My contract love story

It was the next morning, and as part of her usual routine, Ashleigh woke up at 6 am, feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. The silence as she got ready felt different; typically, Susan would assist her and update her on the morning’s developments, while Mr. Atkinson would only appear for urgent matters. As Ashleigh approached her dresser, she carefully selected a pair of accessories and a simple necklace. However, when she reached the ring box, she hesitated.

Her gaze softened as she opened the box, revealing the wedding ring with a delicate chain attached. Memories flooded back of Adrian placing it on her neck, insisting she wear it at all times. She also recalled their last conversation, which left a heaviness in her heart.

“Is it necessary to wear the ring now?” she pondered, holding the box up to eye level and studying the sparkling princess-cut diamond.

After a moment, she decided she didn’t need to carry the identity of someone who didn’t reciprocate. After all, she already identified herself as Ashleigh Hartman. It seemed better this way, especially since Adrian had no intention of acknowledging a romantic relationship between them, not to talk of a public relationship.

With that conclusion, Ashleigh closed the box and placed it in the bottom drawer. She continued her morning routine, and by 7:30 am, she was almost ready to leave when a loud noise echoed against the door.

Walking over, she opened it to find a girl tumbling through, while her friends laughed behind her. Ashleigh noticed the girl, younger than herself, dressed in a crop top, shorts with fishnet stockings, black boots, and heavy makeup adorned with silver jewelry. Her friends, similarly dressed, filmed the incident on their phones.

“Are you okay?” Ashleigh asked, concerned, reaching out her hand. The girl continued giggling, ignoring Ashleigh’s gesture. Feeling awkward, Ashleigh withdrew and stood beside the door.

“Could you guys help me up?” the girl groaned from the floor. Her friends quickly assisted her, brushing past Ashleigh to collapse onto the bed.

Ashleigh closed the door and watched them interact, still wondering why they had ignored her. Gathering her courage, she tried again to connect.

“Hello, one of you must be my roommate. I’m Ashleigh Hartman, I moved in yesterday,” she said with a smile.

One of the girls glanced up. “We know. It’s pretty obvious,” she replied dryly.

“Oh. How can you tell?” Ashleigh asked, curious.

They exchanged knowing looks. “No fully settled student would dress like you,” the first girl remarked, eyeing Ashleigh’s attire of shirt and jeans.

“And no one in their right mind would move into this room and floor at this hour, especially not with Megan, unless you’re new,” the second girl added, gesturing towards the girl who had fallen but not spoken to Ashleigh.

“Her name’s Megan,” Ashleigh noted to herself, observing the girl closely.

“Well, I hope we can get along,” Ashleigh offered optimistically.

The girls stared blankly. Megan finally sat up and forced a smile. “Ashleigh, right?” she asked. Ashleigh nodded eagerly.

“Your classes will be starting soon. Want to head out?” Megan suggested, motioning towards the door as her friends snickered.

Ashleigh blushed faintly, silently gathering her things into her bag. With a slight stumble, she exited the room. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she began her descent downstairs. Unlike the quiet of the previous evening, the hostel was bustling with activity.

Arriving at the ground floor, Ashleigh spotted Miss Maisie at the reception.

“Good morning, Miss Maisie,” she greeted warmly.

“Morning, Ashleigh! Have you had breakfast? It’s going to be a busy day!” Miss Maisie replied warmly, handing Ashleigh a small pin with legible writing.

“This will be your identifier. It’ll help you spot other new students too. You need to be at the conference hall for the first program. There’s a shuttle outside, and you can use GPS to find your way. Good luck!” Miss Maisie finished, and Ashleigh thanked her before leaving the hostel.

“This will be your identifier. It’ll help you spot other new students too. You need to be at the conference hall for the first program. There’s a shuttle outside, and you can use GPS to find your way. Good luck!” Miss Maisie finished, and Ashleigh thanked her before leaving the hostel.

Fortunately, the bus was still in the parking lot when she arrived. Strangely, it was nearly empty except for a few girls. Ashleigh took a seat as the bus departed promptly at 8 am. At each stop, girls disembarked after scanning a card, which Ashleigh realized she didn’t have. Anxiety gripped her as she wondered how to pay.

When it was her turn, she hesitated. “Um, I… I didn’t know I needed a card,” Ashleigh stammered nervously, overhearing whispers among the other girls.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“What is this, a free ride? Sick of girls like you trying to scam us,” the irritated bus driver snapped, causing Ashleigh to shrink back.

“I’ll pay for her,” a voice behind her interjected. Ashleigh turned gratefully to see her rescuer: a girl in a knee-length floral dress with stockings and heels, her purse slung over her shoulder. She looked displeased as she paid for Ashleigh.

With the fare settled, the bus driver reluctantly allowed them to disembark. The girl walked off with a roll of her eyes, but Ashleigh hurried after her.

“Hi, sorry to bother you, but thank you for helping me,” Ashleigh said earnestly.

The girl turned to face her with a displeased expression.

“Robinette. Next time, come prepared with your card or find another way. We don’t tolerate scammers here. Understand?” she said sharply.

Ashleigh nodded silently, feeling flustered as she watched Robinette walk away. Her mind raced with one nagging question: why did everyone seem to be so harsh towards her?