The day college applications were due, my childhood sweetheart, Asher, who’d pretended to be poor for three years, was finally going to confess his true identity as an heir to a vast fortune to his goddess, Seraphina. He claimed he’d found true love – someone who didn’t care about his family background. But recalling how Seraphina had secretly seduced other rich guys behind his back, I couldn’t help but step in. I stopped her, waved a million-dollar check in her face, and told her to get lost. The next morning, his eyes blazing red, Asher told me he’d seen through the gold-digger. He decided we’d go abroad for college together. Yet, Seraphina, in a fit of spite, married an abusive man. She was beaten to death while pregnant; she and her unborn child perished. Asher hugged me, saying he didn’t care. But the day my family’s company went public, Asher, who was now my husband, teamed up with outside rivals to launch a hostile takeover, bleeding my family dry of all our assets. My father went bankrupt overnight and jumped to his death. My mother was tormented by Asher until she died. When I confronted Asher, demanding to know why, he dragged me to Seraphina’s grave. “Seraphina died because of you! How dare you, a murderer, live as a high-society lady?” “If you hadn’t humiliated her with your money, how could she have become so heartbroken and desperate that she married that scumbag?” “You made me lose the love of my life forever. I’ll make your entire family pay for her!” He pushed me off a cliff with his own hands. My body was never found. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Asher, dressed in cheap, off-the-rack clothes, about to deliver a coffee to Seraphina. I simply turned away, a cold resolve settling in my heart. This time, I was going to watch closely. Would his true love still want him when he was just a penniless nobody?
I was back on the day college applications were due. After Asher revealed his identity as a wealthy heir, he successfully proposed to Seraphina. Amidst the cheers and teasing of the crowd, I quietly slipped away. “Aubrey, stop right there!” I ignored him. He strode after me, grabbing my wrist with a force that felt like he wanted to crush my bones. I winced, struggling against his bruising grip, my eyes on the livid finger marks blooming on my skin. “Why are you hiding? Trying to play hard to get again?” “I just wanted to tell you, I’m not going to Cambridge. I promised Seraphina I’d go to vocational school with her.” Seeing me lower my head in silence, his tone softened slightly. “I know you’ve always struggled academically. You studied day and night just to keep up with me, barely managing to get second place in the entire school for this exam.” “But let me make this clear: Seraphina is the woman I’m going to marry! Stop bothering me.” Seraphina, in her high heels, came strutting over, clinging to Asher, playing the innocent. She twirled a can of soda in her hand, her eyes glinting with a clear challenge. “Asher, don’t be so mean to Aubrey, dear.” “You’re so smart, from such a good family background, and you’re willing to go to vocational school for me… I’m so touched.” “But now that you have me, you need to keep your distance from Aubrey. After all, there’s no room for a third person in a relationship.” Asher shot me a triumphant look, pulling Seraphina closer. “For Seraphina, I can give up Cambridge, give up everything!” “All your so-called efforts? They mean absolutely nothing to me.” Before he met Seraphina, he always told me that if he got a special admission slot, it would definitely be for me. That’s why I, who was never a straight-A student, had worked so hard. All I wanted was to get into the same college with him. Now, just to appease Seraphina, he was willing to let that slot go to waste. As they spoke, Seraphina’s hand suddenly slipped, and the entire can of soda spilled all over my portfolio. “Oh my! Aubrey, you pushed me so hard!” I was stunned. I hadn’t even touched her. “You clearly drenched my work on purpose! How dare you accuse me first?” Asher instantly became protective. “Aubrey! What are you trying to pull now?” “Seraphina is the kindest girl I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare falsely accuse her!” Seraphina nestled into his arms, her eyes welling up. “Asher, my hand hurts so much.” “Don’t blame Aubrey. It’s not the first time she’s picked on me, anyway.” Asher’s rage completely flared. He grabbed my chin, then, in front of everyone, he locked lips with Seraphina in a passionate, mocking French kiss. “Look closely! Seraphina is my true love! If you dare to bully her again, don’t blame me for forgetting our childhood friendship!” He pulled a crystal hairpin from his pocket and tossed it casually at my feet. “This is your compensation. You’ve always been obsessed with me since we were kids. This should be enough.” “This piece of trash? Only you would value it. Don’t bother me with your cheap affections ever again.” I recognized the crystal on the hairpin. It was from a fancy Parker fountain pen. When I was fifteen, I’d worked a summer job for two months, saving up to buy that pen, hoping to make his birthday gift more meaningful. He’d once said that with this pen, his grades would skyrocket. I suppressed the icy chill in my eyes, looking at him calmly. Seraphina laughed, picking up the hairpin and putting it in her hair. “Asher, wasn’t this what you promised to give me? Why did you give it to Aubrey?” “The crystal is so pretty. As a hairpin, it’s much more valuable than on a pen.” Asher gently took her hand. “You’re my fiancée now. Such a cheap hairpin isn’t good enough for you.” “I’ll take you to buy something better right now.” Then, right in front of me, he deliberately stomped on the fountain pen lying at my feet, crushing it. “Aubrey, you’re not going to Cambridge anyway. These things are useless to you now.” “Better to throw them away early, so you don’t feel sad later.”
