Marrying My Father’s Enemy

Chapter 7: I'm Better Than You

Eira and William walked together through the crowded halls, following the signs to their first class. 

As they stepped into the lecture room, it was already buzzing with conversation. 

The rows of seats were filling quickly, and the atmosphere was full of nervous energy. 

They glanced around, spotting an empty row near the middle.

"Let's sit there?" William suggested, nodding toward the spot.

"Yeah, perfect," Eira agreed, walking beside him as they made their way to the seats.

As soon as they sat down, they heard giggles and whispers behind them. Eira and William exchanged glances, both trying to hold back their laughter.

William leaned in and whispered, "Think we missed the joke?"

Eira chuckled softly. "Probably. Guess we're not in on the gossip yet."

She took out her book and a pen, setting them neatly on her desk, waiting for the class to start. Her heart was beating faster than usual, partly from excitement, partly from the nerves of the first day.

The door finally swung open, and a group of girls entered. Their heels clicked on the floor. At the front of the group was Vanesa, with her head held high as she walked in, so full of confidence. 

She didn't even glance in Eira's direction as she walked past, laughing with her friends.

Eira stiffened slightly, her eyes narrowed at Vanesa's back. But she stayed quiet, focusing on her notebook.

William noticed and raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Eira nodded in a low tone. "Yeah, that's… my sister. Half-sister."

William looked surprised but didn't ask for more details. "Awkward."

Before Eira could respond, the door shut again, and a tall man with stern features entered the room. 

The chatter immediately died down. The professor walked to the front, setting down his briefcase with a loud thud.

"Good morning, class," he said in a deep, authoritative voice. "I'm Professor Harris, and this is Business Theory. Let's begin with a question."

Eira's grip tightened on her pen. The way the professor glanced through the room made her stomach twist in knots.

Without warning, Professor Harris pointed directly at her. "You, in the second row. What is the core principle of supply and demand?"

Eira's mind went blank. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her thoughts scrambled, searching for the answer, but it was as if everything she knew had vanished.

"I—uh—" Eira stammered, and her cheeks flushed immediately.

Behind her, she heard a low comment. Vanesa leaned over to one of her friends and whispered loudly, "She doesn't even know the basics."

The professor's eyes moved toward Vanesa. "Miss in the back. Since you find this amusing, perhaps you can enlighten us."

Vanesa straightened up, her smirk faded into a serious expression. "Of course, Professor. The core principle of supply and demand is that the price of a product is determined by the balance between its availability and the desire for it. When demand is high and supply is low, prices rise. When supply is high and demand is low, prices fall."

"Correct," Professor Harris nodded. "That is the answer I was looking for."

Eira's face burned from the heat, and she looked down at her notebook, feeling small. William glanced over at her, giving her a supportive nudge.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "It's only the first day."

Eira gave him a small smile back, though her heart felt stabbed by the embarrassment. The rest of the class listened quietly as Professor Harris continued.

But Eira's mind was only half on the lecture. The other half was stuck on Vanesa's comment — and how, for the first time, they were in the same room, yet worlds apart.

As the class went on, Eira tried her best to focus, but the tension in her shoulders wouldn't go away. 

Every now and then, she could feel Vanesa's eyes on her, making it hard to concentrate. 

William, sitting beside her, occasionally gave her a reassuring glance, but even that couldn't remove the pressure she felt.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Professor Harris closed his book and dismissed the class. 

Students began gathering their things, the sound of shuffled papers filling the room. 

Eira breathed out, relieved, and started packing up her notes.

Just as she stood up, she heard Vanesa's voice cut through the noise behind her.

"Wow, Eira," Vanesa sneered. "Didn't think you'd make it to Weston. Guess they lowered their standards."

Eira froze but didn't turn around. She calmly zipped her bag, trying to ignore the sting in Vanesa's words. 

But Vanesa wasn't done.

"Where's Callian? Surprised he let you out of his sight. Does he know you've got a new lover now?" Vanesa's tone was sarcastic as she eyed William. 

William's face tensed, and before Eira could stop him, he stood up. "Hey, back off—"

Eira quickly placed a hand on his arm, gently pushing him back. "It's fine," she whispered to him, giving him a quick glance before turning to face Vanesa.

"Yes, Vanesa," Eira said in a sharp voice, "He does know. In fact, Callian told me all about your little tricks. Drugging him to keep his attention? How did that work out for you?"

Vanesa's face turned into a tomato, and for a moment, she seemed caught off guard. 

But she quickly recovered, her lips formed a cold smile. "You think you're clever, don't you? You have no idea who you're messing with. I'm going to destroy you."

Eira straightened her back, meeting Vanesa's glare head-on. "I'm not scared of you, Vanesa."

Vanesa's friends, standing nearby, exchanged glances, unsure what to say. But Vanesa wasn't about to back down.

"You'll regret this," Vanesa hissed while narrowing her eyes. "I promise you, I'll make sure you're out of Callian's life. For good."

Eira didn't flinch. "You've tried that before with another girl. It didn't work then, and it won't work now."

For a short moment, they stood locked in silence, neither willing to back down. 

Finally, Vanesa huffed and turned on her heel, storming out of the room with her squad.

William let out a low whistle once she was gone. "Wow. That was… intense."

Eira exhaled slowly. "Yeah, that's just Vanesa… Callian told me about her."

"You handled her pretty well," William said, clearly impressed.

Eira smiled. "I've had a lot of practice."