Chapter 2

As I reached my dorm room, I heard voices inside.

"Cassidy looked gorgeous today. Eugene couldn't take his eyes off her!"

"Right? It would've been perfect if that tramp hadn't shown up and killed the mood."

They were clearly talking about me.

I pushed the door open with a bitter smile, and the chatter stopped.

Freya Perry, who liked to act like she ran the place, clicked her tongue. "Some people have no shame. I can't believe she actually came back."

My other two roommates jumped right in.

"Seriously. Cassidy was having such a great day, and then she showed up and made her feel so guilty she cried."

"How can someone be that heartless?"

When I didn't react, Freya rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Holly? We're talking about you.

"You've been bossing Cassidy around for years just because your grades are a little better than hers.

"Her family's loaded, and her dad's a big name in the field. She could've been with Eugene all along, but she stepped aside for you for three years.

"Now he does this one little thing for her, and you throw a fit."

My other two roommates scoffed in agreement.

In our first year of grad school, all three were so short on money that they couldn't even afford a washing machine between them.

Washing clothes by hand in the dead of winter was miserable, so I bought one for us to use.

When summer came, I bought an air conditioner to make the heat bearable. I even offered to cover the electric bill.

I thought that if I looked out for them, they would do the same for me. Instead, they took everything I did for granted and still expected more.

I no longer saw any point in trying.

"If you love Cassidy so much, ask her to move in. I'll find an apartment tomorrow, and I'm taking everything I paid for."

For three seconds, no one said a word. Then they all started yelling.

"Seriously, Holly? We call you out once, and this is how you react?"

"No wonder Eugene wants Cassidy! Who'd want to be with someone this petty?"

I didn't argue. I just looked at them.

"Think whatever you want."

I grabbed my pajamas and went into the bathroom. Almost as soon as I closed the door, the class group chat blew up.

Freya posted, [We called the jealous girlfriend out, and now she's threatening to take everything she bought out of the room. Whatever. We're not apologizing for telling her the truth.]

A flood of thumbs-up reactions followed.

[Good for you. She can't use that stuff to make you take her side.]

[She's just mad we're happy for Eugene and Cassidy.]

[Don't let her get to you. We've got your back, Cassidy.]

As more messages poured in, Cassidy joined the chat.

[Please don't be so hard on Holly. None of this would've happened if it weren't for me. I shouldn't have asked Eugene to do that for me. Now Holly's taking it out on you guys. I'm so sorry.]

More replies poured in.

[Seriously, you're still worried about her after all this?]

[You don't need to apologize. She's the one making this everyone's problem.]

[Some best friend. She can't let you have one happy moment?]

Eugene was online the whole time. For all his insistence that I was the only one he loved, he never said a word in my defense.

I stared at the messages, my expression hardening, then left the group chat.

There was nothing left between us worth holding on to.

I spent three years looking out for these people, and it meant nothing to them. All I could do now was accept it.