Cindy wanted what most girls her age didn't. Her life felt too perfect, too cheerful, too sweet. She was tired of it and wanted something more. Her life was all roses. She was surrounded by people who made her happy: her mom and her best friend, her biggest support system. She rarely got sick, seldom had problems, and received plenty of gifts and compliments. Life was going perfectly according to plan, but it wasn't what Cindy wanted. She craved a touch of darkness in her world. Just like in the books she had read, she knew there was more to life she needed to explore. She knew she was innocent, but she wanted someone to change that. Cindy Pearl, a girl in her early twenties, worked at a middle school as a librarian and part-time teacher. She was quite naive and a big introvert, but she was lucky to have a friend who was the opposite of her: Joan, her super-rich friend. Joan introduced Cindy to an online dating app where she could mingle with high-class suitors. At first, Cindy found it silly and risky, until she accidentally came across a man who invited her on a date before they even exchanged pleasantries. Odd, right? She had no clue who he was, his name, or his background. She didn't know what he wanted or what he looked like. Would you like to know what happened next after they met? Will Cindy's dream of finding someone to change her come true? Will she be able to handle his darkness? Or will he be the one who gets changed instead?
Chapter 1 C1
"Class!" Cindy clapped, trying to quiet the noisy room.
Everyone quickly fell silent, and her shoulders relaxed as she looked at one of them.
"I'm glad you listened. Gather around so I can finish the story before my time runs out," she said, and the children happily gathered closer.
She picked up the fairy tale book and was about to continue when she noticed one student sitting apart from the class.
"Baby Rexa?" she called. It was a little girl with a ponytail and round, beautiful eyes.
When Cindy walked over, Baby Rexa hid her face on her knees.
"Hey, girl," Cindy smiled, touching her gently.
"I'm fine, just go away!" Rexa spat.
Cindy was shocked. Rexa was one of her closest students, and she never expected her to shut her out like that.
"What's the problem, Baby Rexa?" she asked, trying not to get upset.
"Everyone will hear me. I don't want to say it here," Rexa said.
"Fine, can we go outside?" Cindy asked. Rexa raised herself from the floor and followed Cindy out of the classroom.
"I'll be back, twinkles. Give me a few minutes," Cindy told the class before leaving.
As soon as they closed the door, Cindy faced Rexa, who was folding her arms across her chest.
"So, tell me."
"My big sister has been very sad lately, and she won't talk to me, my parents, or anyone. I feel very sad for her," Rexa said.
"Oh. So she didn't tell you what was going on with her?"
"The last time I saw her, she was crying in her room. I think she got hurt at high school. I think someone is bullying her, but I'm not sure. She's never been like this before," Rexa whispered coldly.
Cindy sighed.
"I'll see what I can do, okay? But first, let's go back to class and finish the lesson," she said, and Rexa pressed her lips together tightly.
"Miss Cindy, can you come to our house and talk to my sister?" Rexa asked.
"I'll try."
"This Saturday?" Rexa's eyes lit up.
"I don't want to make a promise," Cindy said nervously.
"Please, pretty please!" Rexa pleaded, her sweet look irresistible.
Rexa was probably Cindy's favorite student because she had a way of manipulating her just by her looks.
"Fine. I'll come," Cindy agreed. Rexa squeezed her tightly in a hug.
Cindy returned to the classroom, and the students gathered around her again.
She smiled, admiring each one before reading from the book.
"Once upon a time, little twinkles...."
-----
**[3 PM; Orton Middle School]**
Rexa, with a lollipop in her hand, walked out of the school with Cindy, holding hands.
"Your mom is here to pick you up!" Cindy pointed to a nearby car.
"I can't wait to see you on Saturday, Miss Cindy. Bye!" Rexa waved.
"Can't wait either, Baby Rexa! See you!" Cindy waved back, watching her run off playfully.
Rexa got into the car, where her big sister was staring out the window, ignoring her presence.
"How was your day, Rexa?" her mom asked.
"Cool, Mommy!" Rexa smiled.
She turned to her sister, Autumn.
"Hey, Autumn," she called, but was ignored.
