Chapter 2

Kayla woke to find herself in a hospital room. A nurse was adjusting her IV with a serious expression. "If you had been brought in any later, we might not have been able to save you. You're severely allergic to alcohol. You can't touch it again, ever." The memories came rushing back all at once. Kayla's chest tightened painfully as she remembered exactly how she ended up there. She had barely nodded in response when the door to her room opened. Darren walked in. Relief washed over his face when he saw Kayla was awake. "Kayla, about last night—I'm sorry. Winona and I just started dating, so she's insecure. Please don't take it to heart." Kayla said nothing. She only nodded faintly. That seemed to reassure him. He ladled a bowl of clam chowder from a tray and handed it to her, watching carefully until she took a few sips. He stayed by her side, not saying much more. Kayla finally sensed something was off. She looked up and asked softly, "Is there something else?" Darren hesitated for a second, then finally said, "Actually, yeah. You placed first in the design competition, didn't you? Winona came in fourth. "She said this competition means everything to her. If you could drop out, she'd move up in the rankings." He was referring to the highly competitive triannual design contest hosted by Sterling University. The top three winners would be mentored by a renowned professor. It was a golden ticket into the elite world of fashion design. That opportunity was huge. To someone like Kayla, who had no family connections or financial backing, it was priceless. So when she heard his request, her first instinct was to say no. "I'm sorry. I need this opportunity too." "You don't have to give it up for nothing. If you agree, I'll make sure you're compensated. Money, jewelry, a car, a house—whatever you want." Each word landed like a blow to Kayla's chest, sharp and cutting, leaving a sting that wouldn't fade. She looked down and took a long breath. Then she asked hoarsely, "Mr. Tate, do you really think I'm the kind of person who can be bought? Is my dream—my life—so worthless to you?" He flinched slightly. She hadn't called him "Mr. Tate" in years. She had only ever called him that once, back when they first met. After that, he told her not to. He said it felt too formal, too distant. He hadn't expected to hear it from her again. Something flickered across his expression, and a strange, unfamiliar tightness appeared in his chest. He furrowed his brow, but still went on speaking. "That's not what I meant. Kayla, you're incredibly talented. Even without this competition, you'll succeed. But for Winona, this is the closest she's ever been to making the finals. "I just… I don't want to see her crushed. You're her roommate, too. Could you help her this once?" His words were disguised as praise, but Kayla knew better. Every compliment was just another step toward softening her up for that final request. He didn't want Winona to feel disappointed, so he chose to sacrifice her dream instead. "I know after your parents divorced, your dad racked up a mountain of gambling debt. People are coming after your mom every other week because of it. "But if you drop out of the finals, I'll take care of all of it. No more threats, no more bills. Just think about it," he said. They had known each other for years. Even with the distance between them, Darren had always been careful never to mention the parts of her life that left her raw and ashamed. He knew how sensitive she was. He used to protect her silence. But now, for Winona's sake, he didn't hesitate to tear open old scars and dig into the very pain he once tried to protect her from. The color drained from Kayla's face in an instant. Her chest tightened, like she couldn't breathe. Her fingers curled into fists so tight that her nails broke skin, the pain dull compared to what she felt inside. She bit down hard and forced herself to keep it in. Upon noticing the shift in her expression, Darren's voice faltered. He tried to fix it. "What I mean is… you'd be giving up one opportunity, sure. But in return, you'd be getting rid of a huge burden." That did it. That one sentence crushed the last shred of her pride. She closed her eyes. The words caught in her throat, but she pushed them out. "I'll withdraw."