Chapter 3

Cillian's POV

Before I could process what was happening, Celine abruptly yanked me aside and demanded, "Marcus is your good friend! How could you cyberbully him?"

"I have no idea what you're on about!" I flung her hand away, but she scoffed and thrust her phone in my face.

A post on the campus forum had gone viral. Someone had posted photos of Marcus, accusing him of pretending to be my friend while secretly attempting to steal my girlfriend.

Celine looked at me with disappointment. "Marcus and I are only in a marriage of convenience. Did you really have to make things look so ugly? He's never looked down on you for being poor. If anything, he's gone out of his way to help you. How are you any different from an ingrate?"

I tried to explain that I hadn't done it, but she refused to believe me. Then the emcee called my name, and she spat, "You'll regret this!"

The graduation ceremony was livestreamed. I forced myself to remain calm and walked to the center of the auditorium. I'd just introduced myself when angry heckles suddenly erupted from the crowd.

"How disgusting! How can someone who plagiarized his thesis be an outstanding graduate?"

"Get off the stage!"

I turned around, only to see the PowerPoint presentation on the giant screen showing detailed evidence that I'd hired someone to write my thesis and cheated my way into being named valedictorian.

The audience erupted into an uproar, and I immediately denied the accusations. "This isn't true! I didn't do it!"

However, fearing the situation would spiral out of control, the school directly cut off my microphone. As the audience hurled insults at me, I was driven offstage and made an example of.

Celine crossed her arms and looked at me coldly backstage. I bit my lip hard, keeping my tears at bay. "Is this what you wanted? To destroy me?"

My vision blurred behind a veil of tears.

All of a sudden, I recalled the heartbroken look on Celine's face when she'd learned that Mom was gravely ill. "I'll work hard and make enough money to help Mrs. Sterling pay for her treatment, Cill. I want you to be able to marry me without a single worry."

However, now, she walked up to me with a dark look in her eyes.

Her tone was calm yet cruel. "The best way to divert attention is to give them an even bigger scandal to talk about. Cill, if you hadn't made that post, I wouldn't have resorted to this method. You brought this on yourself; you have no one to blame but yourself."

In the end, my thesis was invalidated, and I was expelled.

I collapsed onto the floor, and I was so overwhelmed by despair that I couldn't utter a word.

Just then, my phone began vibrating incessantly.

"You stole your best friend's girlfriend and smeared his name; you have no shame!"

"I can't believe you'd turn around and blame him. People like you should just drop dead!"

I looked up in disbelief.

Marcus stood beside us and shrugged. "We've known each other for over a decade, Cillian. You should know I'm not one to take things lying down."

When we were five years old, a group of kids at kindergarten picked on me. Marcus clutched a rock and chased them away.

When we were 12, the owner of a convenience store accused me of shoplifting, locked me inside, and forced me down on my knees to apologize. Marcus slammed his backpack into the owner's head, grabbed my hand, and made a run for it.

I'd asked him why he believed me, but he'd simply thumped his chest. "You're my best friend! Why would I ever doubt you?"

When we were 18, Marcus gave up sports and studied day and night for half a year to get into the same college as me.

I felt terrible when I saw the dark circles under his eyes, but he said nonchalantly, "You're too much of a pushover, Cillian. What if someone bullies you? I can only rest easy if I'm there to protect you!"

But now, he said, "I've never let anyone walk all over me. You betrayed me, posted about me on the campus forum, and let everyone tear into me, so you have to pay the price. I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine."

Marcus posted on the campus forum, claiming I'd tried to steal his girlfriend. He also released proof that he and Celine had been engaged for some time. It accumulated more than a thousand comments.

Looking at the numb look on my face, Celine seemed to feel a pang of guilt. She was about to part her lips when my phone rang.

Mom's trembling voice came through the line. "Cillian, did you really come between someone else's relationship?"