She gently tugged on her sister's dress.
"You don't want to talk today? I have good news," she said, and Autumn flared up.
"Can't you just stay in your own lane! I'm not in the mood for your stuff and I can't bear your presence! Either you shut up or one of us has to leave this car!" she yelled before turning away.
Rexa bit her lip and looked away, while her mom ignored them both.
-----
**[Joan's Car]**
Cindy got into the passenger seat next to Joan and let out a loud sigh.
"Finally, another day done," she sighed, her hair tied in a messy bun.
"I thought you loved your job," Joan smirked, applying lip gloss.
"My life has suddenly become a routine. I've never had time to do other things. I wish I could just step out of the box. I'm sure there's something more to life than being normal every day," Cindy sighed, resting her hand on her cheek.
"I know how you feel, friend. Maybe we should take some time out today?" Joan suggested.
"Like go out?" Cindy asked, batting her lashes.
"Yeah, to a coffee bar or something," Joan said.
"Oh geez, but my mom already texted me to come home for dinner. I also have to help my grandma with her knitting. It's almost winter."
"Are you going to snap out of being a mommy's pet and just behave like a twenty-three-year-old for once?" Joan snapped.
"But I can't just ignore all that for today," Cindy protested.
"You always give this excuse... like every day, Cindy," Joan pointed out, and that's when Cindy realized it herself. Perhaps she was the cause of her own problems, not being able to do other things.
"Okay, probably, I'll just be naughty for one day," she sighed.
"Now that's the girl I raised," Joan laughed, and Cindy chuckled.
Joan turned to the driver, a young, cute guy about their age.
"Frodd, drive us to the coffee shop," she told him, and he adjusted the mirror so he could see her reflection.
"Your favorite one?" he asked.
"Definitely," she nodded, and he smiled before hitting the road.
---
Cindy's phone vibrated, and she saw it was a call from her mom, the third time that day.
I'm not a mommy's pet. Give me a break, she thought to herself and cut the call before turning to Joan.
"Hey, I want to ask, is that your new driver? I've never seen him before," Cindy pointed to Frodd, who was leaning by the car outside. He's really fine, Cindy thought, looking at him.
"Yeah, my dad thinks I might get into an accident because of my recklessness, so he got me a driver," she said irritably.
"Well, I'm glad he did. You definitely needed one. Remember the time we almost crashed into an elderly lady?"
"Snap it off! It's not like you're better at driving than me!" Joan spat and accidentally used her hand to hit the waiter behind her.
The tray fell, and the drink spilled on her shoes, but luckily the cup was plastic.
"Shit!" Joan cursed.
"I'm sorry!" the waiter pleaded.
"Sorry can't dry my shoes, miss. Do you know how much these shoes cost? More than your peanut salary. Do you want me to chase your customers away?"
"Joan, lower your voice. Everyone is watching," Cindy whispered, but it was more for show.
"Get some rags and stop staring at me like an X-ray, dumbass," Joan hissed, and the waiter quickly brought the rag over.
She wiped the stain away easily.
"Next time I come here, I'm not paying a dime for what you did," Joan said, and the waiter bowed before walking away.
"That was quite harsh," Cindy stated.
"This life is about give and take. I don't give a dime," Joan hissed.
Cindy took a sip from her drink and looked at Joan, who was now busy with her phone, smiling sheepishly at the screen.
"Who's that?"
"One guy I met online. He's my one-month boyfriend. He's super cute," Joan laughed, texting as her buttons clicked loudly.
"You do online dating? Is that even a thing?" Cindy scoffed.
"You're so old-fashioned. Of course, online dating is a thing. My dad literally met my mom online before they became a couple," Joan retorted.
"My mom would never," Cindy spat.
"Hey, maybe you should try it out. Girls literally book guys to date them for weeks, even months. There are a lot of high-class, handsome guys. Who knows, you might be lucky enough to find your soulmate."
"Ew, I thought you wanted me to stay away from boys," Cindy countered.
"That was three years ago when we were still young and knew nothing. And besides, I thought you said you always wanted to step out of the box and try something new. Why not try this?" Joan challenged.
