AFTER being cast out of his home with nothing but a small backpack containing a few clothes and his cherished notebooks, Edward had no choice but to leave Malberry. The city that once represented his family's pride and status had become a place of shame and rejection. His only hope rested on the promise of shelter from a distant relative in a remote province—Aunt Nena, his great-aunt, whom he had only met once as a small child. It was a province far removed from the bustling streets and glittering skyscrapers of Malberry; a place where the roads were often unpaved, and the tallest structures were the coconut trees swaying against the vast open sky. Initially, Edward believed this would be his sanctuary—a quiet corner of the world where he could escape the shadow of his domineering father, the cold judgment of his mother, and the whispering stares of Malberry's high society. He imagined finding peace, time to think, and perhaps even an opportunity to rebuild himself slowly.
But life in the province was vastly different from the peaceful retreat he had pictured. His former luxurious lifestyle was replaced by simple, rugged living. Grand dinners prepared by private chefs gave way to humble meals of vegetables from Aunt Nena's backyard garden and freshly caught fish from the nearby river. His spacious, air-conditioned room in the Garcia mansion was replaced by a small, wooden chamber with a bamboo mat for a bed and a window that let in both the cool breeze and the persistent mosquitoes and dust. Yet, these physical discomforts were not his greatest trials. The true difficulty lay in how the people around him perceived and treated him.
Edward, who had spent most of his childhood buried in books, scientific theories, and tinkering with machines, lacked the casual social skills that came naturally to the local youth. His quiet, introverted nature was not seen as thoughtfulness but was misinterpreted as arrogance or weakness. His slender physique, pale skin, and gentle demeanor stood out sharply against the tanned, sturdy locals, making him an easy target for ridicule. At school, he quickly became the favorite victim of the group of bullies who ruled the campus corridors. They mocked his "pale and ugly" appearance, his "awkward and clumsy" movements, and his "weak and soft" personality. They laughed at the way he spoke, which carried the accent and mannerisms of the city they resented.
Every day, Edward endured both physical and emotional torment. His carefully written notes were torn apart, his lunch money was stolen, and sometimes he was cornered in empty corners of the schoolyard and pushed or hit until he fell. The bruises and scratches on his skin could be hidden beneath his clothes, but the wounds in his heart deepened with each passing day. The former young prodigy who once dreamed of building his own empire and proving his worth was now a terrified young man who trembled at the sound of loud voices. Every morning, waking up felt like entering a nightmare, and every step into the school gate was a test of his endurance.
"Look at that freak!" yelled one of the bullies, kicking Edward's stack of books straight into a muddy puddle during recess. "You don't belong here, city boy! Go back to where you came from! Maybe there, your arrogant peers won't mock you as much as we do!" The group burst into loud, mocking laughter, leaving Edward standing in the mud, trying hard to hold back tears.
Those words pierced through Edward's chest like sharp thorns. He knew they were right. He didn't belong there. He had never truly belonged anywhere. His family in Malberry had already abandoned him as if he were nothing but trash, and now, even in this faraway province, society was turning its back on him. He felt like a leaf blown away by the wind, with no roots, no home, and no one to turn to.
In the midst of his darkest sorrow, however, one day, everything seemed to change. He met Alicia. She was the most beautiful and popular girl in school, always surrounded by a circle of friends, always smiling brightly, and admired by everyone wherever she went. To Edward, she looked like a star fallen down from the sky. For the first time since he arrived at this place, someone approached him without any hint of mockery or disgust in her eyes.
"Why are you sitting here all alone?" Alicia asked softly, sitting beside him under an old mango tree. Her voice was gentle, and her eyes were full of what looked like understanding.
Edward was startled and could not speak for a moment. He just stared at her in disbelief.
"Don't be afraid," she said, smiling warmly. "I'm not like them. I think you're interesting. If you want, we can be friends."
In the following weeks, Edward and Alicia grew closer day by day. She would sit with him during lunch breaks, listen to him talk about his inventions and dreams, and even helped him stand up against the bullies a few times. Alicia became the only light in Edward's dark and suffocating world. With her by his side, he finally felt like a human being worthy of care and respect. He learned to smile again, learned to trust someone again, and even dared to dream of a future that wasn't filled with fear. Edward fell deeply in love with Alicia, and he truly believed that Alicia felt the same way about him.
But that happiness was short-lived, like a bubble bursting in the wind. One afternoon, as Edward was walking toward the school garden to meet Alicia as promised, he heard familiar voices coming from behind the wall. It was Alicia and her group of friends. The whole school had been buzzing about something lately, and now Edward finally heard the truth. It turned out that everything was part of a cruel bet—a wager made by Alicia and her friends that she could easily make Edward fall hopelessly in love with her. Her prize for winning? The bragging rights of proving she could do anything she wanted, even charm the strangest and most unwanted person in school.
"The bet's finally over, guys! It was so easy to make that geek fall head over heels for me! Haha! My prize is definitely worth it!" Edward heard Alicia's cheerful voice ringing out, casual and light, as if she were talking about a game she had just won.
Edward stood frozen in place, feeling as if the ground beneath his feet had crumbled away. His world shattered into tiny pieces once again. The pain he felt this time was far greater than all the bullying and rejection he had endured before. The betrayal came from the very person he had trusted with his whole heart. The love he thought was real, the warmth he thought was genuine, turned out to be nothing more than a cruel joke played at his expense. Shame, anger, and despair mixed together and pushed him to the brink of madness. This time, it wasn't just his family who had abandoned him; even the love he believed in was a lie. Everything he had learned about trust and affection suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but emptiness and darkness in its place.