The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter, the sounds of trays scraping against tables and students gossiping about the latest happenings on campus. But today, there was a weight in the air, something heavier than the routine banter. It was like everyone knew something was about to happen, and nobody wanted to be caught off guard when the truth came out. Alex had been preparing himself for this moment for weeks. He was going to stand up to his father, tell everyone the truth about us, and make it clear that he wasn't going to back down.

We sat at our usual table, our group of friends already gathered around us. Julie was sipping her iced coffee, talking about some assignment due in a few days, but I could tell her mind wasn't entirely there. Maeve was tapping her fingers nervously on the table, eyes darting around, probably imagining the chaos that was about to unfold. Dan and Max were lost in a conversation about some game, but I could see the tension in their eyes. They knew something big was coming. They all did.

I glanced at Alex, his jaw set and his hands clenched tightly around his coffee mug. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced with a flicker of nervous energy. He was excited, yes, but also anxious-he didn't know how the world would react to his declaration. Neither did I.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of my phone vibrating on the table caught my attention. I glanced down at the screen, my stomach dropping as I saw the headline.

"Breaking News: Alex Beaumont and Rose Jenkins Officially Engaged"

I froze for a second, then quickly opened the link to the Kigs Gossip Journal. The article was filled with cheesy, exaggerated headlines and photos of Alex and Rose from a recent event. The social media responses were already flooding in, full of excited comments, like "The perfect match!" and "Lovebirds from the same social class - this is the couple goals we needed!"

But the comments that followed were nothing short of hateful. My heart sank as I read through the flood of negativity that filled the comment section.

"Poor Evelyn. She was never good enough for him anyway." "Guess the 'poor girl' couldn't keep him. The rich always end up with their own kind." "Was she even worth it? Doesn't matter now, I guess. Rose is the perfect match." "She doesn't deserve him. Look at the difference in their status. It's not even close." "I knew it. She was just some school crush. His dad's right. It was never going to last."

The comments felt like a punch in the gut, each one more cutting than the last. I could feel the heat rising in my face, my vision blurring slightly from the sting of it all. But before I could say anything, Julie slid her hand over mine.

"Don't look at that crap," she said gently, trying to take my phone away from me, but I pulled it back, unable to look away.

Maeve, who had been quietly observing, slammed her fist on the table, her face red with anger. "This is ridiculous," she hissed. "They're all so damn pathetic. Why can't people just mind their own business? Who cares about their 'status'?"

Max leaned forward, his brows furrowed. "People are assholes, Evelyn. You know that. But look-this is what happens when you're in the spotlight. It's only going to get worse before it gets better."

Dan, who had been silent up until now, sighed heavily. "I didn't want to say anything, but I was expecting this. They don't care about your relationship. They just care about the damn status and who fits where in this stupid hierarchy."

I just nodded, feeling sick. I didn't care about status. I didn't care about what anyone thought about me. But seeing Alex, the person I loved more than anything, be dragged through the mud like this was more than I could handle.

As if on cue, Alex's grip tightened on his cup, and I could see the frustration and anger boiling in him. "This isn't even real," he muttered under his breath, his voice rising. "They think this is some fairy tale. Some 'perfect match.' But they don't know anything. They have no idea what's really going on."

I tried to soothe him, reaching for his hand, but it was like he wasn't even aware of it. His eyes were locked on his phone, scrolling through the hateful messages as if they were physically hurting him.

And then, like a knife in the gut, we saw her. Rose.

She was walking into the cafeteria, smiling like she owned the world. Her friends flanked her, cameras flashing as reporters clamored around her with questions about the engagement. I could hear snippets of their questions over the noise of the cafeteria.

"Rose! When's the wedding? Will it be a private affair?"

"Do you plan on doing charity work with Alex?"

"What does it feel like to be the next Mrs. Beaumont?"

She was answering them all with that perfect smile, looking like the media darling they'd expected her to be. Her image, her status, her perfect family-everything that Alex's father had wanted. Everything that I wasn't.

I watched Alex's face contort in frustration. His hands clenched into fists. "I can't take this anymore," he spat, standing up so quickly that his chair fell backward. "This is a fucking joke."

"Alex, calm down," I said, my voice shaky with panic as I stood up to follow him, but he was already striding toward Rose.

Before anyone could stop him, he was across the room, standing directly in front of Rose and the crowd of reporters. "This is bullshit!" he shouted, his voice loud enough to silence the room for a moment. Everyone turned, staring at him, and Rose froze, her smile faltering as she realized what was happening.

The reporters swarmed around him, their cameras flashing in rapid succession. "Alex, what's going on?" one of them asked. "Is it true you're back with Rose?"

"No," Alex said, his voice sharp. "This is a fucking lie. I'm not engaged to anyone. I'm with Evelyn." He pointed to me, his eyes blazing. "The woman I love is right there. Not her."

I stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold. This wasn't the plan. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

"Alex, stop!" I shouted, trying to push through the crowd to reach him, but the reporters wouldn't let me get closer. "This isn't helping!"

The headmaster's office door opened, and two security guards stepped forward, escorting Alex and me toward the principal's office. The air was thick with tension as people whispered and stared. I could hear snippets of conversation in the background.

"Did you hear that? They're together? He's dating the girl from the poor side of town?"

"Wait, what? He's with her? That's a scandal waiting to happen."

"This is going to make headlines."

Julie hurried over to me, her face filled with concern. "Evelyn, are you okay? Don't listen to those people. They don't know anything."

I was barely aware of her words. My head was spinning, my thoughts jumbled as I tried to process everything that just happened. It felt like the world was crashing down around me, and all I could do was watch as Alex's world exploded in front of him.

"Come on," Julie said softly, guiding me out of the cafeteria. "Let's get some fresh air."

We walked outside, the cool air hitting my face, but it didn't seem to clear my mind. The weight of everything was too much to bear. I thought I saw someone in the distance, but it was too far away to make out.

Suddenly, we saw Charlotte and Thomas standing near the edge of the quad, arguing. Their voices were too soft for us to hear from this distance, but the tension between them was palpable. Thomas was pacing, his face flushed with anger, while Charlotte stood with her arms crossed, trying to calm him down.

"Do you think they're okay?" Julie asked, her voice quiet, her gaze fixed on the scene.

"I don't know," I whispered, feeling a sense of dread settle in my stomach.

Before I could react, Thomas stormed off, brushing past us without saying a word. I tried to call out to him, but he didn't stop. He disappeared into the crowd, leaving Charlotte standing alone, her face crumpling in distress.

"Charlotte?" I called softly, approaching her cautiously. "Are you okay?"

But she didn't answer. Her tears were too thick to hide, and she quickly turned away from me, walking off in the opposite direction.

I stood there, my mind spinning. What had just happened between them? Why did it feel like there was more to this than we realized?