She only wanted to check her messages, but what she found online shattered her.
"What is going on?" Arielle asked Mercy and Dina, who were busy fixing their makeup in front of the mirrors inside the faculty room.
She had just finished her morning class and walked in, confused by the sudden excitement.
"Hurry up, girl! We have a faculty meeting with the dean. The school owner's son is attending," Mercy said as she applied lipstick.
"Yes, girl! I heard he is really handsome, and still single!" Dina added, brushing her long hair with excitement.
"Who knows? Maybe he will fall for my beauty!" Dina joked.
Arielle could only shake her head at the two. She combed her shoulder-length hair and dabbed a little lipstick on. She never liked wearing much makeup, her natural beauty was more than enough. Her cheeks always had a soft glow, even without blush. They arrived last at the meeting venue, so they quietly took seats at the back.
The introduction of the owner's son had already ended. The dean was now speaking about an upcoming seminar workshop and the school's foundation day.
"Mercy, there he is! He is so handsome… Too bad we came late," Dina whispered excitedly.
"Hey, behave, Dina. He's mine," Mercy replied playfully.
Arielle ignored them. She had been trying to text Cassian, her husband, but he had not replied. She tried calling him, but the line was busy.
She was already bored with the meeting, so she opened Facebook.
Something pushed her to search Tessa's profile, even though they were not friends. She was not sure why she felt the urge, but once she saw it, her heart sank.
There Tessa was, arms around a man whose back looked painfully familiar. Arielle knew that figure all too well, it was her husband, Cassian.
She kept scrolling and nearly dropped her phone when she saw an old post from a month ago. Tessa had posted a photo of a ring with the caption: "I can't wait, my love."
There were so many pictures of the two of them together. Cassian never liked taking photos. He rarely posted on social media. Yet with Tessa, he seemed completely different. Why? Was he ashamed of her? His own wife?
"Hey, Arielle! They just called your name. You're one of the teachers attending the seminar in Cebu!" Mercy nudged her.
"What?" Her head snapped up. She hated seminars.
Without saying much, she stood up and stepped outside. Her hands were cold, and her chest burned with jealousy and frustration.
Everything she saw on Tessa's profile was still playing in her head. She needed air. She needed space. And most of all, she needed answers.
"Damn it!" she muttered under her breath the moment she saw it, Cassian had heart-reacted to every single one of Tessa's photos.
"So now you suddenly know how to use Facebook, Cassian? How convenient," she spat, her voice bitter with frustration.
She did not even notice the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her chest tightened. It hurt. All she ever did was love him, stay faithful, be a good wife. Why did it feel like she was the one being punished?
Desperate to distract herself, she called her best friend.
"Hello, bestie!" she said, trying to sound normal.
"Well, well… Look who finally woke up. Have you signed the divorce papers yet, Miss Martyr?" Venessa teased from the other end. "Come on, let's hit the bar tonight. My treat."
Arielle gave a weak chuckle. "Only if you're paying. What's the occasion? It's rare you invite me to drink."
"No big deal. Just found out you're going to Cebu for a week-long seminar! Wow, bestie, are they sure you're the one they want to send?" Venessa laughed. "Honestly, if I were you, I'd focus on your dad's company instead. You're too smart to waste time in that school. Anyway, gotta go. Bye, rich girl!"
Venessa was always like that, bold, blunt, and unfiltered. Arielle could only shake her head with a sigh.
"I thought only students skipped class, but teachers too?" a deep voice said behind her.
She turned around to find the source of the voice, and instantly regretted it.
Tall, clean scent and ridiculously handsome. Well-dressed like he just stepped off a runway. Flawless skin. And that body? A walking temptation. He looked like the type who broke hearts for fun.
"Are you following me?" she asked, annoyed.
"Why would I follow you?" he smirked, clearly amused.
"Then what are you doing here?" she snapped.
He gave her a grin that made her want to slap or kiss him, she could not tell which.
"What's so funny? Stay away from me, Mr. Well-endowed or whatever your name is," she grumbled.
"Hmmm... The name's Rafael Knightley Carrington," he replied with a dramatic bow, clearly enjoying himself.
Her heart dropped. No. No way. That name. That name. She cursed under her breath, realization dawning like a slap to the face. Rafael Knightley Carrington, the only son of the school's owner. A billionaire. A major player in business circles. And standing right in front of her like he had just walked out of a magazine spread.
Just like her parents, he belonged to the world of the ultra-rich. But she had made a promise; no one at school would know her real background. Not even him. Especially not him. To everyone here, she was just Teacher Arielle. No one knew she was the sole heiress of both the Delacroix and Marquez families. And she planned to keep it that way.
"Sorry, I thought you were the janitor!" she teased with a mocking grin.
"What the heck?!" he snapped, clearly offended. His face turned red as he quickly adjusted his baby blue polo under a black suit jacket.
She had only meant it as a joke, but his reaction made her want to laugh. He looked like he suddenly became self-conscious.
"Why are you wearing a baby blue polo anyway? You look like, well, never mind. It is not exactly manly," she added with a smirk.
Without warning, he grabbed her and kissed her. It was fast, rough, and far too intense to be a joke.
"What the hell was that?!" she gasped.
"That was your punishment, woman. Never call me names like that again or I might really forget we are still on campus," he said, his voice low and serious.
She stood speechless, stunned by both his words and his kiss. He leaned closer, his lips near her ear. "Oh, and by the way, I finally figured out what Mr. Well-endowed means… Want to find out if it fits the title?"
"You are disgusting. You really are a playboy," she snapped.
He just gave her a look, then walked back into the meeting hall. Before going in, he turned and winked at her.
"Jerk! Total playboy," she screamed silently in her mind.