Besotted novel Chapter 52

Giselle Pov

The shining antique ring gained my attention as I stood there watching at its massive blue diamond. It was a beautiful piece and at that moment if anything I wanted was it.

"Hello, ma'am. You have a nice choice. This is our solo piece and it is a vintage one," the salesman told me and I smirked as my finger trailed on it.

"How much?" I asked and wore his gloves as he brought it out from the glass box, keeping it before me as it dazzled. My fingers itched to touch it and he smiled as he picked it up and asked my hand so that he could slip it on me. I forwarded my hand and he slipped the ring to my index finger as it slipped perfectly and I smiled looking at it.

It was an emerald cut diamond set on a platinum band and it revered for its rare, light pink hue. I loved the color and as it set on my finger. It was as if it was meant just for me.

"It would cost you eight thousand and fifty-three dollars," he said as he grinned and I huffed internally as I passed the ring back to him.

"Pack it up for me," I told him as I handed him a cheque and he looked ecstatic as he took the cheque and quickly went away with my ring to get it polished. I wore my gloves back as I looked around. The place was filled with antique and expensive jewelry. But none had my attention as much as that ring.

Only a few things ever got my attentions and whenever it did, I had always ended up wanting it. And I have always got whatever I wanted. There was nothing left in this world which I didn't have.

I watched as the manager brought my ring back and handed it to me in a bag. I walked out of the store as I was followed by my bodyguard, Spencer as he guided me to my car and we got in before the driver drove us away.

"Did you get her address?" I asked as I took my ring out from the box and examined it, loving its shape.

"I will take one more day," Spencer said and that made me look up at him. My eyes trailing down at his tense body as he shifted in his seat which made me smirk for the power I held.

"Twenty four hours more then," I smiled and he nodded and I closed the box.

"I don't want to spoil it with blood. I will wear it after twenty-four hours only. Make sure, I get to wear this after twenty hours. You wouldn't want me to be upset."

He nodded and picked up his phone going through it as I looked out the window. My mind drifted off to deep thoughts that made me grit my teeth as I thought about it.

I have gotten everything, but there is only one thing that I was not able to get. And that one thing has made me do so many wrong things. I had never wanted anything so bad but I failed to get it. I went berserk when I didn't get it.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the day.

It was the most beautiful day of my life because I finally met the guy for whom I have been waiting for my whole life. Nobody ever paid attention to me, nobody ever cared what I felt, but he did. I was sitting at the corner of the cafeteria. I had no money, for days I didn't eat anything. It wasn't as if I didn't have money but my stepmother stopped paying me and blocked my cards that my dad had left for me.

She was so nice to me when dad was alive, but after his death, she changed. She loathed me and wanted to do nothing me. She thought I spent a lot of money but the only time I spent it was to eat or to bring the necessities. I was tired of my life. Because I had no money, I couldn't go out with my friends and as time went by they stopped talking and socializing with me. It was growing frustrating for me.

For the last two months, I have been depending on my university night free dinner. Somehow, I managed to find a way to have breakfast on my own but it was a problem for me at lunchtime. A sigh escaped my mouth as I looked around and saw pupil sitting with their friends and eating.

I was hungry and I thought it was a good idea if I saw the food. But now, I was feeling even more hungry. I only had some cents in my purse and somehow I had to manage until I graduated for more six months so that I could get a good job and work to earn money.

I was from a wealthy family. My father was a businessman and I know he had left me my share in my will, but because of my stepmother, I was not able to retrieve it. Moreover, I was not legally mature to be able to retrieve the money and properties. I was always quiet and listened to whatever she told me but still, she hated me and her daughter made sure to make my life a living hell, even when my father was alive.

It went past my father's eyes and I didn't wish to cause him any trouble so I kept quiet suffering alone.

"Hey there," I heard someone and looked up to find none but Mason as he smiled down at me and sat down before me on the empty seat.

He was the most popular guy in the whole university and girls died on his looks. "I was wondering if you could lend me your physics thesis? I mean I have already finished mine but there are some problems. I am just going through everyone's thesis to understand mine. If it's not a problem with you, of course," he smiled. His brown eyes shining and I felt my inner self going flat over his looks.

"Of course!" I smiled as I hurried to pull my notebook out from my bag as I handed him my notebook. He smiled and took it as he opened it to read it.

"Thanks. It's a great help! I will return you back tomorrow. Is that alright?" he asked and I nodded clasping my finger together, giving him a smile. He got up and I watched as he pushed my notebook into his bag and he reached forward as he places something before me.

"I bought this veg meal box. But I had my lunch with my friends. As a token of thanks I am giving this to you," he said and I gasped as I pushed the box towards him.

"No! It's just a thesis. You don't have to do that!" I told him but he shook his head and returned the box to me.

"I insist," he told me and not knowing what to do. I touched the box and he smiled before turning and leaving. The box was pretty hot and I opened it to find zucchini and tomato flatbreads to crispy chickpea tabbouleh and mushroom Gemelli and freshly baked garlic bread. My mouth watered instantly as I looked at the food and looked up to find him gone.

Thanking him in the inside, I wasted no time dine on my food and as soon as the garlic bread reached my mouth, I was already moaning and feeling pleased as I savored the food down and munch on my food happily. It's been such a long time since I had something so delicious like this.

All thanks to Mason.

~

I jumped down the stairs as I felt happy after a long time. My stomach was full and I felt energetic as I descended down the stairs.

"Why do you always have to be the one to submit the thesis first man! Just when do you get time to study and how are you so quick?" I heard someone whom I recognized as my classmate.

