THE PRETTY LIE

As the lecture came to an end, Christine's mind still reeled from the confrontation with Peter. Her emotions tangled in a knot of embarrassment and frustration, she gathered her belongings, her eyes lingering on the empty seat beside her - a constant reminder of what had happened. His smug expression still fresh in her mind, it fueled her determination to take back control.

She walked out of the lecture hall, feeling like Peter was waiting for her next move, ready to pounce. The feeling of unease followed her home, where she paced back and forth in her room. "What's wrong with him?" she exclaimed, still fuming.

Jessie, lying on her bed, looked up at Christine with a mixture of concern and amusement. "Oh, stop being dramatic, Christine. I think you're overreacting."

Christine stopped pacing and turned to face Jessie. "I'm being dramatic? What does he even want from me?"

"Yeah, maybe a little," Jessie replied, as Christine continued to pace back and forth across the room.

Jessie's expression softened, her voice filled with concern. "Christine, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of your situation. But maybe you are overthinking this. Maybe Peter's just a guy who's really into you."

Christine shook her head, her eyes wide with unease. "You didn't see his face, Jessie. You didn't see the way he looked at me. It was... intense. And it's just too creepy."

"Babe, I think you need to calm down," Jessie replied, her voice gentle but firm. "He's probably out there waiting for you to react again."

Christine's eyes flashed with determination. "Exactly! That's why I need to get my life back."

Christine's determination to confront Peter sent a surge of adrenaline through her veins. She grabbed her phone and sent Peter a text message, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "Meet me at the café tomorrow at 2 pm. We need to talk."

As Christine waited for Peter's response, she felt a sense of trepidation wash over her. What would she say to him? How would he react?

Jessie's voice broke into her thoughts. "Hey, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Christine's phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text message from Peter. Her heart skipped a beat as she read his response. "I'll be there," he wrote, his message accompanied by a winking emoji.Christine's eyes narrowed as she read Peter's response. The winking emoji seemed to mock her, making her feel even more uneasy.

"I'll be there," she muttered to herself, trying to sound braver than she felt.

Jessie looked up from her book, concern etched on her face. "Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale."

Christine took a deep breath and tried to shake off the feeling of unease. "I'm fine, Jessie. Just a little nervous about tomorrow."

Jessie nodded understandingly. "You'll be fine, Christine. Just be yourself and tell him how you feel."

Christine nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over her. She was going to face Peter tomorrow and tell him exactly how she felt.

But as she lay in bed that night, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was walking into a trap. Peter's words kept echoing in her mind: "I'll be there."

*-*

Christine waited for Peter to arrive, the café's background noise seeming to grow louder and more oppressive, making her feel like she was suffocating under the weight of her own anxiety. She had already debated with herself before leaving her dorm building, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Just as she was starting to feel like she couldn't take the wait anymore, her phone buzzed with an incoming text from Jessie. "Hey girl, how was the meetup?" the text read.

Christine's thumbs flew across the keyboard as she typed out a reply. "Not great, he isn't here yet," she wrote, her eyes scanning the café for any sign of Peter.

Just as she was about to hit send, she spotted Peter pushing open the café door, the bell above it letting out a cheerful clang. Christine's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met, a fleeting sense of unease flashing across Peter's face before he smoothed out his features into a charming smile.

Christine quickly edited her reply, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed. "Yeah, great he just arrived," she wrote, adding a hasty emoji before hitting send.

As Peter approached the table, a charming smile spreading across his face, Christine felt a surge of annoyance. "Hey baby girl," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Don't call me that," Christine replied, her voice firm but controlled.

Peter chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But that's a cute name for a pretty girl like you."

Christine's eyes narrowed. "My name is Christine, okay?"

Peter's smile never wavered. "So, are you ready to date me, baby?" he asked, his voice low and flirtatious.

Christine's anger flared, her eyes meeting Peter's in a flash of annoyance. "What? Then why did you call if you're going to be like that, pretty girl?" Peter asked, his voice tinged with mock innocence.

Christine's voice rose, her words tumbling out in a rush. "You have to stop playing your games."

Peter's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing. I'm not playing games, you just didn't want me to show you some love, girl."

Christine's anger boiled over. "I don't want your love, I don't even need it."

Her voice was audible enough that the other customers turned to stare, their faces a mixture of curiosity and concern. Christine felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she realized she had attracted attention.

Peter's smile returned, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You find yourself dreaming about me, huh?" he asked, his voice low and suggestive.

Christine felt a surge of anger, but she chose to keep her cool. "This is stupid," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag

"Alright, alright... I'll leave you alone, but only if you agree to play a game with me," Peter called out, his voice dripping with confidence.

Christine's eyes widened in shock. "A game?" she repeated, her voice laced with incredulity. "What are talking about?"

Peter's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with an unnerving intensity. "Here are the terms of the game, Christine," he said, his voice low and husky. "For the next 30 days, I'll take you out on dates, surprise you with gifts, and do everything in my power to make you fall in love with me."

Christine's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications. "And if I do fall in love with you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Peter's smile was triumphant. "Then you lose, Christine. And if you lose, you'll be mine forever."

Christine felt a shiver run down her spine. "And if I win?" she asked, her voice firm.

Peter's eyes glinted with excitement. "If you can resist my charms and not fall in love with me within the next 30 days, then you win. And if you win, I'll leave you alone forever."

Christine's mind was racing. She knew she was taking a risk, but a part of her couldn't resist the challenge. "Okay," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll play your game, Peter. But I'm warning you, I'm not going to make it easy for you."

Peter's smile grew even wider as he leaned in closer to Christine. "I'm counting on it," he whispered, his breath sending shivers down her spine.

Christine felt a surge of adrenaline as she pulled back, her eyes locked on Peter's. She was not going to let Peter win. She was going to play this game, and she was going to come out on top because she has to win, to get her life back in control.

With that, Christine turned and walked away from Peter, leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk. She felt a sense of relief wash over her as she put distance between herself and Peter but as she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

She continued walking, her mind racing with thoughts of the game ahead. What would Peter's next move be? And how could she stay one step ahead of him?

Just as she was starting to feel like she was getting away from Peter's influence, her phone buzzed with an incoming text message. Christine's heart skipped a beat as she saw Peter's name on the screen.

"Game on, Christine," the message read. "Get ready, Baby girl"