My Love is Getting Married to Somebody Else

He chuckled, his voice dripping with condescension. "Kimberly, I’ve made myself clear. As a Literature teacher, is this really beyond your level of understanding?"

"Forget your family background. Let’s talk about you. You’re just a small-time teacher who doesn’t grasp the rules of the business world. How could you ever stand by my side?"

His absurd words ignited a fresh wave of anger, and I slapped him again. Caught off guard, he shoved me against the car.

"Are you crazy?"

I seized his wrist and bit down hard, the taste of blood flooding my mouth as I refused to let go. He didn’t stop me. Finally, I released him, breathing heavily.

"Dave, you’re cruel. You were the one who said you loved my simplicity and innocence. Now you’re claiming my mind isn’t deep enough for us to walk together. You just say whatever suits you, don’t you?"

He fell silent, sliding back into the driver’s seat. I was too drained to argue further, so I allowed him to drive.

Half an hour later, the car came to a stop outside my apartment. Before I could open the door, Dave handed me two invitations.

"Which do you think looks better—hot-stamped or solid color?"

His words felt like daggers, slicing through my heart repeatedly until I could barely breathe. I snatched the invitations from his hand and hurled them in his face. The hard cardboard grazed his cheek, leaving a faint red mark.

A heavy pressure settled in my chest, like a weight crushing me, forcing the blood in my heart to pulse painfully through my body. Without a word, I turned and walked upstairs, not looking back. Dave always knew how to hurt me. I never imagined that the person who loved me the most would be the one to wound me the deepest.

The next day, Mary appeared at school, radiant and captivating, just as I had imagined from her enchanting voice.

“Leave here. Leave Dave,” she declared, her intentions unmistakable from the very first word.

“Do you love him?” I challenged.

Mary sneered, “This is just a business marriage. It’s not about love. As long as it benefits the family, it could be any Robinson. It doesn’t matter.”

Her gaze hardened. “In fact, I’ve always known about your existence, but what does it matter? Dave will only marry me. All I want is to become the lady of the Robinson family.”

A smug smile spread across her face. “I’ve been the center of attention since I was a child. If he wants to marry me, he has to cut ties with anyone questionable. So, you must go.”

I couldn’t help but laugh—a bitter, incredulous laugh that echoed in the tense air. I was laughing at my own foolishness, at the realization of how naive I had been, and at Dave, who had brought all of this upon himself.

"Miss Warren, I’m not leaving, but I won’t have anything to do with Dave anymore. I know what it means to have integrity."

"I won’t be the other woman, knowingly or otherwise."

"You..." Mary glared, realizing I was calling her out. Her hand shot up as if to slap me, but she stopped, letting it drop, seething with anger.

Damn Dave, I cursed silently.

Mary didn’t get the reaction she wanted, so she switched tactics to force me out.

If I had known how dirty her methods would be, I would’ve left without hesitation.

Soon after, the headline "A Small Time Teacher from Los Angeles No. 17 Middle School Seduces Wealthy Businessman" spread like wildfire.

A photo of Dave and me on the sofa, at an intimate moment, was posted online. Dave’s face was carefully hidden, but mine was fully exposed for the world to see.

Kyle Alexander, the principal, called me into his office. His expression was serious.

"I know that person is Dave," he said, "but the scandal has caused too much damage. The school has decided to dismiss you."

Just like that, I was blamed for something that wasn’t even true. I became the subject of gossip, disliked by my own students, and criticized by their parents. The rumors followed me everywhere, and in the end, I lost my job.