I shoved Babur with all my strength, knocking him to the floor.
He looked up at me, disgust written all over his face.
"What are you doing, Valerie? If you don't get out right now, I'm calling the police and reporting you for trespassing."
Babur's voice was vicious, as if I weren't the woman he had loved for three years but a burglar breaking into his home.
Humiliation and panic rose in my chest.
But I refused to leave. I needed answers.
"I'm not going anywhere, Babur. Who was that woman? We just broke up. Are you already with someone else?"
I leaned in on purpose, as if trying to prove I still had some pull over him.
Before, that was all it took. He would wrap his arm around my waist, kiss me, carry me back to the bedroom.
This time, he scoffed and shoved me away.
"That's none of your business. Valerie, I've made myself clear. We're over."
It felt like something sharp was stabbing my heart over and over again.
"I never agreed to this," I said, my voice thick with bitterness and pleading. "I don't want to break up, Babur. Have you forgotten the three years we spent together?"
I searched his eyes, begging to find even a trace of reluctance.
But there was nothing there. No regret. No softness. Just cold contempt.
"Stop making a scene, Valerie. Don't make me hate you even more."
He lit a cigarette and sat back on the couch. Then he grabbed a magazine and tossed it in front of me.
On the cover was a handsome man, and beside him stood the girl I had just seen kissing Babur.
"Look carefully, Valerie. That's Daphne Smith. The youngest daughter of the Smith family. Her brother is the richest man in Ardania. Her mother is one of the most renowned professors in finance. And she herself is a student at Redmont University."
His tone brimmed with admiration as he praised Daphne's beauty and intelligence. Then he looked at me, a mocking curl tugging at his lips.
"And you? Valerie. A near-zero exam scorer who stayed home waiting for a man to support her like a parasite. How could you ever compare to her?"
His cruelty cut through me like a blade.
He seemed to have forgotten that I could have worked. My grades had been terrible, yes, but I also had a beautiful face, which gave me other options.
When we graduated, a talent scout had approached me about becoming a model or an actress.
Babur had refused on my behalf.
He said he would work hard and provide for me, that all I needed to do was stay beautiful and wait to be his wife.
And now he was calling me a parasite living under his roof.
Shame, humiliation, heartbreak flooded my chest.
I should have stood up and walked away, preserved what little dignity I had left.
But I couldn't let go of three years so easily.
He was the first man I had ever loved. I had even imagined the names of our future children.
I bit my lip to keep from crying.
I couldn't give up without fighting for one last chance.
If nothing else, I owed it to those three years.
I stared at his handsome face, and a desperate idea took root.
"If I get into Redmont University too… would you come back to me?"
Babur paused mid-drag. He turned to look at me, something amused flickering in his eyes.
I lowered my head in embarrassment. He must have thought I'd lost my mind.
Someone like me, who always ranked last in exams, getting into Redmont? It sounded ridiculous.
I kept my head down, letting Babur's gaze roam over me.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Fine. Valerie. Show me how serious you are."
He actually agreed.
A spark flared inside my chest.
In my excitement, I almost forgot he had just broken up with me. I stood up and threw my arms around him.
"Thank you, Babur. Thank you for giving me a chance."
He didn't push me away. Instead, he lightly wrapped an arm around my waist, his tone laced with something almost playful.
"I'm looking forward to your results."
For a moment, he seemed like the gentle Babur I used to know.
He drove me back to Lacey's place.
When Lacey saw me stepping out of his car, she rushed over and grabbed my hand.
"Valerie, did you get back together with Babur?"
"No, not yet. But he promised that if I get into Redmont, we'll get back together."
Just thinking about Babur returning to my side filled me with endless courage.
I clenched my fists, determination hardening inside me.
"I will get into Redmont University. I'll become a woman worthy of Babur."
