Hired As His Fake Girlfriend

Chapter 2: A Bitter Brew

I stormed out of the lecture hall, my cheeks burning with a mixture of anger and humiliation. The cool autumn air hit my face as I stepped outside, providing a stark contrast to the heat of my emotions. Fallen leaves crunched under my worn sneakers as I made my way across the sprawling campus quad, its manicured lawns and towering oak trees a picturesque backdrop to my inner turmoil.

How dare he? Who did Evan Sterling think he was, treating me like that in front of the entire class? My hands shook as I pulled out my phone, my chipped nail polish a reminder of how little time I had for self-care these days. I quickly texted Maya.

"Emergency venting session needed. Meet me at our spot in 10?"

Her reply came almost instantly: "On my way. Bringing chocolate."

I smiled despite my mood. Maya always knew exactly what I needed.

Our "spot" was a secluded bench tucked away in a quiet corner of the campus gardens. By the time I arrived, Maya was already there, a concerned look on her face and a king-sized chocolate bar in her hand.

"Spill," she said, breaking off a chunk of chocolate and handing it to me. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath and launched into the story, the words tumbling out in a rush. I told her about the encounter at the café, Evan's arrogant behaviour, and his cutting remarks during the lecture.

"And then," I said, my voice rising with indignation, "he had the nerve to pull me aside after class and basically tell me I was mediocre at everything! Can you believe that?"

Maya's eyes widened. "What a jerk! Who does he think he is?"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, gesturing wildly. A strand of my unruly brown hair fell into my face, and I impatiently tucked it behind my ear. "Just because he's some hotshot billionaire doesn't give him the right to treat people like that. God, he's so stuck up. I swear, Maya, if I ever cross paths with him again, I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I paused, a mischievous glint in my eye. "I don't know yet, but I'll think of something. He can't just walk all over people and expect to get away with it."

We spent the next hour dissecting every detail of my encounters with Evan, coming up with increasingly ridiculous ways I could get back at him. By the time we parted ways, my mood had lifted considerably, thanks to Maya's unwavering support and our shared laughter.

Back in my small, cramped dorm room, I flopped onto my narrow bed, feeling drained. The room was a chaotic mix of my life – textbooks piled high on the desk, clothes spilling out of the tiny closet, and motivational quotes taped haphazardly to the walls. A small potted succulent, a gift from Maya, sat on the windowsill, the only spot of green in the cluttered space.

I pulled out my phone again, this time to voice note my parents. The cracked screen (a casualty of my perpetually overstuffed bag) made typing a challenge.

"Hey Mom and Dad. Just wanted to check in. Classes are going well. Miss you both."

It was a lie, of course. Classes were fine, but I couldn't bring myself to tell them about the Evan Sterling situation. They had enough to worry about without adding my drama to the mix.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, the soft glow of streetlights filtering through my thin curtains, I couldn't shake the image of Evan's smirking face from my mind. Little did I know, our paths were destined to cross again sooner than I expected.

The next morning dawned bright and early, sunlight streaming through the gaps in my curtains. I dragged myself out of bed, my reflection in the small mirror above my desk showing dark circles under my eyes and my hair a tangled mess. I quickly threw on my work uniform – black pants and a polo shirt with the Campus Grind logo – and headed out for my opening shift.

The café was quiet when I arrived, the early morning sun casting long shadows across the polished wooden floors and gleaming espresso machines. I went through the motions of setting up for the day on autopilot, my mind still clouded with thoughts of yesterday's humiliation.

The morning rush came and went in a blur of Steam and Caffeine. By mid-morning, the café had settled into its usual lull, the air filled with the quiet chatter of students and the clacking of laptop keys. I was just starting to relax when the door chimed.

I looked up, and my heart sank. There he was, Evan Sterling in all his arrogant glory, striding into the café like he owned the place. His tailored suit looked out of place among the casually dressed students, and his presence seemed to command attention from everyone in the room.

Our eyes met, and I saw a flicker of recognition in his steel-gray gaze, followed by that infuriating smirk. He approached the counter, his presence seeming to fill the entire room.

"Well, well," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "If it isn't Miss Weston. I trust you've learned the difference between a ristretto and a regular espresso by now?"

I gritted my teeth, forcing a smile onto my face. "Welcome back to Campus Grind, sir. What can I get for you today?"

Evan's eyes narrowed, as if disappointed by my professional response. "Double espresso," he said, his tone even ruder than before. "And try not to mess it up this time."

