Julian, who I’d been in a cold war with, posted an Ins story. “A hundred likes and we’re done!” Within minutes, it already had ninety-nine hearts. I knew Julian was waiting for me to cave, to sweet-talk him, admit I was wrong, apologize, and win him back – just like I’d done the eight times before. But this time, I was genuinely exhausted. Quietly, I tapped the heart icon, bringing the count to a full 100, finally granting Julian his breakup wish. From that day on, I stopped checking his Ins. Instead, I focused entirely on avoiding any contact with him. Ten days later, Julian’s friend, Sam, messaged me. “Julian’s been waiting for you to come around. It’s his birthday tomorrow. If you buy him a gift and go celebrate with him, you two can make up!” I simply replied with two blunt words: “Can’t make it.” And I really couldn’t. My flight to start classes at the University of London was taking off tomorrow. Julian, as you wished, we’ll never see each other again. Julian allowed Sera, the scholarship student sponsored by his family, to change my college applications. When I found out, I absolutely lost it on him. Julian didn’t see anything wrong with it. Instead, he thought I was being dramatic and overreacting to a harmless prank. “It was just a prank, not like it couldn’t be undone. Sera was having a bad day, and I was just trying to cheer her up.” “She’s not mad anymore, so just change it back, okay?” My voice trembled, shaking with disbelief at Julian’s utterly dismissive attitude. “So, she gets to mess with someone else’s college applications just because she’s in a bad mood? Do you even realize this is a serious offense? I could totally press charges!” “I told you I told her to do it! The responsibility is mine! If you want to sue, sue me!” “It’s a tiny issue! We found out, so just change it back, right? You’re being so immature! Chloe, if you keep being so dramatic about this, I’ll have to reconsider our relationship.” Julian knew I couldn’t live without him. He always threatened to break up with me whenever we argued. Before Sera came along, Julian and I had a perfectly harmonious relationship. But ever since Sera appeared, we’d been constantly fighting because of her. This was the ninth time we’d argued over Sera. The previous eight times, Julian had always used the threat of a breakup. And I, spineless as ever, had always caved, backing down and swallowing my pride. This time, he was just as confident I’d give in because I loved him. He waited for me to offer an olive branch, to apologize and beg him to reconcile after his threat. But I didn’t back down like the previous eight times. Just now, watching Julian impatiently scolding me while smiling down at his phone, texting Sera back… I suddenly felt utterly meaningless. I had no intention of apologizing. I just stood there, my face tight, saying nothing. Julian waited for a moment. When he saw no signs of me backing down, apologizing, or admitting fault, he clicked his tongue, picked up his phone, and walked away. I sat alone in the chair, staring blankly at the computer screen. I don’t know how long I sat there, lost in thought, when my phone rang. A few voice messages came through. I tapped to listen, and it was Sera’s sweet, saccharine voice: “Is Chloe mad because of my prank? Maybe you should call her, have her come over, and I’ll apologize to her in person?” Then Julian’s impatient voice: “No need! If she wants to be mad, let her. I’m not her dad, I can’t keep coddling her!” “Oh, Julian, you really shouldn’t talk like that. Girls need to be pampered, you know. You’ll just make Chloe misunderstand and push her further away.” “I don’t have time to coddle her, let her do what she wants! She thinks too highly of herself. If it wasn’t for my grandpa forcing me, I wouldn’t have bothered with Chloe. She’s so clingy and always crying. I’ve been sick of her for years!” “That’s true, Chloe is such a crybaby, always bursting into tears over nothing. I’ve never seen such a dramatic girl.” This was Liam, Julian’s friend. “Exactly, she’s such a drama queen, always making a scene. Every time I mention breaking up, she just cries and apologizes, begging me to stay. It’s been exhausting for years! I wish she’d just leave me alone. Then I could finally get rid of her!” Liam laughed nearby: “Getting rid of Chloe? That’s impossible. She’s a stage-five clinger. I bet if you don’t go home tonight, she’ll come crying to you tomorrow, apologizing and begging for forgiveness.” “Come on, come on! Let’s make a bet, whoever loses buys dinner!” 