Chapter 3

Silence crashed over the classroom as everyone’s eyes darted between me and Leo.

His face flushed red, and his eyes widened with rage.

He stormed toward me in a fury—but just then, the teacher walked in. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and return to his seat.

Halfway through the lesson, Leo made up an excuse to go to the restroom—and slipped out with Betty.

I turned my head slightly, watching as their figures disappeared down the hallway.

Then I quickly looked away.

This time, I had no intention of telling the teacher.

They often used that trick to skip class.

I remembered the first time I caught Leo doing it—I had reported him to the teacher right away.

That night, he cursed me out so viciously I could hardly speak.

He called me spiteful and accused me of meddling in his business. He also accused me of being a tattletale.

He had stood there and watched while Betty humiliated me.

She’d burned a lock of my hair with a lighter as she laughed brightly with Leo beside her.

As those memories flooded back, the book I held crumpled in my clenched fists.

Only when Kitty whispered, “Naomi? Are you okay?” did I snap out of it.

I quickly smoothed the pages of the book, but the damage in my heart couldn’t be undone.

“I’m fine,” I muttered.

When school ended, I didn’t go home right away.

Instead, I stayed behind to catch up with my studies.

For the past three years, I had poured all my energy into helping Leo improve his scores.

After all that, not only had he made no progress, but my own grades had slipped further and further.

With only two months left, I finally decided to focus on myself.

I wanted to get into a better university.

What I didn’t expect was that Leo and Betty would return to school.

The two of them burst into the classroom, tangled in a passionate kiss.

In that instant, a sharp, blinding pain radiated through me as I stared at the man before me— my childhood sweetheart, fiancé of many years, the one I had foolishly delayed my future for.

The pen I held slipped from my grasp, clattering to the floor, a sound that finally brought the lovestruck pair back to reality.

Leo caught sight of me sitting silently in the classroom. He froze and instinctively released Betty.

But she was faster and threw herself into his arms with a conniving smile.

“Oh no, the Bald Eagle caught us kissing,” she mocked.

“Do you think that tattletale will run to the teacher tomorrow?”

Leo gazed at her affectionately.

“She wouldn’t dare,” he said.

“One word from me, and she’ll do whatever I say—like a well-trained dog.

“Right, Naomi?”

I bit my trembling lip and looked into those indifferent eyes.

I couldn’t understand how my wholehearted devotion over the years had brought me to this.

I’d given up my chance at university for the promise he had made.

And now, in his eyes, I was nothing but someone to walk all over.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, and my voice cracked as I spoke.

“I wasted three years of my life on you—all because of a single promise. And this is how you treat me now?”

“That’s because you’re stupid,” he sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. “You clung to some ridiculous fantasy about us.

“Someone like you—a pathetic nerd—could never deserve me.

“Betty and I, on the other hand, are a perfect match.”

I froze in my seat.

Although I had long anticipated this ending, a deep sadness still settled in my heart.

The last trace of affection I had buried deep inside finally faded away.

I forced back the tears and smiled.

"You're right. I was stupid.

"Thank you for teaching me that."

I packed my books, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and walked out of the classroom.

Behind me, Leo tensed as a flicker of panic flashed across his face.

He was about to chase after me, but Betty grabbed his arm.

That one moment of hesitation was enough for me to disappear swiftly across the schoolyard.

Back home, I took a deep breath and swallowed the bitterness in my mouth.

Even though I tried my best to act like everything was fine, my Mom saw right through me.

The white bandage on my head was obvious, and my red, puffy eyes were impossible to hide.

She knew me too well, yet she didn’t say much and just gently examined my wound.

In that quiet moment, guilt overwhelmed me.

I had wasted so many years on someone like Leo. He was not worth it.

From the early days when my parents yelled in anger, to the later days when they spoke in soft persuasion and quiet worry, I had made them anxious for nothing.

"Don’t worry, Mom. This time, I will get into university,” I said firmly as I grabbed her hand.

All those dreams I used to cling to… They were nothing but delusions I created for myself.

The next morning came early.

As I was leaving my home, I inevitably ran into Leo.

He called out to me from behind, but I pretended not to hear, lowered my head, turned quickly, and walked away.

I bought breakfast outside the school gates, ready to head in.

Suddenly, Leo appeared with a dark expression, panting heavily as he grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t you dare say you haven’t been avoiding me,” he snapped.

“You clearly heard me calling you. Why didn’t you wait?”

I calmly pulled my hand from his grasp.

“Sorry. I didn’t notice,” I replied evenly.

Then, under his stormy gaze, I turned around and entered the school.

I had barely sat down when a shadow loomed in front of me. It was Leo again.

He reached out his hand and asked, “So, where’s the breakfast you bought for me?”

His words sent a stinging ache through my chest.

So he did remember that I often bought him breakfast.

But how had he treated me in return?

What right did he have to expect anything from me?

In his eyes, was my kindness to him something he deserved by default?

I looked up at him coldly.

“Can’t you buy your own breakfast? Something wrong with your hands? Or maybe your mouth?” I asked flatly.