Simon and Claudia had known each other since their secondary school days. He was a sec. 4 Normal academic student while she was a sec. 2 Express student. He was from a humble family, living in a 3-room flat. She was from a well-to-do family, living in a 3-storey terrace house. He spent most of his time helping out at his parents’ noodles stall. She spent most of her time shopping and dining with her spendthrift mother. Though on the surface it seemed that they were from two different worlds, fate brought them together as if they were meant for each other.

They first met at a Leadership Camp organized by the school. Claudia was in the group in which Simon was in-charge. During the course of the camp, Claudia was so impressed by the way Simon carried out the various activities that she began asking around about him to get to know him better. Simon, who noticed the extra attention Claudia was giving him, too started gathering information about her. Soon, both of them were seen together for most of the time when they were in school. None of their parents knew about their relationship as they would still be busy with their parents after school hours. However, Claudia would patronize Simon’s parents’ stall with her friends as often as she could, just to be near him. Eventually, Simon’s parents realized her real intention there – she wasn't really there for their noodles, she was there more for their son. When questioned by his mother, Simon confessed that they were more than just friends. When they learnt of the truth, they accepted her readily and treated her like a part of the family.

Claudia, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to introduce Simon to her family, knowing well that her parents wouldn’t approve of her relationship. Other than still being young, they would also object to her being with people of a lower status than her. Her parents had always preferred for her to spend more time with her equally well-off cousins whom Claudia detested. She couldn’t stand their snobbish mannerism as compared to Simon more gentlemanly manners. However, she knew that she couldn’t keep her relationship with Simon under wrap forever as she found herself falling in love with him more and more with each passing day. She decided that Simon needed to improve his social status and one of the ways to do it was for him to have a good education. She would encourage him and help him in whatever ways she could with his studies.

Simon did well enough for his ‘O’ level to get into a polytechnic while Claudia got into a junior college of her choice a year later. Though busy with their heavy school load, they would reinforce their love for each other through daily smses and weekly get together. The arrangement worked well for both of them until one day when .................