I pushed open the front door. My dad was ironing the shirt I needed for tomorrow’s interview. My mom brought out a warmed glass of milk. Our home was filled with a comforting scent. Seeing them so healthy and vibrant, my eyes welled up, and tears streamed down my face. My parents, confused, looked at me with concern. Just then, Asher’s mom, Mrs. Hayes, arrived at our door. The moment she stepped inside, she grabbed my hand, her eyes brimming with tears. “Aubrey, dear, I know you’re the most sensible one.” “Asher has been completely charmed by that wicked girl. His father and I, we’ve always believed you are our future daughter-in-law.” “Please, talk some sense into him. Being with that woman will only ruin his future.” I subtly pulled my hand away. In my previous life, she had begged me just like this, only to later tell Asher that I was just jealous and meddling. “Mrs. Hayes, he’s your son. I can’t control him.” Mrs. Hayes’s face stiffened, then she cried even harder. “How can you say that?” “You’ve always wanted to go to Cambridge with Asher since you were little, haven’t you? You worked so hard, so afraid of falling behind him?” “Don’t you feel bad seeing him completely give up his Cambridge future?” “He could even get someone else in with him!” My phone suddenly rang. It was Asher. I answered in front of Mrs. Hayes and put it on speaker. Asher’s icy voice came through the phone. “Aubrey, did my mom come to find you?” “I’m warning you, I will never let you ruin my life again.” “Whether I go to Cambridge or not, I will absolutely never take a vicious woman like you with me.” Mrs. Hayes heard her son’s words and instantly fell silent, her face fluctuating between pale and flushed with embarrassment. I looked at her and said, every word distinct. “Did you hear that?” Then, I hung up. Mrs. Hayes stood there, dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. My dad walked over, frowning. “How could Asher talk like that?” “What has our Aubrey ever done to him?” My mom also looked displeased. “All these years, for the sake of our children’s friendship, our family has provided significant business support to your Hayes Corporation.” “If Asher chooses someone else, then our business dealings will be a different matter from now on.” Mrs. Hayes’s face turned green and white. “No, no, Asher is just confused for now.” “Aubrey, don’t worry, I’ll talk to him properly later.” I looked at her coldly. “I don’t care for his charity, either.” Mrs. Hayes stomped her foot in frustration. “But without Asher, how will you get into Cambridge?” “Your grades are so bad, you cried every time there was an exam.” “Besides following Asher, what other way do you have?” I smiled faintly. “You don’t need to worry about that, Mrs. Hayes.” My dad walked over, his tone serious. “Since Asher isn’t willing, then forget it.” My mom nodded too. “Exactly. My daughter is so outstanding, why should she have to rely on anyone else?” Seeing their reaction, Mrs. Hayes slinked away. She reached the door but reluctantly turned back. “Aubrey, are you really not going to reconsider?” “Without Asher, you really can’t get into Cambridge.” I closed the door, ignoring her desperate pleas. My parents looked at me, their eyes filled with affection. “Sweetheart, don’t listen to her nonsense.”
