think he'd go through the extent of getting rid of you completely, but I guess he was too attached and he wanted to destroy each and every memory he harbours with you," his words were soft and calming. "He's not a bad guy, he's a truly amazing person, he just seems to struggle with the concept of trust and the fact that someone like you... someone who he really trusted broke that trust."

"I need to do the speech." I wipe my tears, pulling away from Helius' warm embrace. If I could, I'd stay there all day. He's a flaxen soul, a euphoric person that deserves to live a golden life as a golden boy. Even if he's not favoured by his family, even if he's always second place to his brother Silas, he'll always be first place in my heart.

Helius holds me tightly. "Don't. You'll only ruin your life and that will make Solar and Normani happy after they set you up." he once again embraced me. "And I couldn't possibly watch you leave Sahar, you brought light to my life and now it's my turn, to not only bring light to your life but to bring life to your life — because I want you living to live not living to survive." my heart beats rapidly, there's someone who cares about me. Someone who wants me here, someone who will feel sad if I leave?

"You're right. Solar and Normani tricked me, I can't let them get away with it but at the same time I can't ruin their lives, they have so much to accomplish and learn." I say mindlessly, not sure what to do anymore. Helius has ruined my speech, if I go up on that stage, I would feel a huge rush of anxiousness and not talk at all. But if I don't get up on that stage, it will only upset Asher.

For some reason.

I didn't want to upset Asher anymore.

"I'll talk to Asher, this won't be an issue for you Sahar." Helius mumbles, he pulls away from me and glances at my face. "And next time you feel like crying, don't tell me it's allergies, think of a better excuse or even better, I'll hug you till it goes away." he ruffles my hair before walking off. I feel a blush creep up, no, no, I can't possibly think of Helius like that. I shake my head, I guess Luca won't have to hear anything and that made me happy because I can't let a soul like his ever be sad.

third person

perspective

JUMIN XU LISTENS TO the conversation between Sahar and Helius. He couldn't believe it, the girl never wanted to harm them at all. It was all that wretched Normani's fault and her innocent looking friend who clearly isn't as innocent as she seems. He clenches his fists, he got fooled by the same girl twice. He won't let Normani ruin the life of a girl like Sahar. Nobody should ever feel like they should sacrifice everything for the sake of bad people. The fact Sahar wanted to still read the speech because she didn't want those two girls to suffer even after they deceived her really made Jumin furious. He despised Normani Blaze and that other rat that follows her, he won't let them have their way at all. Not on his watch.

Jumin pulls his phone out, dialling the number of Silas Grey, brother of Helius Grey. A billionaire bad boys club member known for his rowdiness and dramatic urge to fight all the time. He's always painted as a bad guy yet that sparked a very bold reputation for him since people feared him, they felt the need to respect him. And Silas is the perfect person for the job Jumin is about to assign him.

"Silas, come to the library." Jumin states, not giving Silas the chance to respond he ends the call. Making his way towards the prominent area built for the members of the billionaire bad boys club. He had a great plan in mind for Normani Blaze and her little rat. He was going to go about it the right way this time. Instead of taking all of her wealth away like last time, he'll do something to teach her morals and values. So she never thinks of destroying a persons life like that again.

So this is the childhood girl Luca admires till this day. Jumin smiles for the first time in a long time. Luca wasn't wrong for liking her and Jumin realised that today. He never should've judged her in the first place. And he's not surprised that Asher has taken a strong liking towards Sahar hence the reason why he wants to get rid of her so bad. Jumin knows, he knows that Asher really likes Sahar. But he wasn't sure about Luca's feelings. They didn't seem as genuine as Asher's feeling for her. It seemed as though Luca was hiding a secret and for that secret to be kept, he needed Sahar.

Jumin furrows his eyebrows as he notices Helius approach Asher. Helius seemed to show a wide range of attention towards Sahar, he cared about her to the point he prevented her from risking her reputation. And to talk to someone like Asher, Helius was surely confident enough to believe that Asher would listen to him.

"Asher." the sound of Helius' soft voice pulls Asher away from his wild thoughts. Asher pauses. He looks at Helius with a blank expression, concealing all his pain and anger, he just wanted to be left alone. But it seems as though Helius was not going to allow that to happen.

Asher nods. Gesturing him to go on.

"The golden speech this month will be cancelled due to a sudden inconvenience." Helius says, utilising his role as student body president to get Sahar out of this sticky situation. And much to his surprise Asher doesn't question him at all.

"Oh." Asher says calmly.

Helius is taken back by his calm response. Did he not want the speech in the first place?

"I'll see you around, I have things to do." Asher states monotonously, turning around, walking towards the opposite direction. Leaving Helius to stare at him with confusion. The boy said he wanted her gone, he even wanted her to perform the speech. But what happened now? Why is he backing out now?

Jumin who was listening to the both of them releases a relieved sigh. He was grateful that she wasn't going to perform a speech, it gives him enough time to teach Normani and her little friend a lesson. He'll prove Sahar's innocence no matter what, there was nothing more he hated in this world and that was liars. And for Normani Blaze to continuously lie and ruin someone's life like that really angered him.

-

what do you think jumin is going to do? why do you think Asher didn't seem to care about the speech being cancelled, does he like sahar? do you ship helius and sahar or Asher and sahar? the next chapter will be interesting! hope you enjoyed this one.

thank you for 72k! it means so much. can't wait to reach 100k hopefully i will write another chapter and update this book tomorrow. since there's nothing to really do, i will be placing an my efforts on updating!