CHAPTER 23: SCANDAL

"No, I don't want you going to Uni." Isaac firmly says, I sigh and raise an eyebrow at him.
"You know that I'm going to have to deal with it Isaac. I need to finish my degree somehow,
there's thousands of people there. Surely not everyone knows about us and will bully me." I
know that I hurt myself because of everything but I shouldn't have, I just wanted to end it all.
I'll just have to suck it up and deal with what's coming, even if I feel like drowning.
He sighs, "I'm coming. I need to set things straight, they can't treat you like this." He growls
under his breath and grabs his keys. I'm surprised, I thought that he would of got a Chauffeur
because he likes showing off his wealth obviously. But I don't like showing off that I have a
famous rich 'husband' at all. It's not really something someone should be proud of at all in
my opinion; I'm just too young.
We walk to his expensive car, I don't know brands so I'm not saying. I get in and he drives off
to my University. After the incident he stayed with me, we had a movie marathon, ate ice
cream and McDonald's. Isaac and I stay in silence on our way to my University the whole
time, he parks, stops the car and gets out marching towards the school without me. I shrug
and get out, I jump as the beep goes off from him locking it. I catch up to his very fast speed,
he walks to the campus managers office demanding threats to go out of getting kicked out of
uni which I totally disagree on. It will probably get me more hate than I already have and I
don't need that.
"Zac no. Stop." I plead grabbing his elbow, he shrugs me off and the campus manager
declares everyone to go to a lecture hall to sign papers surrounding not mentioning my
marriage. "Isaac I'll be fine!" I shout, he spins around pinning me with a hard glare.
"No, you hurt yourself," he whisper hisses. "And I can't allow that to ever happen again. I
can't loose you too, I just can't." He shakes his head at the thought and runs a hand through
his dark hair. "So don't stop me from doing what I need to do to protect you."
I shake my head stopping in the middle of the hall and I watch as he walks away to a lecture
hall. "Claudia are you okay?" I spin around only to see Carter looking at me with a face full of
worry. I flash him a smile and shrug, I might as well not completely lie.
"I've had better days." I say dryly, he chuckles and nods. He looks at the floor and slowly
looks up at me, I sigh and mutter, "we better get to the lecture hall." He nods in agreement
and we walk in silence to the hall.
Chairs are already set up in lecture halls, there's thousands of people who go to University
so obviously they're going to have to do this over consecutive days. I sit down next to
Aaliyah and Carter takes a seat beside me, Joey doesn't show at all and I don't know why
Carter did actually; he has bruises and scratchers covering his face. I nudge his shoulder
and he looks at me, "are you okay from yesterday?" I ask, he shrugs.
"I'm alright but Joey got it worse so he's still at his house resting up and trying to get better.
Not like he'll get better after a day," he mutters dryly and I nod in agreement.
The campus manager who I don't know the name of coughs trying to get our attention and
most heads snap up to him to listen. "Hello everybody, we have a special guest that would
like to speak to everyone. In particular the first year business students, please welcome mr
Miller." Applause and cheers go around, some girls even go as far to giggle and whisper into
each other's ears.
"Too bad he's taken," I hear someone whisper behind me. "Yeah by a slut," another replies
and I swallow, Aaliyah spins around scowling at them.
"Shut the f*ck up before I climb over this chair and beat your ass up!" She shouts making
people turn to look at her. I stare at Isaac praying that he really wouldn't go through this and
ruin the little dignity and reputation I have. He clears his throat and somehow through the
crowd of people his blue eyes meet my pleading brown ones.
"It has come to my attention that some rumours have gone around and some nasty
comments; particularly to Claudia. As most of you know we have recently gotten married but
I will not tolerate you calling her a slut or anything like that behind her back or to her face.
Some of you are even going as far as saying that she's married to me because she's my sex
slave which of course isn't true at all. I'm speaking today to warn you that if this continues
happening I will take it further which you don't want at all. Claudia is just a normal person,
just because we are married doesn't mean she is a different person. She means a lot to me
and the way you are treating her is unacceptable, consider this your only warning and if it
continues... watch out."
I can see some horrified looks on some of the people's faces like the people who called me
those terrible names. Maybe this won't turn out as bad as I think it will, but I'm not going to
think that just in case it turns around and bites me in the ass.
He walks off stage and I feel like this is the moment where he should have dropped the
microphone and said 'bye bîtches' which is unfortunate because he didn't. That would have
been pretty cool though.
People give him a round of applause and the manager walks back on stage, "you heard the
man. And if I hear anything of you picking on ms Claudia you will be asked to leave
immediately." I feel like these are all empty threats. "You're dismissed, thanks everyone,"
everyone starts to stand and the chattering goes around.
"Wow," Aaliyah breaths out in surprise. "That even got me shîtting my pants and I'm your
best friend so I wouldn't say that," her mouth opens wide.
"Same here for me," Carter agrees with her. I hook my arms through theirs and we walk out
of the hall together but Zac calls my name so tentatively I walk over to him.
