Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara had been settling into her new job on the top floor for about a week, and things were going pretty smoothly. The folks at the office were all hustling and really good at their jobs, and best of all, they didn't seem to give a hoot about the gossip swirling around her personal life.

She figured it was about time to buy herself a car now that she had a place to call home. After work, she headed to the car dealership. A young guy, probably in his early twenties, came over to help her out. He seemed a bit shy but was genuinely eager as he walked her through the car's features.

Meanwhile, a couple of other salespeople nearby were giving him the side-eye, clearly looking down on him. Clara raised an eyebrow. She was just about to ask the young guy to join her for a test drive when she noticed a group of young folks sauntering in. They all seemed vaguely familiar.

Leading the pack was her brother Ryan. He'd always been the golden child, coddled and spoiled, and today he was dressed to impress with trendy clothes and headphones slung around his neck.

As soon as Ryan's crew spotted the young salesman, they jumped right into roasting him. "Look who's back at it again, our resident scholarship kid! Clocking in for another shift, huh?"

They closed in on the young guy, jostling him around. "Did your crush finally notice you, big shot? Feeling smug now?"

"Weren't you the one who called us slackers last time? Too good for us, Mr. Valedictorian?"

Ryan was acting all aloof, glued to his phone, until he caught sight of Clara. His eyes lit up with surprise. "Clara? You here to see me?"

Clara noticed the roughhousing, and the older salespeople just stood by, unfazed. Clearly, this wasn't the first rodeo. The bullies were all rich, entitled brats, and were probably tied to the dealership's owners, so nobody dared to step in.

"Clara, finally come to say sorry? I knew you'd cave sooner or later," Ryan smirked, pocketing his game console and trying to tame a rogue tuft of hair. "I'm not letting you off that easy this time. You'll need to cook for me every day for two years and bring it to my school."

Clara eyed him coolly as he swaggered closer, looking all pleased with himself. The young guy getting hit seemed resigned to this treatment and was just taking it without a word.noveldrama

She finally broke her silence. "Are you bullying people at school, Ryan?"

His face fell, turning stormy. "Bullying? He had it coming. He was cozying up to the girl he knew I liked."

Before he could finish, Clara slapped him hard across the face. His head jerked to the side, eyes wide with disbelief.

It wasn't the first time Clara had done this.

Ryan clutched his cheek, trying to process it. "Did you just hit me again?"

"Ryan, you're a 19-year-old college student. Don't you feel ashamed about using your status to push others around?"

The bullies froze, shocked that Ryan had been slapped. "You good, Ryan?" they asked, clearly taken aback.

"Who is she? You want us to take care of her?"