"Well, I didn't say I wanted to risk my life," Cindy countered.
"Forget it," Joan said, taking Cindy's phone and doing something on it before handing it back.
"If you change your mind, you can log in to Meet-Ink. It's a dating site."
"Ugh. Why are you like this?" Cindy sighed.
"Shouldn't you be proud? I'm finally making your dreams come true," Joan smiled, leaving Cindy speechless.
They switched topics and talked about other things. After a while, they got back into the car and headed home.
---
**[J.C Lounge]**
Asher was sitting at a desk, scrolling through his phone. His blonde hair was messy, and his shirt was partially unbuttoned.
"Hey, have you guys seen Riri and Hailey?" he asked.
Felix took off his earphones and looked up from the floor, where he was lying with red socks that matched his head warmer. "What did I miss?"
"Riri and Hailey bullied the new girl again. This time in the school bathroom. She was badly bruised," Asher said.
"I don't get the point of all this, bruh," Scar said, flipping through a book while lying on the bunk.
"Riri and Hailey both have a crush on Ivan. They're upset because Ivan's been giving Autumn more attention," Asher explained.
"Geez, the overhyping of Ivan is so annoying. I mean, he isn't even the most gorgeous person here," Felix added.
"Maybe because he's Japanese, a foreigner. It's so annoying," Scar hissed.
The door opened, and Ivan walked in, back from his usual basketball practice.
"Hey, guys," he greeted, taking off his shoes.
Asher returned to his phone, and Felix put his earphones back on. There was a sudden silence.
Ivan turned to Scar, who quickly looked away towards his book.
"I'll be upstairs if you need me," Ivan said before walking away.
---
Cindy got home late at night and was scared of getting a scolding from her mom.
"Mom?" she called, turning on the light in the small living room.
No one was around, so she quickly went upstairs. When she got to her room, she found her mom on her bed, looking through some of the books she had hidden under her pillow. Some of them were smut-filled, catching Cindy off guard.
"Mom!" she gasped.
Her mom looked up and, instead of greeting her with a stern face, her expression bloomed into a smile.
She quickly came to embrace Cindy. "You're finally home. My intuition was wrong after all!"
"I'm very sorry, Mom. I know I put you under pressure by not answering your calls and not telling you where I was," Cindy said, pouting cutely.
"It doesn't matter anymore as long as you're home and safe," her mom replied.
"Really?" Cindy asked, taking off her brown jacket and hanging it on the cabinet.
"Well, I thought you might have stayed late at school or got caught in traffic, so I didn't worry too much," her mom said.
"Actually, I went to a coffee shop with Joan. I'm sorry I didn't inform you."
"I'm not stopping you from doing what you want, as long as it makes you happy and safe, okay?" her mom reassured her.
Cindy quickly embraced her warmly. "I'm glad I have someone like you. You're the best mom ever!" she said, planting big kisses all over her mom's face before pulling away.
"Have your bath and come down for dinner. I'll be in the kitchen. By the way, your grandma and I will be visiting the orphanage on Saturday to watch their presentation and give them winter coats. We want you to come along," her mom said.
"Definitely," Cindy agreed, and her mom left the room.
She took off her dress and stared at herself in the mirror, remembering she had promised to visit Baby Rexa's family. She sighed and sat on the bed, picking up her phone. There was a text from Joan.
Have you checked out Meet-Ink?
She sighed and set her phone aside before heading to the bathroom for a bath.
After dressing in her striped nightie, she laid back on the bed, legs spread. She kept scrolling through social media until she got bored and ended up on the Meet-Ink site.
"Lemme see what's in here anyway," she muttered, logging in to the site quickly.
Strangely, she had already received a text from someone before she even logged in. It made her heart race as she slowly sat up in bed, wondering who it could be. Was this supposed to happen? Wasn't she supposed to start the conversation?
"Hi. Would you like to go on a casual date? It's nothing romantic. I await your reply in a few minutes, or I might not be here later."
Cindy held her breath after reading it. The next question on her mind was:
"W-who's this?"
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