2 Julian didn’t come home that night. And I didn’t bombard his phone with calls asking for his whereabouts like before. After my parents passed away, Mr. Hayes took me into his home, and Julian and I grew up together, attending the same schools. Julian always looked out for me. If I was ever bullied at school, he was the first to stand up for me. Julian and I were always in the same school from elementary to middle to high school. I moved into the Hayes’ home when I was eight, spending ten years, day in and day out, with Julian. He remembered my period cycle, and he’d brew me ginger-brown sugar tea when I had cramps. He’d even buy my tampons for me. We were inseparable, as if we were one person. Because of this, everyone always joked I was Julian’s future wife, practically raised for him, and Julian never denied it. It’s safe to say that after ten years of constant companionship, I had grown accustomed to Julian being an integral part of my life. I truly believed I couldn’t live without him. I had always dreamed of a future with Julian: we’d get into the same university, graduate together, get married, and have children. I always thought Julian and I would never have any real rifts between us. It was a shame our peaceful harmony changed with the arrival of Sera, the scholarship student sponsored by the Hayes family. Sera approached the Hayes family in her sophomore year of high school. Her mother was ill and needed a staggering million dollars for medical treatment. Sera pleaded with the Hayes family, kneeling before Mr. Hayes and kowtowing repeatedly, begging him to save her mother. A million dollars was nothing to the Hayes family, and Mr. Hayes was a very kind man. He agreed to help Sera, and her mother received the necessary treatment. Seeing Sera’s pitiful situation, her diligence, and her filial piety, Mr. Hayes even arranged for her to transfer to our school. He also provided a house for Sera and her mother to live in, rent-free. Julian and I both knew Sera’s story and felt immense sympathy for her. We would go together to visit her mother in the hospital. We would also help Sera with her studies. The three of us had been harmonious until that day. I went to deliver some chicken soup our housekeeper, Mrs. Davis, had made for Sera’s mother. At the hospital room door, I overheard Sera and her mother’s conversation. Sera’s mother, Vivian, asked Sera, “Has your relationship with Julian progressed?” “Yes, Julian really likes me. It’s just that Chloe is clinging to him like a leech, so it’ll take some time to separate them.” “Well, hurry it up then! The Hayes family is the richest in Northwood City. If you can snag their son, your chance to change your destiny will come. We’ll live in a big mansion, drive luxury cars, and never have to live this cheap, poor life again.” “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll definitely get Julian!” I never expected to hear such words. Shocked and disbelieving, I made a small noise, and then Sera and her mother discovered me standing at the door. 3 Both their faces flashed with panic. A knot formed in my stomach. Knowing that Sera and her mother might be faking their pitiful situation to gain the Hayes family’s sympathy, I debated whether to tell Julian everything. But before I could even tell Julian, Sera beat me to it and gave me a chilling preview of her tactics. She arranged to meet me and tearfully explained that it was all her mother’s idea. Her mother was sick and thought she didn’t have much time left, so she just wanted to find a good match for Sera. It was her mother’s wishful thinking, and Sera was only reluctantly playing along to humor her. She even kowtowed to me, begging me not to tell Julian. I believed Sera and reached out to help her up. Instead, she grabbed my hand, and we both tumbled into the park lake. I knew how to swim and frantically climbed ashore, shouting for help. Sera, however, couldn’t swim and almost drowned. She’d inhaled too much water and spent several days in the hospital before waking up. When she woke up, Sera accused me of pushing her into the lake, claiming I tried to murder her. She also said I was jealous of Julian helping her and that’s why I attacked her. Of course, I denied Sera’s accusations. I told Julian that Sera had deliberately pulled me into the water. I thought Julian would believe me and take my side. But I was terribly mistaken. Julian frowned at me. “Chloe, just tell me how our relationship was at that moment, don’t lie to me!” “I’m not, everything I said is true, Sera deliberately pulled me in.” “Chloe, Sera can’t swim at all, and you can.” Julian thought since I could swim and Sera was a “land