"Thank you," I blurt out, I might as well say it.
He flashes me a grin and shrugs, "I gotta protect what's mine." I almost roll my eyes...
almost. He checks his watch that is most likely Rolex and sighs, "well I have to head to work
now, will you be alright?" He raises an eyebrow at me.
I nod, "yeah, I have Aaliyah and Carter here so they'll look after me." He nods slowly and
stuffs his hands into his pockets. I feel as if there is an awkward silence in the air, but I'm not
100 percent sure.
"How is Carter by the way?" He takes a step forward, I shrug. I guess he isn't completely fine
but he's not totally bad.
"He's alright, Joey's got it worse though. Joseph Jones is one hell of a guy." I really hate
admitting it but Isaac is way more attractive, muscular and taller which is cliché, really.
"Well I got to go now, goodbye."
"Bye," I whisper. For a moment we stand there staring at each other in silence, it's like both
of us are contemplating things with our minds but we are both too scared to find out what the
other persons reaction would be. So he just walks up to me and wraps his arms around me
in a tight hug, slowly I lift my arms and wrap them around his frame. He pulls back with a
smile then walks past me, his cologne still sits in the air and I just breath it in. Sighing I start
walking to home room, great.
~~
A cough makes me look up from my delicious lunch: a hamburger and fries. My content
smile drops as I see Joseph Jones, Aka JJ standing there. I really don't want to see him at
all after what he did, and it looks like Aaliyah and Carter don't want to either. What does he
want?
"What?" I snap and he awkwardly clears his throat. He scratches the back of his neck and
sighs.
"I'm sorry." I raise an eyebrow, he's sorry? Yeah he said it but I'm not going to forgive him.
He wouldn't have said sorry if it weren't for Zac's speech and frankly I don't want his
apologies.
"Okay," I purse my lips.
"Okay? That's all you have to say?" He asks in disbelief and shakes his head at me. I shrug
and nod, practically.
"What else can I say Joseph? You hurt my best friends, one of them is a girl by the way and
that's illegal. Heck, it's illegal touching both genders! If a girl hit you for doing nothing I would
say the same thing I'm telling you now. It's illegal to put your hands on anyone. You're a jerk
who thinks that he's better than everyone else when really you aren't," I've been told that my
brutal honesty could kill but I don't care. He deserves it, actually he deserves way more than
some brutal harsh honesty.
"You don't make this easy for me Claudia," he runs his hand through his hair and he looks
around. Aaliyah glowers up at him and flips him off.
"Can you just go away now?" She snaps at him.
"So am I forgiven?" He asks. All of us scoff and start laughing very loudly which makes some
heads turn.
"Not even close, you're gonna have to work for it. Even more with Joey by the way," I inform
him, he sighs and backs away from the table. Carter rolls his eyes and angrily shoves the
rest of his burrito into his mouth.
"We aren't going to forgive him in the end, right?" Aaliyah looks at me, I shrug at her
question. Who knows, I'm not a fortune teller.
My phone vibrates with a message and I pull it out of my pocket, I raise my brows when I
see it's a message from Amelia- my sister. What a surprise, I wonder what she wants.
Slutty Amelia- Hey, I heard what happened with everyone teasing you and I think that you
should check the teen vogue and gossip magazines and newspapers as soon as possible.
I still haven't changed her name from when I deeply hated her, I change it to Amelia but then
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. What the hell is on newspapers and magazines that she
wants me to see?
Claudia- What the hell, how did you find out? Tell me what's on the newspaper and
magazines.
My heart rate accelerates in nervousness, what could it be? Is it something bad that's related
to Zac and me or is just as individuals? Anticipation is what I'm feeling.
Amelia- You're everywhere, on tabloids, the news, newspapers, magazines. It's crazy! It's
about people calling you all these names that are on the news and Zac apparently came to
your University. More information is coming and most likely on newspapers. Then on the
newspapers and magazines there are details about your marriage and about what happened
at the party; it's crazy you need to see it.
Oh god no. Please tell my this is not happening, I don't like the whole world knowing my
personal life!
Claudia- wow, thanks for telling me.
I switch off my phone and slide it in my pocket. I really need to see the information. But I just
continue talking and eating with my friends acting like there isn't a problem in the world when
my world may just be crumbling down into pieces.
~~
Newly wedded Mrs Claudia Rose Miller appears to be spotted exiting a party in the arms of
her new husband- Isaac Stone Miller. Mrs Miller appears to be crying, but suspects also
noticed her infamous sister- Amelia Richardson spotted in a body guards arms. Some
people say they heard her screaming and some people even noticed the bruises on both of
their bodies.
Maybe mr Miller: the most youngest, famous multimillionaire that owns multiple companies
and has stared in some award winning movies, can't protect his wife with the amount of
money he has. Some people even have some suspicions that the marriage is a scandal, that
they don't believe they were actually dating. What if the most popular couple isn't really a
couple?
Oh my god. What are we going to do? I think they're onto us.