I had always been introverted and reserved, yet with my pretty face and Willie's exceptional status, I naturally attracted envy.
The girls around us were quite direct in expressing their feelings.
Whenever I hid in the corner of the classroom and cried whenever they picked on me, Willie would roll up his sleeves and punch the wall next to them, making them scream in fright.
He wore a roguish smile, but his tone was chilling.
"If you bully her again, my fist will land somewhere far more serious than just the wall."
At that time, his family business had not yet gone public, and my family was happily intact. Our parents had a good relationship and were delighted to see us together.
I gazed into his charming eyes as he pulled me up, his slightly childish face already showing hints of youthful handsomeness.
"You don't even know how to fight back when others bully you; you just cry like a baby, Annika."
Though he pretended to scold me, he wiped my tears away and softly comforted me, "It's okay. I'll fight back for you from now on. No one will bully you again."
I believed him, thinking he would protect me for life.