Chapter 1: Scorned and Betrayed

"Mia! This is way more than the salary I just received today. I won't be able to pay my tuition fee if I pay for this." Jason clutched the phone in his hand, swiping through everything in Mia's cart. 

The total cost of what was in his girlfriend's shopping cart would cost him his a full months salary. 

Jason had received an email a little earlier today that he'd be out of school if the day finished and he didn't pay his tuition. 

"Why are you so horrible to me? This is not even too much to ask for." Mia cried out.

She flounced angrily in her chair and folded her arms, refusing to look at him. 

Jason sat admiring Mia's beauty. With skin that looked like the sun kissed it everyday, big blue eyes and bouncy blonde curls, Mia was a beauty.

He hated seeing her frown. Maybe he could take up another job and be able to get her these soon? 

"Other girls get more than this from their boyfriend, Jason." Her words taunted him. 

Jason scratched his head as he stared at the phone screen. A message popped up on the notification bar. 

'Babygirl, Daddy wants to be inside you so bad, he can't even stand straight right now.'

Another one popped in again. 'Your sexy moans as you cum are all I can hear.'

Jason gritted his jaw hard until he was sure he'd drawn blood. "Who is this, what is this?!" 

Mia snatched back her phone. "Who said you could look at my texts?!"

"It popped up on your screen just now and I couldn't not see it. Who's texting you these dirty texts, Mia?"

"You're overthinking this again, Jason. I can't believe this!"

She rushed out of the cafe and Jason got up to follow her. "Mia."

But the texts bothered him deep down. Who was sending Mia something like that?

It bothered Jason that no one knew Mia was his girlfriend, because she wanted their relationship private. 

Jason pushed the glass door open and stepped outside the cafe. 

He came to a halt on the short steps. 

A crowd was gathered in front of the cafe, which was weird cause there was really nothing special about this place.

It was always quiet as not many people ever came to this part of town. It was why he had brought Mia here. 

He looked closer and he saw what everyone else was looking at. 

There was a flashy red sports car parked in the center of all the attention. And even more black expensive cars parked behind it in a convoy. 

The sports car’s roof shone in the afternoon sun, and Jason marveled at it. 

He could never afford a car like that, even if he worked everyday, for the rest of his life. 

The car looked familiar. It was one Jason always saw around often in school. 

Jason climbed down the steps and walked closer to the crowd. People avoided bumping into him as always, when they caught sight of him.

He was sure he didn't smell. But that was somehow always the reaction around him. 

His eyes darted everywhere, as he searched for Mia. 

He pushed through a group of school girls in front of him and got to the front. 

His jaw dropped to the floor as he saw what was happening. 

Mia was standing in front of the car. With another man!

He had one arm around her slim waist and the other hand was holding a cash bouquet that had many rows and rows of thousands of dollar bills. 

Mia never let him touch her like that!

Jason recognized Hudson, one of his classmates whose parents were extremely powerful and wealthy. 

His blonde hair was slicked back and he wore a black designer leather jacket and ripped denim trousers. 

The rolex on his wrist caught the sun's rays and blinded Jason. 

Hudson always had bodyguards behind him, even in school. 

Now, a long line of bodyguards and some other people crowded him and Mia. They were dressed in all black suits. 

Jason could count at least twenty of their classmates here. 

His eyes scanned the crowd and they all had a look of worship and adoration in their eyes for Hudson. It didn't help that Hudson was also part of the basketball team and he was a great player. 

A very popular one with the girls. 

What was he doing here? With Mia?!

Hudson handed the cash bouquet to Mia and Mia's face curved into a beautiful, sexy smile that she never showed Jason. 

Jason watched as one of Hudson's lackeys handed him a tiny ribbon wrapped box. 

Jason noticed that the bodyguards were holding more gift boxes. 

Hudson opened it, and brought out a necklace with a pendant that dazzled. It looked like a diamond solitaire. 

He remembered seeing it in Mia's shopping cart. 

Mia turned around and Hudson's fans cheered as Hudson drew her strawberry curls away from her neck, and clasped the necklace on for her. 

He dropped her hair, but not before pressing a kiss to Mia's bare neck, underneath her ear. 

Jason's eyes burned with hate as his nostrils flared. 

Mia bounced on her feet, and her cheeks looked flushed. She leaned closer to Hudson and gave him a peck on his cheeks.

Hudson turned into her, and soon they were kissing.

The crowd cheered in a ridiculous show of support.

Jason's fists clenched beside him and his blood boiled. His veins popped out in anger, but his heart ached. 

He could hear his classmates talking.

"Hudson's father won the elections. He's now the mayor. His mother is from an old money family, they're the wealthiest people here."

Another one spoke up. "They have enough money that they could buy Mia twenty of those cars Hudson drives around."

"And wouldn't even feel a dent in their fat money purse!"

"Mia looks so good beside Hudson. She looks like his girlfriend already."

"And what do you think is inside those boxes Hudson brought for her?"

"More gifts of course. She's going to be so spoilt."

The girls all sighed dreamily. 

"Hudson really knows how to treat a girl."

Jason took a step forward, wanting to bash Hudson's face in until his entire face got bloody. 

He took another step and one of the bodyguards stopped him, placing a hand on his left shoulder. 

Jason shrugged off the hand, advancing and entering the little space in the middle of all the attention, to stand closer to Mia.

Jason turned to the other man, giving him a once over. "Hey, Mia is my girlfriend and this show you're putting on is a damn waste of time. Leave her alone!"

He touched Mia on her arm and she shrugged him off. "Eww, what are you doing? Don't touch me!"

Jason frowned, anger plain in his voice. "What are you doing with him, Mia?"

Mia hissed, and her eyes shot daggers at him. "You're not my boyfriend. Why would I date scum like you?"

Jason reached out again and she smacked his hand away like he'd wanted to smear her with dirt. "Stop it. You're not my boyfriend, I would never date you!"

"Is it because of the things in your shopping cart, Mia?" He'd buy them for her if that was why she was denying their relationship. 

But she couldn't leave like that. 

"You can't deny our relationship just like that, Mia."

Hudson drew nearer to Jason, confidence steeped in his every movement. "Hey, watch your tone when you speak to my girl."

Mia closed up the space between her and Hudson, wrapping her arms more firmly around Hudson's neck, and kissed him.  

Jason's hands became fists at his side. Mia was his girlfriend and he wouldn't stand for this nonsense fuckers attitude. 

But what exactly did he say?

Mia looked so relaxed in another man's arms. And she hadn't spared him another single glance. 

Hudson pulled away from Mia, with Mia's smeared on his own lips. He licked his lips, cutting the picture of a man who savored the taste. 

Jason's heart pounded furiously in his chest. He was going to hit Hudson. 

Hudson turned to fully face the crowd that clearly exalted him, his eyes caught with Jason's own over Mia's head, and he gave him a devilish smirk.

Jason blinked and it was gone. Maybe he had imagined it. 

But Hudson's next words burned him. 

His eyes roving all over Mia, he asked her. "Mia, will you be my girlfriend?"