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. How dare he? The urge to snap back at him was almost overwhelming, but I bit my tongue. I couldn't afford to lose this job.

As I turned to the espresso machine, I caught sight of Maya entering the café. She took one look at Evan and then at my face, and understanding dawned in her eyes. She quickly made her way behind the counter, ostensibly to grab her apron for her shift, but I knew she was really there to support me.

"You okay?" she whispered as she passed.

I nodded tightly, focusing on preparing Evan's drink. I reached for the syrup bottle to add the caramel drizzle Evan had demanded. My hands were still shaking, and as I moved to set it down, I lost my grip. The bottle slipped, knocking over a cup of freshly brewed coffee waiting on the edge of the counter.

It happened so fast. The cup tipped, the dark liquid spilling in a perfect arc… right onto Evan's pristine, designer suit.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. I watched in horror as the coffee splashed across his chest, soaking the expensive fabric. A shocked gasp escaped my lips. The café fell deathly silent; even the hum of the espresso machine seemed to fade into the background.

Evan's face morphed from surprise to sheer, unadulterated fury. "What the hell did you just do?" he shouted, his voice booming through the café, causing everyone to turn and stare. I could feel my cheeks burning, my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to escape.

"I'm so sorry!" I blurted out, grabbing a handful of napkins in a futile attempt to dab at his suit. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"An accident?" His voice was sharp enough to cut through glass. "You think this is some kind of joke? Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?"

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing larger by the second. "I—I didn’t mean to," I stammered, trying to hold my ground, but my voice wavered. "Let me make you a new drink, and we can—"

Evan cut me off with a cold, humorless laugh. "A new drink? I don’t give a damn about the drink!" He looked me up and down with disdain. "You can't even do your job right. What are you even doing here?"

I felt a sting of humiliation and anger flare up inside me. I wanted to scream back at him, tell him exactly what I thought of his arrogance, his entitlement, his audacity to walk into this café and act like he owned the place. But I bit my tongue, knowing it would only make things worse.

Sarah rushed over, her face pale. "Mr. Sterling, please calm down. I'm sure we can find a way to fix this."

Evan’s gaze shifted to Sarah, his eyes dark and unforgiving. "Oh, there will be a way to fix this," he snarled. "This girl needs to be fired. Now."

Sarah looked at me, her expression conflicted. "Lila, I—"

"You're really going to keep her after this?" Evan interrupted, his voice dangerously low. "Do you even know who I am? I could buy this whole place and have it torn down if I wanted to."

Sarah seemed to shrink under the weight of his words. "Mr. Sterling, I assure you, we take all customer complaints very seriously," she stammered.

"Good," Evan replied sharply. "Then show me that you're serious."

I felt my stomach drop. "Sarah, please," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "It was just an accident. I—"

"And I'm not just going to let this go. I'll have her expelled for this. I'll make sure she never works in this town again!"

The threat snapped me out of my daze. "You can't do that!" I protested, finding my voice at last.

Evan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch me. Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Evan Sterling. I could buy this entire university if I wanted to. Getting one disrespectful barista kicked out will be child's play."

The name dropped like a bomb in the café. I could hear the whispers starting up around us. Evan Sterling, the billionaire, the man whose name was on half the buildings on campus. I'd known he was rich and powerful, but I hadn't realised just how much until this moment.

Sarah stepped between us, her face a mask of professional calm. "Mr. Sterling, I apologise for this incident. I assure you, we'll investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action."

"See that you do," Evan growled. "And as for you," he turned back to me, his gaze so intense I felt like I might burst into flames, "I hope you enjoy your last day on campus. Because I promise you, it will be your last.

"

With that, he stormed out of the café, leaving a stunned silence in his wake. As the door slammed behind him, the whispers erupted into full-blown chatter. I could feel curious and judgmental eyes on me from every direction.

Sarah turned to me, her expression a mixture of disappointment and concern. "Lila, go wait in my office. We need to talk."

As I walked to the back room on shaky legs, the reality of what I'd done finally hit me full force. I'd let my petty desire for revenge override my common sense, and now I was about to lose everything I'd worked so hard for.

Maya caught my eye as I passed, her face filled with worry. I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I'm pretty sure it came out as more of a grimace.

Sitting in Sarah's tiny office, waiting for what I was sure would be my termination and possibly the end of my college career, I couldn't help but wonder: How had things spiralled out of control so quickly? And more importantly, was there any way I could fix this mess I'd created?