Chapter 2

I sprinted all the way home and shoved open the worn metal security door. The moment I stepped inside, the savory aroma of beef stew greeted me.

Mom came out from the kitchen in a faded yellow apron, carrying a bowl of stew.

"Zane, you're home! How did the exam go?" she asked with a beaming smile, setting the bowl on the table. "I made you some beef stew to help keep your energy up after all that studying."

I looked at the gray strands at her temples and the fine wrinkles around her eyes. My eyes stung, and my throat tightened.

In my past life, that group of crazed fans had cornered Mom in the stairwell.

They'd yanked her hair, spat in her face, and shoved her down the stairs. As she tumbled down, the back of her head had slammed against the concrete steps. Blood had pooled around her.

I strode forward and wrapped my arms tightly around her.

"Mom, I did really well on the exam," I whispered. "Things are going to get better for us."

Mom froze for a second, startled by the sudden affection. Then, she smiled and patted my back.

"Look at you! You must be worked up after the exam. Go wash your hands. Dinner's ready." She chuckled warmly.

After dinner, I grabbed all the money I'd saved and hurried out.

I hired the best locksmith in the neighborhood to replace our old security door with a reinforced steel door. I also had it fitted with a top-of-the-line biometric lock.

Next, I discreetly installed a high-definition security camera equipped with night vision and audio recording in a blind spot in the hallway.

Better safe than sorry. In my past life, I'd learned that lesson the hard way.

Two weeks later, the SAT scores came out.

I scored 1590, placing me among the top scorers in the state.

Local media came to interview me, and my school hung banners celebrating my achievement. Overnight, I became something of a local celebrity.

Ava, on the other hand, hadn't even scored high enough to get into a trade school.

I thought blocking her would put an end to our connection, but I'd underestimated just how shameless some people could be.

Three days after the results came out, I was filling out my college application form at home when a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs.

I hurried to the window and looked down. Ava stood outside in a revealing spaghetti-strap dress, holding up a selfie stick. Behind her was a group of sketchy-looking men and women carrying ring lights and microphones.

She'd actually tracked down my address.

"Hey, everyone. This is where that heartless bastard lives. I can't take it anymore. I'm here today to get the justice I deserve!"

Ava dabbed at her eyes in front of the camera. Her voice blared through a portable loudspeaker, loud enough to echo across the entire apartment complex.

A small crowd of residents had already gathered to watch the drama unfold.

I opened the streaming app and immediately found Ava's livestream. To my surprise, she already had over 20,000 viewers.

As it turned out, although she hadn't gotten my confession video, she'd secretly edited the footage of me knocking her phone out of her hand in the classroom.

She'd posted the clip with a trashy caption—"I supported my boyfriend for three years, only for him to become the top scorer and dump me in front of everyone just because my grades weren't good enough."

The video had racked up over 500,000 likes.

Now, riding that wave of attention, she'd come straight to my place to put me on the spot.

"Just look at this run-down building!" Ava cried. "For all three years of high school, I scrimped and saved to buy him everything, from his study guides to his clothes!"

She paused dramatically, wiping at her eyes before continuing.

"I worked so hard to support him that I had to sacrifice my own studies. And the moment he became the top scorer, he dumped me! Zane Sinclair! You heartless scoundrel! Get your ass down here right now!"

The comment section flooded with messages within seconds.

"What a scumbag! How does someone like him deserve to be the top scorer? We need to expose him!"

"I feel so bad for her. She's been through so much."

"Let's make this go viral. His university needs to expel him!"

The veins on the back of my hand bulged as I gripped the mouse.

Ava was certainly good at making up lies and twisting the truth to play the victim. Plus, that whole crew of influencers was like a pack of flies drawn to the smell of blood, willing to do anything for views and online traffic.

Instead of getting angry, I let out a cold laugh and picked up my phone to call the police.

"Hello. A group of people is causing trouble in my apartment complex. They're disturbing the residents and spreading malicious rumors. Yes, the address is…"

After hanging up, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bucket full of dark, murky water left over from mopping the floor the day before.

If Ava was so desperate for attention, I'd give her something worth going viral for.