Chapter 2

The next morning, at a coffee shop downtown.

Eve, Liam's mom, sat across from me, elegantly sipping her tea, not even bothering to look at me directly.

She pushed over an agreement and a bank card.

"I know about you and Liam," she said, her voice cold, with a condescending sneer.

"Aurora, it's important to know your place."

I sat frozen, my fingers tightly gripping the hem of my shirt.

"Your grades were good enough to get you into a top school like Stanford, but to go to the same city as Liam, you intentionally chose Columbia University in New York. Am I right?"

I didn't speak. Eve sneered.

"Too bad, Liam and Chloe already got into Cornell University. Even if you go to New York, you'll only be at a step-down school like Columbia. Did you really think you could cling to him in the same city?"

My head spun. Liam had never told me!

It turned out he'd always had a backup plan, while I foolishly gambled my future for him.

"There's two hundred thousand in this card," Eve tapped the table.

"Sign this agreement, promise never to contact Liam again, and this money will be my charity to help you pay for college."

"I don't want your money." I gritted my teeth, my voice trembling.

Eve's eyes narrowed. "Your dad's struggling factory? Half of its orders this year come from our company's patronage. If you don't know what's good for you, your family's going to have a very hard time for the rest of the year."

My blood instantly froze.

Just then, the coffee shop door opened.

Liam strode in, wearing a well-tailored white shirt, still looking as neat as he had for the past three years I loved him.

I shot up, a final flicker of hope igniting in my eyes.

He glanced at me, then walked to Eve's side: "Mom, I'll handle it."

Then, he turned to me, his gaze colder than I'd ever seen it: "Aurora, just sign it."

"What did you say?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Chloe has a delicate heart; she can't handle stress. If she knew about you and me, she'd get sick."

Liam frowned.

"Columbia University isn't bad. For the tuition... I can have my mom compensate you."

"Liam." I heard my voice tremble.

"You want me to sign an agreement, admitting I was the one harassing you?"

"What else?" he retorted, his self-righteousness chilling. "These past three years, you willingly acted as my assistant, allowing me to use you, didn't you?"

I looked at the man before me, feeling utterly alien.

I didn't take the card. Instead, I grabbed the agreement from the table, tore it to shreds, and threw it hard in his face.

"Liam, you disgust me."

I turned and stormed out of the coffee shop, not looking back.

A few days later, our class reunion dinner. The homeroom teacher explicitly called me and made me go.

Pushing open the party room door, Chloe and Liam were clearly the center of attention.

Someone asked me, "Aurora, where did you end up getting accepted?"

I looked down: "Columbia University."

Chloe covered her mouth, exclaiming in "surprise": "Oh, that's too bad! You almost got to be classmates with Liam and me at Cornell.

But Columbia University is good too! Liam said we're all classmates, and he'll look out for you in New York."

Hearing this, Liam said indifferently, "Honey, eat. Don't worry about other people's business."

Everyone around them laughed and agreed, every word praising how perfect they were for each other, every word mocking my presumption.

When the dinner ended, I stood alone by the road, waiting for the bus.

A brand-new BMW pulled up in front of me.

The window rolled down, revealing Liam's unreadable face. It was the car his family rewarded him with for his summer job.

"Get in, I'll drop you off." His tone was like an act of charity.

I stepped back, shaking my head.

The rear window immediately rolled down, and Chloe poked her head out, smiling sweetly.

"Aurora, don't be shy. Liam just seems cold, but he's really warm-hearted. He takes good care of old classmates. Come on up."

Looking at them, my stomach churned.

Just then, my phone rang.

"Dad" flashed on the screen.