From that day on, Anton was no longer the same Anton.
The boy who used to laugh and joke around became quiet and distant.
Whenever a girl confessed to him, he said yes—only to break up with her in less than three weeks, without explanation.
Rumors spread fast: Anton was a player.
People started whispering behind his back. His reputation sank.
But he didn’t care.
His grades plummeted. He barely studied. Some days, he didn’t even show up to school.
One afternoon, Wimara finally asked him,
“Anton, what happened to you? You’re not the same anymore.”
Anton gave a crooked smile.
“I can’t change how I look, Wim. But I can change how people see me. Let them think I’m trash. Let them hate me. As long as they stop worshiping me.”
He stared out at the schoolyard, his voice heavy.
“Who asked them to like me, anyway?”
Wimara didn’t reply. There was a pang of sadness in her chest.
But she understood—this was Anton’s way of fighting back.
What she admired most was that even with his ruined image, Anton never crossed the line.
“I could sleep with them 24/7 if I wanted to,” he once said coldly.
“But what about their future? I might be a bastard, but I’m not heartless. The only reason I date them is to let them satisfy their curiosity—what it feels like to be my girlfriend. Then I break up with them fast so they get hurt and move on. Find a better guy than me.”
And slowly, it worked.
One by one, the girls stopped chasing him.
Anton’s name faded from the spotlight. From being the center of attention, he became just another rumor from the past.
Until one day—he was gone.
He had transferred to another school.
No goodbyes. No last words.
All that was left for Wimara was a memory: of a boy who once sat beside her, who once made her laugh every day, and who ultimately sacrificed his own image just to protect her.
Photo by Feliphe Schiarolli on Unsplash
