I Called the Don My Future Brother-in-Law. He Called Me His Chapter 12

I Called the Don My Future Brother-in-Law. He Called Me His Chapter 12

It was already very late when I got home.

After I came out of the shower, I received a call from Elias.

On the phone, he laid it out clearly and admitted that he had first approached me because of Rafe.

“But later, I truly fell for you, Sera. I always thought we were a good match.”

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan’s night view was dazzling to the point of

indifference.

Traffic, neon lights, and glass towers spread out like a painting that would never go dark.

It made me, someone watching all that brightness from afar, seem especially lonely.

Elias said he had already persuaded Margaret to agree to our marriage.

“Sera, can we go file our marriage paperwork tomorrow?”

When he did not hear my answer, he asked again.

Facing the empty room, I shook my head.

“No.”

“Elias, I don’t want to marry you anymore.”

After a long silence, he only answered in a low voice.

“Okay.”

“I know I wasn’t honest from the start, so I don’t have the right to keep you.”

Elías said nothing more and quietly ended the call.

That night, I dreamed of Saint Verona Academy again.

Outside the window, the sunset was dim and yellow. In the empty classroom, I was the only one still doing homework.

“Sera.”

I looked up and saw Celeste standing outside the window with a hostile expression.

The next moment, Celeste and her girls rushed into the classroom and pinned me to the floor

Back then, I did not even know who they were, nor did I know why they hated me.

In the chaos, I only vaguely heard an unfamiliar name: Rafe.

They beat me until I was dizzy. When I came to, I had already been dragged into the restroom.

From beginning to end, Celeste stood not far away, watching everything coldly.

At first, I had even been stupid enough to beg her to save me.

Only later did I learn that she was the real mastermind.

They took photos of me at my most miserable and humiliating, cursing me nonstop, calling me a slut and saying I had gone after someone I had no right to want.

But at that time, I did not even know who this Rafe they kept talking about was.

Saint Verona did not allow students to bring phones without permission.

But Celeste could.

Because the Arden family was one of the school board’s major donors.

The only time she came close to me, she was holding her phone and bending down to look into my

eyes.

Her voice was beautiful and crisp, like a clear spring in the mountains.

But the words that came out of her mouth were so filthy they made me sick.

“Stay away from Rafe.”

“And about what happened today, you can tell the teachers, or you can call the police.”

She smiled sweetly.

“But if you do, the whole school will see these photos.”

After saying that, she left with her people, arrogant and untouched.

In the restroom, only I remained, covered in injuries and humiliation.

Only later did I learn who Rafe was.

Only then did I learn that even if I had reported everything to the school, Celeste and the others would never have faced any serious consequences.

Some people fought with everything they had just to survive.

Some people were born standing high above everyone else, watching others struggle beneath them.

Once, after gym class, I was coming back from the field.

As I was walking up the stairs, someone suddenly said in a joking tone, “Rafe, isn’t that your

crush?”

I looked up.

Rafe was standing two steps above me.

That arrogant, untouchable boy was also looking down at me.

“What are you talking about?”

He quickly looked away and gave the friend beside him a cool glance.

“Weren’t you the one who pointed at the bulletin board last time and told Celeste you liked smart girls like Sera?”

“You actually believed a joke?”

They had already walked away.

Only I remained standing there, my chest churning violently.

So I had been targeted and bullied for no reason at all, all because of one careless joke from him.

After school, I packed my things and prepared to return to the dorm with my roommate.

After what had happened last time, I no longer dared to stay in the classroom alone to do

homework.

But Celeste still stopped me.

In front of the students around us, she slapped me across the face.

“Didn’t I warn you to stay away from Rafe?”

The Arden family held a stake in this private school.

No one dared to offend her.

Without question, what followed was another round of humiliation and beating.

I was capable of fighting back.

But I could not.

My father was still lying in the hospital.

My mother worked as a cleaner at the school, and that was our family’s only source of income.

The school had promised to waive all my tuition for three years. As long as I ranked first in my grade on every monthly exam, I would also receive a scholarship.

So I could not fight back.

I could not report her.

I could not call the police.

After that, every time I ranked first in the whole school, Celeste would bring people to find me

again.

Even though I had deliberately avoided all contact with Rafe, she still refused to leave me alone.

Until one time, I accidentally saw Celeste corner Rafe by the woods and confess her feelings to him.

Celeste, who always appeared in front of me like an untouchable princess, could also humble herself and try to please someone else.

Unfortunately for her, Rafe had no interest.

He pushed her away impatiently, his tone vicious.

“Stay away from me.”

I watched as Celeste still refused to give up and kept clinging to him.

At that moment, I suddenly came up with a way to escape my situation.