https://wordcasters.jobzaps.com/time-forgives-no-one-jerry-cooper-1/ Gabriella Parker had often felt that her beauty was more of a burden than a blessing. Throughout her youth, her striking features attracted a seemingly endless parade of admirers, each one more insistent than the last. Yet, deep down, she craved solitude and independence, qualities that her looks seemed to overshadow.

As the time approached for her to embark on her college journey at the tender age of eighteen, Gabriella made a bold decision. She was determined to step off the well-trodden path she had always followed. With a sense of liberation coursing through her veins, she enlisted the help of a professional makeup artist. Together, they crafted an elaborate disguise that would completely obscure her recognizable traits. With her identity as the Parker heiress left behind, she set off for Chicago, ready to embrace college life on her own terms.

During her first year, this daring experiment proved successful. For the first time, she could immerse herself in her studies without the constant distraction of admirers clamoring for her attention. It was a refreshing change, allowing her to focus on her academic ambitions and personal growth.

However, the tranquility of her college life was shattered in her sophomore year during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a bustling bar with her roommate. As the night unfolded, a group of rowdy guys began to swarm around her roommate, encroaching on her personal space and becoming increasingly intrusive. Gabriella felt a surge of protectiveness rise within her. She couldn’t just stand by and watch it happen.

Summoning her courage, she shouted, “Back off! Can’t you hear what she said? She doesn’t want to drink with you!” Her voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the bar.

The guys merely laughed, dismissing her with cruel taunts. “Beat it, ugly. No one’s hitting on you, so mind your own business,” one of them sneered, shoving her aside. Gabriella stumbled backward, bracing herself for a fall, but instead collided with a solid chest.

Looking up, she found herself gazing into the amused eyes of a strikingly handsome young man who seemed a few years her senior. His presence was magnetic, and there was something comforting in his casual demeanor.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, his voice smooth and inviting, yet laced with authority. “Since when do they let minors in this bar?”

Gabriella stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words, before managing to reply, “I’m twenty-one. It’s just—” She hesitated, wanting to explain that she often looked younger than her age, but the words caught in her throat.

Before she could finish, he leaned in closer, closing the distance between them. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of her own painted-on freckles mirrored in his eyes, and her heart raced.

“Why do you look familiar?” he murmured, a hint of curiosity in his tone. “Are you from UChicago?”

Instinctively, she nodded, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Me too. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

With that, he straightened up and turned his attention to the harassers. A sharp, dangerous smile stretched across his face as he addressed them. “You’ve got some nerve, picking on a friend of mine.”

The cocky group of guys immediately paled, their bravado evaporating. “Mr. Perez, sorry! We didn’t know she was your friend,” they stammered, scrambling to apologize and make a hasty exit.

Later, Gabriella learned that her unexpected savior was Andrew Perez, a name that echoed through campus as a notoriously wealthy and reckless heir. He was known for treating life like an extravagant playground, having once donated an entire building to the University of Chicago just to secure a spot as a graduate student.

He rarely attended classes, preferring to zoom around the campus in a rotating selection of luxury cars, and despite his notorious reputation, his striking looks had garnered him a legion of admirers. Rumors circulated that the girls who had a crush on him could fill entire libraries, and there were whispers of one girl who had gone to desperate lengths for his attention.

As the New Year’s bell tolled, Gabriella felt a flutter in her heart. She was becoming just another name on that list of infatuated girls.

For the first time, she experienced the thrill of a crush. She found herself engaging in the little rituals that so many young women embraced—bringing him breakfast, crafting heartfelt cards, and wishing fervently on shooting stars. Once, during a basketball game, she attempted to sneak a carton of chocolate milk into his gym bag, only to be caught by him and his friends.

Laughter erupted around her. One of his friends playfully patted her back, mock sympathy in his tone. “Give it up, Freckles. Andy doesn’t drink chocolate milk.”

But just as the laughter peaked, Andrew snatched the carton from her hands and downed it right in front of everyone, leaving them all speechless. Leaning in close to Gabriella, he whispered in her ear, “I prefer strawberry ones.” The scent of her strawberry-scented body wash wafted between them, and he chuckled, “Just like you.”

Gabriella’s heart raced, pounding against her ribcage as she melted under his playful gaze. In that moment, she knew she was hopelessly smitten.

On Valentine’s Day, emboldened by her feelings, she decided it was time to confess her love. She braced herself for rejection, convinced that someone as charming and adventurous as Andrew would never be interested in someone as plain as her.

To her astonishment, Andrew responded, “Gabriella, listen. If you’re with me, people are going to come for you. Can you handle that?”

Gabriella froze, her heart syncing with the fireworks lighting up the night sky. “Of course!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and naivety.

She thought he was being overly dramatic, but the reality soon proved to be far more brutal than she could have imagined.

It began with petty acts of sabotage—torn homework assignments and spray paint on her locker. Jealous girls tripped her in the cafeteria, their laughter echoing like daggers in her ears.

Then, things escalated. Andrew’s enemies kidnapped her, holding her captive in a warehouse for a harrowing twenty-four hours. When she was finally rescued, Andrew pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his voice thick with remorse. “Gabi, I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through.”

At that moment, Gabriella felt that every bruise and tear was worth it for his affection.

But in the week leading up to graduation, tragedy struck when the most beautiful girl in Gabriella’s department was thrown into Cedarlight Lake. Panic surged through the crowd as Gabriella rushed to the scene, only to find Andrew pinning a man to the ground, unleashing a flurry of punches. His eyes were wild, bloodshot with rage, and his usually carefree expression twisted into one of fury.

“I told you never to touch Chelsea again! Are you deaf?” he shouted, his voice raw and filled with a primal intensity.

Chelsea Donovan was the epitome of beauty in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, and Andrew’s protective instincts kicked in fiercely. He didn’t stop until the man’s face was covered in blood, and then, without a word, he scooped Chelsea into his arms and turned to leave.

As he brushed past Gabriella, she managed to call out weakly, “Andy?”

He didn’t even glance her way. The crowd scattered, leaving Gabriella standing alone, confusion and hurt swirling within her.

Determined to understand, she approached the beaten man and asked softly, “Why?”

He struggled to open his swollen eyes, recognizing her with a jagged laugh. “You’re Andrew’s new girlfriend? You’re wondering why I went after Chelsea?” His voice dripped with contempt. “Because my sister killed herself over Andrew, and I wanted to avenge her by torturing the girl he loves.”

The venom in his words cut deep. “And that’s Chelsea. Why else would a rich playboy come to this university? He fell for her at first sight and followed her here! But he has too many crazy admirers and enemies. They all targeted Chelsea. She ended up taking a year off because of depression and broke up with him.”

His gaze turned to Gabriella, filled with disdain. “You didn’t think he actually liked someone like you, did you? You’re just a decoy. He needed someone to take the heat off her.”

Gabriella felt the color drain from her face as his words sank in. The memory of Andrew’s question when she confessed her love echoed in her mind: “If you’re with me, people are going to come for you. Can you handle that?”

In that moment, she realized the truth. He hadn’t asked out of concern; he simply needed a shield to protect the girl he truly loved.

Staggering back to her dorm, Gabriella was lost in a haze of disbelief. The sky opened up, and rain poured down, drenching her to the bone as she walked without an umbrella. The heavy downpour washed away her carefully applied makeup, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Just as she reached the entrance of her dorm, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Gabriella?”

Turning around, she found Andrew standing there, his expression a mix of shock and concern.

Before she could utter a word, he took in her appearance, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“Gabi, your face…”