duck,” Sera wouldn’t possibly risk her life to frame me. “She knew I’d call for help! Julian, Sera and her mother are plotting to seduce you to live a better life…” I had no choice but to reveal Sera and her mother’s plan for him. Julian sighed, “Chloe, what can I say? Even if you like me, you can’t just frame other girls, can you? I really don’t like it when you do that!” Julian didn’t believe a single word of my explanation. He told me that just a few days ago, Sera had proactively approached him, saying I disliked her. And Sera’s mother, Vivian, not wanting to affect my relationship with Julian, had already approached Mr. Hayes, proposing they move out of the house the Hayes family provided. The mother and daughter had already rented a tiny, run-down apartment elsewhere. Mr. Hayes asked Vivian why she wanted to leave, and Vivian stammered, saying she didn’t want Sera’s presence to cause misunderstandings between Julian and me. Vivian’s words subtly implied that I was secretly bullying Sera because of Julian. Sera and Vivian voluntarily moving out seemed to prove their innocence. And my words at that moment, exposing Sera and Vivian’s plan, were seen by Julian as jealousy, an attempt to frame them and drive them away. Julian didn’t believe me. In the end, because of Sera’s self-orchestrated drama, he had Sera and Vivian move back into their original house from their dilapidated apartment. Julian said this was compensation to them for the harm I had caused Sera. I was utterly unable to defend myself, becoming seen as a cunning, heartless person in this whole affair. I never imagined I’d be manipulated by Sera and Vivian. I was indignant and desperately tried to prove myself, to show that Sera was two-faced. But Sera and her mother were too cunning. Not only did I fail to expose their ulterior motives, but I was also manipulated by them time and time again. 4 Sera was found bullied and locked in the restroom, and she claimed I was the mastermind. She had an upset stomach during an exam and accused me of giving her milk laced with laxatives. I, being naive, was no match for a calculating schemer like Sera. Her tactics were vicious and endless. No matter what I said, Julian wouldn’t believe me. Later, Sera deliberately stole and tore up my parents’ old photographs, provoking me into slapping her. She made sure Julian witnessed it, solidifying his belief that I had truly been bullying her. Julian’s disappointment in me reached its peak. He brought up breaking up time and time again because of Sera. And I, time and time again, swallowed my pride, begging to reconcile, hoping to find a flaw in Sera’s story. Sera’s game was just too strong; I truly couldn’t beat her. She found out about Julian and my university pact and even came up with the wicked idea of destroying my admission ticket. She followed Julian to his home, secretly entered my room, stole my admission ticket, and destroyed it. Fortunately, I discovered it in time and got a replacement, preventing a major catastrophe. Sera was despicable and shameless, using countless underhanded tactics against me in private, yet appearing the picture of innocence on the surface. She would cry on cue, bringing up her tragic background, her sickly mother who still struggled to live by picking up trash. I didn’t know if Julian genuinely liked her and had fallen for someone new, or if he just pitied her. All I knew was that Julian hurt me again and again for Sera, and I, in my desperation, humiliated myself time and time again to win him back. I genuinely couldn’t bear to let go of my relationship with Julian. I was also truly desperate to make Julian see the real face of that conniving, two-faced Sera. Unfortunately, my efforts never succeeded. Instead, I pushed Julian further and further away. Ten years of Julian’s care and affection—he had become an irreplaceable part of my life. Cutting him out would be agonizing. So, when Julian frowned at me and proposed breaking up because of Sera, I chose to retreat and apologize time and time again. But this time, hearing Julian’s impatient and indifferent tone in Sera’s voice messages from last night, I finally saw how pathetic and foolish I had been. It turned out Julian didn’t believe me not because Sera’s methods were brilliant, but because Julian had actually grown tired of me in his heart. He was standing against me all this time just to get rid of me. Fine, Julian, as you wish. I won’t grovel for reconciliation this time! And the university application you let Sera modify for me? I won’t change it back!
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