Chapter 4

[Don't worry, I'm getting in through early admission.]

…

I watched the whole drama unfold like a bystander, occasionally checking in with Mr. Simpson.

[Mr. Simpson, is my early admission spot all set?]

[Everything is taken care of.]

I smiled and was just about to hit like on Mark’s bragging comment about his early admission status when a new comment popped up in the thread.

[Mark, you’ve got some nerve. You do realize Sadie has Adele on her close friends list, right?]

…

When I refreshed the page, Adele’s story was gone.

Right after that, a video call popped up on my phone.

It was Mark.

I hit accept, and Mark’s face appeared, trying way too hard to look relaxed.

"Sadie, have you been scrolling online? I just posted something. Did you miss it because you were busy studying?"

He was testing the waters, unable to hide the guilt in his voice.

Keeping my face completely neutral, I pointed my camera down at the open textbooks spread across my desk and said calmly, "Yeah, I didn't see anything. How's your studying going?"

On the other end, Mark noticeably breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, with an air of pure indifference, he let out a chuckle. "What is there for me to study anyway? Sadie, you know I've got early admission secured. Tomorrow's exam is just a formality for me.

"Oh, by the way, make sure you study hard. If you don't get into Horvard or Prescott, don't expect me to wait around for you."

He wrapped the threat in a joking tone, but it was clear he was serious.

A week ago, that threat would have sent me into a full-blown panic, scrambling to study. Now, I just scoffed.

"Oh, okay."

Hearing my response, Mark froze on the screen.

"Sadie, why are you—"

"It's getting late, and I still need to review. Bye." I cut him off clean and sharp, reaching out to tap the screen.

The moment the video call disconnected, a memory from last week suddenly flashed through my mind.

Back when Mark first secured the school's early admission slot, he had boasted to me, beaming with excitement.

"My parents were stressing out so badly over my college entrance exam this time. They were watching over my shoulder constantly, saying that if I didn't get into a good college, they'd not only finalize their divorce, but also disown me and send me off to work a night shift at a factory.

"Now everything's great. I got early admission directly, so they don't have to worry anymore."

My fingers trembled slightly. Ultimately, I couldn't help but warn him.

"Mark, actually…"

"Sadie, hold on a sec. Someone's calling our landline."

Mark tossed his phone onto the bed and ran out to the living room to pick up the call.

Through his cracked bedroom door, his ecstatic voice echoed down the hall.

"Adele, you actually agreed to be my girlfriend?! That's amazing! I promise I'll be waiting right outside the testing center tomorrow, so the first thing you see when you step out is me!

"You also don't have to worry about Sadie. I spiked her frappuccino with Amoxicillin. She's severely allergic to penicillin, so one sip and there's no way she can take the exam tomorrow.

"When the time comes, you and I will head off to college together, and she can just stay behind to retake her senior year!"

I stared at the pitch-black phone screen, my entire body shaking uncontrollably.

I never imagined Mark could be this cruel—cheating on me with Adele, stealing my early admission spot, and even lacing my drink to stop me from taking the exam.

He knew better than anyone that a penicillin allergy was no joke. A severe reaction could cause anaphylactic shock or even fatal suffocation...

I clutched the phone so hard that my nails dug deep into my palms.

A few minutes later, Mark picked up his phone again and spoke as if nothing had happened.