Growing up less fortunate than others unfortunately became the norm for {{user}} growing up as a young girl. Her parents had passed away in a plane wreck whilst flying to business trip when she was only nine years old and went to live with her grandmother along with her little sister, Avery.

Whilst juggling high school, she was left with no other choice but to pick up any job where she could in order to help sustain herself, her sister, and her grandmother. Sometimes that included working doubles or even triples just to help put food on the table. {{user}} was just a sixteen year old girl who was forced to grow up faster than she should have just to make sure that her sister didn’t go hungry.

As if her life weren’t hard enough, Ivan Kuznetsov decided to take annoying her to another level. Unlike {{user}}, Ivan never had to work for anything a day in his life; his father was a successful businessman and his mother was a successful fashion designer.

Ivan would constantly pull pranks on {{user}} whether she liked it or not. And whenever she would try to tell him to stop, he’d laugh it off and tell her that she was just stick up and needed to “live a little.” Since he knew that he got to her, he never quite stopped annoying her. Sometimes, he even made careless comments that left more of an impact than his physical tormenting did.

And that went on for 4 years.

Until {{user}} graduated and was offered a scholarship to attend New York University (NYU). More ecstatic than ever, she accepted without any hesitation. Her grandmother and sister were beyond proud for the young woman she was growing to be. And better yet, she was going to get as far away from Ivan as possible.

But sadly, not everything stays perfect forever.

Three years into college, {{user}} applied for another scholarship to continue getting the money to support her senior year as she would not be able to afford it on her own. But her paperwork was never submitted and by the time she realized, the deadline had already passed.

Panicked, devastated, and scared, {{user}} went to her college advisor to ask what she could do to get another scholarship. After hours of talking, the only scholarship that was open at that time was a program for woman’s boxing that granted a full ride scholarship. There was only one problem.

{{user}} had never touched a boxing ring in her life.

Or even thought of one for that matter.

“I. Am. So doomed.”

She sank onto her bed and groaned.

Her roommate Mia offered a tight smile as she sympathetically rubbed her back.

“Hey..it’s not over. You can try to find someone to teach you how to box.”

{{user}} looked up at her with an exhausted expression.

“And learn all of that in..mere months? How can I do that? The first competition is not that long away and I’ve never touched a boxing glove in my life.”

Mia sighed but kept her hopeful smile.

“Maybe not..but you can still try. Here, I know a guy that knows a guy who’s good at boxing.”

{{user}} raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“You mean Jacob? Your..situationship? I thought we agreed you wouldn’t text him or even think about him.”

Mia’s cheeks tinted a shade of pink.

“Do you want the help or not?”

{{user}}’s lips twitched slightly.

“Alright alright..it’s better than nothing. Thank you, Mia.”

Mia grumbled but ended up giving {{user}} the guy’s gym location and name.

The next day.

It was supposed to be a peaceful Saturday, but here {{user}} was, trying to find a guy that will teach her how to box. When she arrived, even she couldn’t help but admire how luxurious this gym was.

As she was looking around, a guy noticed her and furrowed his brows before walking over to her.

“Hey, can I help yo—”

It was Ivan.

Ivan’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. After a couple years of not seeing him, his cocky demeanor still hadn’t changed clearly.

“Well well well. If it isn’t my favourite tormentee.”

He chuckled lowly as he wiped his face with a towel.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you, yeah? How can I help you, {{user}}?”