The next day, I walked into the Cambridge admissions office’s video interview room. During the interview, I performed exceptionally well, confident and poised. I was a completely different person from the nervous, insecure follower I was in my previous life. After the interview, I ran into Seraphina, who had been waiting downstairs for a long time. She was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes. Seeing me, she immediately puffed out her belly. She deliberately waved an ultrasound photo in front of my face. “Aubrey, dear, Asher and I are having a baby.” “He’ll have to take care of us from now on, so he can’t be like when we were kids, letting you follow him everywhere.” I glanced at the ultrasound. The date was last week. They’d only been together for half a month. “I know you saw me shopping at the luxury store with the hot guy from the next class last time. So what?” “Asher only believes me now. I’m going to be the future Mrs. Hayes!” Her voice was deliberately sweet, but it couldn’t hide the mockery in her eyes. She even deliberately caressed her belly, as if it held the utmost honor. She pressed closer, practically backing me into a corner. “That Cambridge special admission slot originally belonged to Asher. He can give it to anyone he wants.” “Now he’s given it up for me and the baby. Do you really think you still have a chance?” “Someone like you, you’re just not cut out for it. You keep struggling, it’s honestly exhausting to watch.” Seeing my indifference, Seraphina’s eyes became even more vicious. She suddenly swayed, gasped, clutched her stomach, and fell backward. “Ow! Aubrey! Why did you push me?!” A tall figure abruptly rushed over. Asher’s face was livid as he quickly caught Seraphina. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face! The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty hallway. My cheek instantly stung, and I stared at him in shock. “Aubrey! You vicious woman!” Asher roared, his eyes bloodshot. “How dare you push Seraphina? She’s carrying my child!” “You think you got an interview and you’ll pass? Without me to secure you a special admission, you’ll never even get close to Cambridge!” He pointed a finger at my nose, every word dripping with extreme insult. Seraphina leaned into his arms, sobbing weakly. “Asher, my stomach hurts so much… did Aubrey hurt it?” “Don’t blame her, dear. She probably didn’t mean it.” Asher’s gaze grew even colder. He stared fixedly at me. “Get lost! Don’t you ever appear in front of me again!” Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fiercely held them back. I didn’t explain, didn’t argue. I just dragged my heavy steps away from that toxic place. Behind me, Asher was still raging. “Let her pretend! Without me, she’s nothing!” Seraphina’s voice, laced with victorious glee, softly echoed his words. “Asher, don’t be angry. She’s not worth it.” “She’ll regret it. Just wait until she comes crying to you.”
I stood backstage in the school auditorium. Today was the senior class appreciation event, held after college application submissions. Seraphina walked in, arm in arm with Asher, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Her designer gown was a stark contrast to my plain white tee. Students immediately gathered around, showering them with compliments. “They look amazing! A goddess and a genius, a match made in heaven!” “Asher actually chose to stay and study domestically for Seraphina! Who could compare to that kind of devotion?!” “Seriously, he was a shoo-in for Cambridge, and he just gave it up like that. So impressive!” Seraphina echoed their laughter, her voice filled with gloating. “Aubrey, dear, don’t blame Asher.” “After all, a place like Cambridge is truly an unreachable dream for ordinary people.” Students on the other side chimed in. “Is Aubrey still standing there? Does she regret not holding onto Asher?” “With her grades, does she really think she could get into Cambridge on her own? Overestimating herself!” “She’s been his annoying shadow since childhood, now she’s finally been completely dumped!” Asher waved his hand dismissively, looking even more smug. “It’s nothing. That special admission slot? I can activate it anytime.” “Worst case, once Seraphina gets tired of staying in the country, I’ll just take her to Cambridge for a couple of years of fun.” His gaze fell on me again. “Aubrey, who told you to push Seraphina that day?” “You want to go to Cambridge with me? Heh, that’s absolutely impossible now.” I looked at him calmly, without a single ripple of emotion. Asher, seeing my indifference, his eyes grew colder. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened an email. “Perfect, Cambridge sent an email today.” “It should be the final confirmation notice for that special admission slot.” His voice was loud, as if deliberately letting everyone around him hear. “It’s good to make some people give up completely. Don’t always covet things that don’t belong to you.” Seraphina excitedly leaned over. “Wow, an email from Cambridge!” Just as Asher was about to open the email, the auditorium doors suddenly burst open. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes walked in, their faces ashen. They clutched a thin piece of paper tightly in their hands. It was the vocational school admission letter that had arrived at their house a few days ago. Mrs. Hayes spotted Asher immediately and rushed over. “Asher! You ungrateful brat!” She waved the admission letter, almost poking Asher’s nose with it. “What is this?! Southwood Vocational School?!” “Didn’t you say the Cambridge spot was yours, and you could go anytime?!” Asher’s face instantly went pale as a ghost. “Mom! What are you doing?!” Mr. Hayes walked forward, his face grim. “You rotten kid, did you really think you could hide this from us?” “You better tell me honestly, what’s going on? You’re still lying!”
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