---- Chapter 34: So You've Had a Crush on Me All These Years? Back then, Clara had it all-she was beautiful, brilliant, and effortlessly kind. She was the girl every guy dreamed about-their untouchable goddess-and naturally, that made her insanely popular. But that kind of glow? It always attracts shadows. Some girls in school couldn't stand how perfect she was. Jealousy turned petty real fast. They didn't confront her directly, no-way too cowardly for that. Instead, it was a steady stream of sabotage: ripping up her homework, scribbling all over her books, smearing up her locker with nasty stuff. It was endless, and it drove Clara nuts. But she kept her head down. Her world revolved around school, not drama. And she didn't want to cause trouble for the teachers, either. So she dodged when she could, endured when she had to, and stayed silent when she wanted to scream. All she wanted was peace. Until one day, on the walk home from school, it all ---- came crashing down. A group of girls-ones she didn't even recognize-grabbed her and dragged her into a back alley. No warning, no talking. One of them slapped her across the face, and then the others joined in, punching, kicking, hitting her from every angle. They had the numbers. Clara didn't stand a chance. She curled up against the wall, shaking, barely able to shield herself. She'd never been in a situation like this before-never. Her whole body was paralyzed by fear. She wanted to scream, to cry for help, but the pain choked out her voice. And just when she thought it couldn't get worse-one of them said something that sent ice down her spine: "Stop hitting her! If she ends up in the hospital and someone reports it, we're screwed! Just tear her clothes off and take some pics. Let's see if she still dares to flirt with Mason after this! If she reports us, we'll post the photos. Let the whole school see!" Clara wanted to scream that she didn't even know any Mason! But she didn't get the chance. Someone was already clawing at her clothes. Panicked, she clutched her shirt tight, sobbing so hard she couldn't even see straight. She was terrified. Completely and utterly terrified. ---- Then-like some voice from the heavens-someone shouted: "Let her go! I got the whole thing on video. Walk away now or I'm calling the cops!" Everything went still. The next second, someone threw a jacket over her shoulders-it was still warm from the person wearing it. A clear, calm voice followed: "Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Clara looked up, dazed. Her eyes were still wide with fear, her entire body frozen in shock. She couldn't even process what she was seeing. So he gently tucked a business card into the jacket's pocket and said, "If you decide to report this, call me. I'll be your witness." Aaron asked, "So? What happened next? Did you go to the cops?" Clara's voice was flat. "Nothing happened. I transferred schools soon after." But in truth, that incident had left a deep scar. She never even told her parents about it. ---- After that, Clara made a point to stay invisible. No more top scores. No more standing out. And yeah-she regretted staying quiet. She always wondered if there had been other victims. She wondered if those girls ever changed. Aaron gave a dramatic sigh. "If I'd known back then you were destined to be my wife, I would've stuck around and comforted you properly! We'd probably be married by now!" Clara shot him a glare, full of sass. Aaron grinned like a fool. "So you were crushing on me all this time, huh? No wonder you ended up having my baby!" Her expression twisted with pure outrage. "Ugh, get your head out of the gutter! Don't twist the story! A crush? I was fifteen!" Aaron gestured dramatically. "Oh please. You kept that jacket for ten years. In a special box, no less. That's not gratitude, that's obsession!" He looked giddy, like he'd just won the lottery. Clara was fuming. "It was just appreciation! You're reading way too much into this, Mr. Hotshot Lawyer." She turned away. "I'm going to bed!"