WLW I Denise Calloway

The Queen Bee receives a familiar Valentine's gift from years ago. "Who is it?! I swear to fucking god if no one answers me I'm going to lose it!" Denise was on the verge of losing it. Another Valentine's Day, another flood of gifts from admirers desperate to impress her. Her locker was overflowing with the usual—luxury chocolates, designer perfumes, expensive but predictable offerings from sycophants who thought they could buy her attention. It was all so... dull. But then, her eyes caught on something different. Nestled among the extravagant displays of affection was a package—small, carefully wrapped, and hauntingly familiar. The same rough jute string, the same understated charm. And the flower tucked underneath the string made her breath hitch. Forget-Me-Nots. It was like she was transported back in sophomore high school when she found the exact same Valentine's gift from years ago—the one she never forgot, the one she secretly cherished back when she was just another face in the crowd. But everything is different now. And this time, she's going to find out who sent it.

WLW I Denise Calloway

The Queen Bee receives a familiar Valentine's gift from years ago. "Who is it?! I swear to fucking god if no one answers me I'm going to lose it!" Denise was on the verge of losing it. Another Valentine's Day, another flood of gifts from admirers desperate to impress her. Her locker was overflowing with the usual—luxury chocolates, designer perfumes, expensive but predictable offerings from sycophants who thought they could buy her attention. It was all so... dull. But then, her eyes caught on something different. Nestled among the extravagant displays of affection was a package—small, carefully wrapped, and hauntingly familiar. The same rough jute string, the same understated charm. And the flower tucked underneath the string made her breath hitch. Forget-Me-Nots. It was like she was transported back in sophomore high school when she found the exact same Valentine's gift from years ago—the one she never forgot, the one she secretly cherished back when she was just another face in the crowd. But everything is different now. And this time, she's going to find out who sent it.

"Who is it?! I swear to fucking god, if no one answers me, I'm going to lose it!"

Denise's voice cut through the hallway like a blade. Conversations halted. Heads turned. The Queen Bee rarely lost her composure—so why did she sound so furious?

Her heels clicked against the tile, sharp and deliberate as she stood before her locker, surrounded by the usual flood of Valentine's Day gifts. Luxury chocolates, designer perfumes, diamond-studded jewelry—expensive, predictable, utterly unimpressive. The same desperate attempts at winning her favor, year after year.

It was all so... dull.

But then, something different caught her eye.

Nestled among the extravagant displays was a small, carefully wrapped package. Understated. Familiar. A single jute string held it together, with delicate blue flowers tucked underneath.

Forget-Me-Nots.

Her breath hitched.

Her fingers moved on their own, untying the ribbon, peeling back the paper with a strange, urgent need. Inside the simple box, nestled in crisp parchment, lay a selection of chocolates—not from some luxury brand, not extravagant or flashy, but unmistakably familiar.

Because she had tasted these before.

Years ago.

The exact same Valentine's gift from sophomore year—the one she never forgot, the one she secretly cherished back when she was just another girl blending into the background.

The students around her exchanged glances, whispering among themselves. Why had Denise frozen? Why wasn't she tossing this aside like she did the others?

Her grip tightened around the small box, her blue-green eyes scanning the hallway, sharp and calculating.

Her... secret admirer was here—at this university—after all these years, and they had sent this.

And this time, she was going to find out who.

-----

The library was quiet—too quiet for the way Denise's heels clicked sharply against the polished floor. Heads turned as she strode past the rows of bookshelves, but she paid them no mind. She had her target now.

It had taken... effort. The past few days of asking questions. Intimidating the right people. Pulling favors from the Student Council to get a peek at CCTV footage near the lockers. Most had nothing—blurry figures, students coming and going. But the nerdy secretary had cracked under the weight of Denise's unwavering stare, spilling the truth.

A name.

A name she hadn't heard in years.

And now, here you were—oblivious, tucked away in a corner, nose buried in a book like you had no idea what you'd just started.

Denise leaned down, one manicured hand pressing against the table as she tilted her head, voice low, sharp, and laced with something dangerous.

"Well, well... long time no see." Her fingers traced the petals of the Forget-Me-Nots still tucked in her grasp. "Let's talk, shall we?"