Chapter 2

I listened and watched in stunned silence, the pain in my chest growing sharper.

The suit Jarrett was wearing was a graduation gift I'd bought him with an entire year's worth of saved scholarship money.

Now he was standing there in it, getting engaged to someone else.

I wiped away my tears. Then, I dragged my suitcase out of the airport.

I took a cab straight to the hotel where they were holding the engagement party.

The moment I walked in, our class rep, Louie Fisher, stepped up first. He blocked the head table.

"Olivia Walsh, you seriously came here to cause a scene? We're all classmates here. Do you really have to be this cruel? Sienna and Jarrett are a much better fit anyway. Getting to this point wasn't easy for them. Have some grace!"

I ignored him, my eyes locked on Jarrett at the main table.

He walked over to me and let out a weary sigh. "Olivia, I explained everything to you on the phone. This is just a temporary compromise to keep Sienna calm. Do you really have to pull this stunt now and make things awkward for everyone?"

I side-stepped, brushing off his hand. "Jarrett, you make me sick."

Just then, Sienna Powell gathered up her wedding dress and hurried over.

She had an innocent face. With her eyes rimmed red, she looked like a frightened deer.

"Olivia, please don't blame Jarrett. It's all my fault. I was too greedy. I knew he loved you now, but I still wanted a ceremony. Slap me, yell at me, do whatever you want. Just please don't be mad at Jarrett."

As she spoke, she made a show of dropping to her knees.

Jarrett caught her instantly and pulled her behind him to shield her. "Sienna, you're not well. Don't do that."

He turned back, glaring at me with judgment in his eyes. "Olivia, what more do you want? I explained, I apologized, and Sienna has already compromised this much. Are you really going to keep pushing us?"

Watching the two of them play the tragic star-crossed lovers, I suddenly felt like laughing out loud. "One of you lied to me for three years, and the other willingly became the mistress. Do you two even understand what 'compromise' means?"

As soon as I said that, Ava couldn't hold back anymore. "Olivia Walsh, stop pushing it. Sienna ruined her eyesight working endless shifts in an electronics factory just to put Jarrett through college. What have you ever done for him?

"You're just using your history with Jarrett to hold him hostage and pressure him every single day!"

"Exactly!" another guy chimed in. "Jarrett's a good guy. Don't you dare ruin his life!"

I looked around at all these familiar faces.

Over the past four years, I'd tutored them, brought them breakfast, and even lent them money when they were broke.

Now, they were all standing high on their moral high ground, grinding me into the dirt.

"Fine. Great." I nodded, looking at Jarrett with eerie composure. "Since what you two have is true love, I'll step aside."

I pulled a set of keys from my bag. These were the keys to the apartment we rented near campus. I was the one who paid the rent and paid the deposit.

I tossed the keys right at Jarrett's feet. "Get all your stuff out of my apartment by tomorrow. Otherwise, it's all going in the trash."

Jarrett's expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. "Olivia, you're just speaking out of anger right now. I won't hold it against you. I'll come to see you once you calm down in a few days."

I didn't bother answering. I just gave him a cold smirk and left the hotel.

As I stepped out the front doors, cheers erupted behind me.

"Yes! The wicked witch is gone!"

"Alright, back to the party!"

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"