After god knows not making sense conversation she had with her mother, Zuri stretched her legs on the couch and lay on it. Her memory took her to the first day of university when she noticed Asher for the first time. She cursed her mother for reminding her of those days, part of which she did not want to remember.
Not only because of Asher, but Kevin was there in those memories, too—the part she had not thought of since marriage.
On the first day of the campus, Zuri walked, balancing her books against her chest. She was never the one who worried much about her appearance, just a tight ponytail, round glasses, and a simple pullover paired with jeans.
She studied hard to join this university because of her childhood friendship, which later turned into a relationship. She was an average student, but her boyfriend, Kevin, was an academic.
If not for Kevin, a year senior to her, she would never have studied hard to get into this university.
As she neared the business administration building, she saw Kevin standing with a group of classmates. He was a finance student who always pushed her to achieve more.
In her early days with him, Zuri had tried to make herself familiar with finance, wanting to keep up with his world. But despite her efforts, the subject left her feeling drained and uninspired.
Business administration felt a little closer to home, while finance was a language that never clicked.
During their conversation, Kevin noticed her and raised his hand in a friendly wave. She waved back with her usual shy smile crossing her face. But she barely made it three steps closer when laughter erupted nearby.
There, in the centre of a small crowd of adoring female students, stood Asher Voss, catching millions of girls' hearts.
Everyone on campus knew about Asher. He was rich, good-looking, confident, arrogant, and had a reputation as a reckless heartbreaker.
Asher's father, Jorden Voss, owned one of the largest companies in the country. This wealth made Asher feel different from others as if he wore a heavy crown that set him apart.
Zuri saw him as nothing more than a zero. Her attention immediately went back to Kevin, who was looking at her with a smile.
Their life continued. Asher kept breaking women's hearts, and Zuri struggled with her studies.
All Zuri wanted was to spend more time with Kevin, but he seemed extremely indulged in his lessons and study habits after college. Although Kevin kept his Sunday free for Zuri, he would do anything Zuri wanted.
On a thrilling day at the basketball tournament, the whole university was excited as Asher and Kevin prepared to face off once again. With their teams set, the two rivals found themselves on opposite sides of the court, ready to battle it out as they always did.
If one was a vampire, the other was a werewolf. They were born to be rivals. They both sat in the same class, excelling at studying and dominating the sports field, constantly competing who could beat one another. Despite Asher spending half of his time out with friends and women, he could still give Kevin worthy competition.
Zuri and a handful of friends were the only ones rooting for Kevin's team. The rest of the university cheered, predictably, for Asher's side. But it didn't faze Kevin in the slightest. All he cared about was that Zuri was there. She was cheering for him, and that kept him encouraged through out the match.
No matter how badly Asher's team crushed his, Kevin remained calm, showing no hint of frustration. This new composure intrigued and irritated Asher. He wasn't used to this version of Kevin.
Kevin had seemed almost unbreakable since the start of the season, not taking abate of Asher's usual provocations. There was a time when Asher relished getting under Kevin's skin.
The guy was no match for Asher, but something about their rivalry used to get them both fired up. And now, since the beginning of the new semester, Asher couldn't understand why Kevin's fire had dulled. And the change felt almost…insulting to him.
During a basketball break, Asher's gaze narrowed on Kevin. He was studying him, searching for some answer. Winning this basketball game was nothing if Kevin didn't care about the outcome.
True victory, for Asher, was shattering Kevin's monk-like calm. Oh, he could not wait for it to happen. He took a deep breath. And then the magic happened. Kevin was blushing because of a woman in glasses with a high ponytail.
"That's his taste?" Asher muttered under his breath, and disbelief crossed his face. He wouldn't give a girl like that a second glance, no, not even a first. No wonder she had flown under his radar until now... Asher thought, and soon followed a slow, triumphant smile spread across his face.
One of his teammates noticed the look and nudged him. "Are you already imagining a trophy in your hand or what?"
"A trophy?" Asher's gaze did not shift from Zuri and Kevin. "Yes, I am going to get a trophy."
He nodded toward Zuri, the girl in glasses, cheering with quiet enthusiasm. "See her?"
His friend squinted, looking in the direction Asher had pointed, expecting some stunning beauty but seeing no one who fit the description. "Who are you talking about?"
"The girl Kevin can't stop staring at," Asher said as his smirk widened.
"Oh, her? That's his childhood girlfriend," his friend replied with a shrug as if it meant nothing.
"Bingo," Asher muttered.
He felt a spark of excitement flicker to life. The basketball game no longer appealed to him. Now, he had a much more thrilling challenge in mind.
He would make that pony girl fall for him, lure her away from Kevin. One or two days, that's all he needed before she would drop Kevin without a second thought.
The very thought of it made him feel electrified, drunk with anticipation. This would be the best game he had ever played.
After a few months, Kevin was found dead in his apartment self existed. And Zuri was in the hospital between life and death.
Coming to the present day, Zuri shook her head, forcing the memories back into the shadows where they belonged. She didn't want to linger on Kevin or dredge up old heartaches.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, rolling her neck to ease the tension in her shoulders.
"Asher, my dear husband," she murmured with a dry chuckle, "looks like some old habits returned."
A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as a plan began to form in her mind, a boldness she hadn't felt in a long time awakening within her.
"Asher,…I hope you're ready for what's coming."