"I told you so many times to divide your work. But you never listen!" I descended down the stairs a little more and saw Mason and Jamie standing at the end of the stairs talking to each other.

"But can't you wait! Why did you submit it so fast? No one is ready with theirs. Because you submitted, now we have to finish ours no matter what!" Jamie complained as Mason huffed at him.

"It's none of my business. We were given a deadline and I did my work!"

I stood on the corner of the steps watching them as I heard about it.

"And you all are just lazy ass!" Mason exclaimed.

"No, we are not! You are just too punctual. Nobody had time to do that boring thesis," Jamie huffed at him.

"You are wrong there. Look here! There is someone who has!" Mason told him and I watched as he pulled my notebook from his bag and showed it to Jamie.

"No way! There's one more nerd in our class?" he looked surprised and I clutched my bad tightly.

"Wait! What are you doing with her notebook?"

"I took it from her,"

"Why? It's not like you need someone's help to complete a mere thesis like this right?" Jamie asked as he looked confused and Mason smiled at his hit his head with my notebook and kept it inside.

"Take help and give help!" he said and I watched as he walked away as Jamie frowned and followed him. I stood there thinking about it when it hit me.

He gave me that lunch box deliberately.

It means he knew my condition.

My fingers curled up and I gritted my teeth as I felt embarrassed that I have been fed because someone felt sympathetic for me. How did my condition grow so bad? How did I end up like this?

I looked at the direction from where Mason walked away and followed him as I walked through the corridors of my college and saw him parting away from Jamie. I took the chance as I marched up to him and stood before him, my nose flaring up from all that running I did.

"You!" I said as I pointed my finger at him and he looked caught off guard as he signaled me to calm down.

"Give my notebook back!" I screamed at his face.

"Relax!"

"What's up with you?" he asked and I huffed at him.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You even asked you for your sympathy?" I was seething with anger as I saw his calm face. I thought he would at least fight back because I agreed even I was too loud but he didn't.

"What sympathy? What are you even talking about?" he looked confused as he took in my words.

"You gave that lunch box to me deliberately. Out of sympathy! You said you wanted my thesis for help but you have already completed and submitted your thesis. So why do you need mine? The answer is you knew I had no money and you gave me your lunch box out of sympathy! I hate it! Give my notebook back! Now!" as I screamed, he looked strangely at me before pulling my notebook out and giving it to me.

I snatched it away from him and as I opened it, he spoke: "I don't know what you are talking about. But I haven't submitted my physics thesis either! But I have submitted Chemistry. And if you are talking about the conversation I had with Jamie a few minutes ago then let me tell you, I showed him yours because I wanted to encourage him to complete his," he told me and shoved his hands inside his pant pockets as I looked up at me dumbfounded.

"What?" the word came out merely as the feeling of embarrassment rose up on my body and I returned my notebook to him. He took it back as he looked at me cautiously while I took some steps back.

"Well then," I laughed nervously.

"See ya?" I said and without even letting him speak, I turned around and ran away.

~

Talk about Embarrassment.

Every time I saw Mason, I hid or ignored him gladly. I had expected that he would tell everyone about our weird encounter but he didn't. Instead, he just smiled at me and I turned my head towards the other direction feeling embarrassed.

Not even did I just yell at me but also unknowingly let him know that I didn't have money. This was just so embarrassing that I wanted to go somewhere and die.

Just why did everything turn out like this with me?

It's been two days since he took my physics notebook and I did a mistake by returning my copy to him. I should have taken it back, now he would come to me anytime wanting to return it back and that would be even more awkward than before.

I bought a chicken sandwich and walked out of the canteen not really wanting to sit in the canteen. I wanted peace and a secluded area to have my lunch peacefully and I knew just the best place for it.

There emergency staircase at the back of the building was an amazing place and I stood at the corner looking at the campus as I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite from it. It was not that amazing but still, it was better from not having anything. The sandwich was dry and I took out my water bottle when someone placed a juice can before me and I looked back to find none but Mason.

He gave me a small smile as he climbed up at the remaining two steps and stood before me. It was the first time, I noticed how tall he was and this was also the first time, we were so close. His face was so handsome. Those dimples on his cheeks and those brown orbs melted me as I looked up.

The chill wind went passed me and my hair moved up when I closed my eyes for it pricked my eyes but then felt his cold hands moving the few loose strands of my hair away from my face and I opened my eyes to look at him. My body shivering to his mere touch.

"Now don't start yelling at me!" he laughed and I gave him an awkward smile as I realized, I still had food inside my mouth and immediately gulped it down.

He forwarded my notebook and I took it from him.

"Thanks. It was a great help!" he told me and not knowing what to do, I just nodded at him and hoped he would just go away but he stood there playing with the straps of his sling bag as he smiled.

"This is none of my business but do you know if you are out of money, you can always work to gain it!" he said and I furrowed at him.

"Excuse me?" I questioned and he shrugged.

"I remember what you told me last time and I think you are in need of money. There is a vacancy of a waitress in a diner, where I work. If you want I can talk to the manager," he said and that made me gasp.

"You work as a waiter?" I couldn't help but ask and he smiled showing me his dimples as he shrugged.

"Work is work. They pay well," he said and I shook my head. It was not about money but never had I ever imagined that he would be working as a waiter somewhere. He was the most popular guy in the uni and he did this work?

"Does your friend know about this?" I couldn't help but ask and this time he was the one who furrowed at me.

"Of course!"

"If you don't want it. It's alright! After you told me that, I realized you don't really eat well. And I have heard what's going on in your family. So," he trailed off and I shifted in my position, feeling awkward. He gave out a sigh and turned to leave when I realized something.