Valerie jumped out of bed, her hand over her mouth as she ran into the toilet and threw up again, into the sink.

　　"Urgh!!" She grunted as she threw up more and finally fell to the floor, breathing heavily

　　Oh goodness! What was happening to her? Why does she have to fall sick now of all days?

　　She stayed on the floor for a long while, feeling so weak and tired to move. But finally, she forced herself to stand.

　　She washed her face and mouth before returning to the room and there she plonked herself on the bed.

　　Her phone awakened with a ring not long after and she grumpily took a pick and discovered it was Lucy.

　　Oh! Please, she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

　　She turned off the phone's volume and laid still on the bed for sometime. And feeling crazily hungry, she decided to get some food to eat .

　　So, she left the room with her phone, climbed down the stairs and met her mum in the sitting room.

　　"Valerie..."

　　"Good morning, mum" she greeted feebly as she continued walking away, headed for the kitchen.

　　"I was about coming upstairs to your room, Valerie. You need to hurry up and get dressed.."

　　"I'm not going, mum!" She rose her voice a bit and finally walked away.

　　Getting to the kitchen, she discovered she was craving for so many things - again.

　　And the worst part was, she could hardly make a choice.

　　She opened the fridge and brought out a loaf of bread. Then, took some jam as well and applied it smoothly on the bread and after that, she started munching on it.

　　Hmm. Obviously, this should do.

　　She took the remaining bread and jam and held them to her chest as she walked out of the kitchen, retuning to the sitting room.

　　"Seriously, Valerie? What're you talking about?" Mrs Houston grouse. "You told me you were going to accompany me to the mall this morning"

　　"Well, I'm sorry mum, but I changed my mind. I'm feeling too sick" Valerie replied with an eye roll as she applied more jam to her bread.

　　"Oh! Come on, Valerie. How many seconds do you need to accompany me to the mall? I've told you - you need to go out more often, you know? There are lots of handsome dudes out there. But how do you expect them to see you if..."

　　"Oh! Please, mum. I don't need the lectures" She cut her off with another eye roll.

　　"All men are fools, anyway" she added in a mutter and took a bite from her bread.

　　"Valerie..." She sighed and sat in front of her.

　　"You don't need to judge from what happened between you and Xander. Xander might have made some mistakes, but it doesn't mean all men are the same".

　　Valerie only rolled her eyes in response and her mother sighed and stood up.

　　"So, you won't be going to classes today?" She asked and Valerie replied:

　　"No".

　　"But why are you looking so fat when you're sick? Did you take the meds I brought home yesterday?"

　　"Yeah, I did".

　　"Okay then. If the symptoms persist within 24 hours, I'll take you to the hospital. Okay?"

　　"Yeah, mum".

　　She tapped her shoulder before walking away and Valerie remained all in the room alone.

　　As she ate her bread and jam, she couldn't stop thinking about him - Xander.

　　Well, all thanks to her mum for mentioning his name.

　　She sniffed and tried to drift her mind away from it, but hell! It was impossible.

　　That jerk.

　　Xander was the hottest Billionaire in town - a famous artist and most richest celebrity at the moment.

　　He had been dating Valerie for more than a year and everything had seemed so perfect for them. But not until he started taking the fame into his head and claimed to be too busy for her.

　　Sometimes, she only gets to see him once in a week and even when they talk on phone, he's always in a hurry as he claims he has a lot to do.

　　He was mostly out of the country, running different shows and shoots, and even when he was around, he barely had time for her.

　　Valerie tried all she could to endure him. Although, he never failed to lavish her with gifts and money, but she needed his time; his attention. Not just his money.

　　And finally, the worst happened.

　　She had seen a picture of him kissing a lady. Although, it was just a kiss, but hell; it angered her to think there was a possibility he was cheating on her.

　　And so, she broke up with him. Ended the relationship.

　　She just told him things weren't working out anymore and she needed a break from him. Although, he had opposed and tried pleading with her, but she turned him down, insisting on the break and that was it.

　　To Valerie, he didn't plead enough and only meant he wasn't really interested in the relationship anymore. He had only begged twice. Just twice!

　　And to crown it all, two weeks later, he had gotten himself a new girlfriend.

　　Hmph.

　　She rolled her eyes and sniffed again.

　　That jerk. Anyway, he was her past now and she needed to move on without him. It's been six weeks already.

　　When she was done reminiscincing was when she realized she had actually consumed the entire loaf of bread. Holy Molly! How did she eat this much??

　　She shook her head and stood up, taking the stairs.

　　And getting to her room, she found her phone ringing on the bed. Oh! Lucy!

　　She grumbled as she walked to the bed to get it and just like she guessed, it was indeed Lucy.

　　Well, Lucy was her closest friend.

　　"For Christ sake, Valerie! Where the hell did you keep your phone?" She shirked on the phone immediately.

　　"I'm sorry,Lucy. I wasn't with it" she answered feebly, her hand touching her forehead. "By the way, why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be really hooked up with your birthday preparations?"

　　"Exactly, Valerie! And I can't believe you haven't texted or called me!"

　　"Oh! Seriously Lucy? I sent you a text last night" Valerie sighed.

　　"That was in advance, Val!

　　"Anyway, I was thinking you might want to come before the party begins. What do you think?"

　　"I've told you, Lucy. I'm not coming".

　　"Oh! Valerie, please! Don't ruin this day for me".

　　"I have no intentions of doing that, Lucy. Honestly, you have my best wishes. But I really can't show up at your party. Not when he'd be there".

　　"But it isn't my fault! I swear, I tried to convince my father not to make him the guest artist, but he wouldn't listen. He said it's Xander or no one else".

　　"Well then, I'm sorry. But I can't make it".

　　"Valerie, come on!! He isn't gonna see you, anyway. His only job is to perform on stage and soon as he's done, he'll be leaving the party. Pleeeease!"

　　There was a brief silence as Valerie tried digesting what she said.

　　She breathed out softly and sat on the bed.

　　Frankly speaking, she didn't want to go to the party because she couldn't afford seeing Xander for the first time in weeks.

　　"Valerie.." Lucy called anxiously. "You know I'd do anything for you. Please.."

　　Okay; that was it. She really knew how to get Valerie real tight

　　"I'm a bit sick, Lucy. But let's hope I'll be better before then" she answered perfunctorily and Lucy almost screamed down the phone.

　　"Yeah!! I love you, bestie..."

　　And Valerie hung up immediately.