SHOCKING BETRAYAL

Ping!

Everyone’s phones in the college hall went off at the same time. Ellis looked down to check his phone to see that he had received a notification from the school’s blog. His eyes widened as he read the headline.

School sweetheart, Emily Adens just got engaged to Millionaire heir, Jordan Kine. 

What? How was that possible. Emily was his girlfriend. There had to be a mistake somewhere. There was a link attached to the post and as he clicked on it, he was directed to a video. It was taken at the Royale Hotel, the most expensive hotel chain in the country. It showed the moment that Jordan went down on one knee and proposed to Emily with a huge diamond ring. There were musicians playing violins while the hall had been filled with expensive flowers of all kinds. It was a fairy tale proposal.

The video already had five hundred thousand views on he internet and the comments were coming in, mostly from students of the college. 

‘Best couple ever’

‘OMG! That ring must cost a fortune!’

‘He’s so handsome’

‘Couple goals’

‘I wish I was her’

‘Umm, when did they start dating? I thought they were just friends’

The last comment he read was exactly the question on his mind. When and how did they start dating? Emily told him that they were just friends, and because he loved her, he believed her even though she wanted him to keep his relationship with her a secret. Ellis understood why she wasn’t proud of him, he was just the poor scholarship student at the Royale College, the best college in the country meant for students with rich parents. It was owned by the Royale family, the same family that owned the Royale Hotel chain. They were the richest family in the country worth trillions of dollars.

She didn’t want to taint her social image by being seen with Ellis. She promised him that after graduation, she would announce their almost two years old relationship to everyone because by then, they wouldn’t be around their classmates so there wouldn’t be anyone to mock them. They planned to run away together and get married after college. They were in their final year at college now and he was happy for that because it meant he wouldn’t be a dirty secret anymore. But he didn’t understand why she accepted Jordan’s proposal, she even looked happy. Had she deceived him all this time?

No, he refused to believe that. She couldn’t possibly have been lying to him all this time. She promised him that she loved him, and he loved her too so he had to trust her. She must have been forced to do this. Her father was a millionaire just like Jordan’s father, and he was always telling her to make sure to get married into another rich family. Her father must have forced her into this so he had to rescue her.

From the time on the video, it was just ten minutes ago that the proposal happened. They must still be there. He made up his mind and left school to go to the Royale Hotel. If the both of them could miss school for this, then he could too. He took the subway since it was cheaper and arrived at the location a few minutes later.

The receptionist looked at him with disdain. His clothes were worn out and his hair was dishevelled. He also had mud on his shoes so she immediately knew that he wasn’t one of their rich clients.

“We’re not hiring at the moment so leave the premises at once.” She said to him as he approached the from desk.

“I’m not her to apply for a job, I’m here to…”

“If you’re not here for a job then you must be here to run a scam of some sort. Thieves aren’t welcome here. We both know you can’t afford a place like this from your looks and you’re staining the floors with your filthy shoes. Leave before I call security and have you thrown in jail.” She snapped at him without allowing him to finish his statement.

“Just listen to me please, it’s really urgent. I need to find someone.” He brought out his phone to show her the video so she would direct him to the hall where the proposal took place but she didn’t even look at it.

“Security! Take this street rat out of here. He’s here to steal.” She said and the nearby security guards began to walk close to him.

The others on the hotel lobby turned to see what was going on and whoever saw him stepped away from him. Compared to them, he looked like a homeless beggar. They all wore expensive clothes and jewellery.

“Wait! This is just a misunderstanding. I’m not a thief.” He tried to plead with them but they grabbed him and began to pull him out of the hotel lobby so he began to call Emily’s name hoping that she was close by.

If she heard him, she would come out, he would explain that he was here to see here and it was just a mistake from the receptionist that he was called a thief.

“Emily! Emily, it’s Ellis. I’m here to save you. EMILY!”

“Why are you yelling my name like that.” A very furious Emily walked out of an adjourning walkway with Jordan by her side, he was also angry at Ellis.

“Let me go, she knows me. I’m here to see her.” He said to the guards and they turned to Emily.

“Is that true, Ma’am. Do you really know this man?”

She sighed and said “Yes,” as if it pained her to be associated with him.

The guards let Ellis go but they stayed close just in case they were needed to throw him out again.

“Why are you causing a scene? Why are you even here?” She asked him and he walked closer to her.

“I’m here to save you, Emily. I saw the proposal video. I know you’re being forced to say yes to him. There’s no need for that, we can announce our relationship now so they’ll leave you alone. You love me, right?” He said with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Emily and Jordan looked at themselves and began to laugh.

“You fool! How could I love you?”