3.

Nine months later.

“I want to hold another party, in celebration of you getting into Crestfield!” Elara shrieked through the phone, her voice bright and obnoxiously chipper.

“Elara, no. Absolutely not,” I groaned, balancing my phone between my shoulder and ear as I tossed my keys onto the kitchen counter.

“Come on, Evie,” she whined, dragging my name out like a kid begging for candy. “You’re officially a college student now. You’re supposed to be wild and crazy. Live a little!”

“First of all,” I said, rolling my eyes as I opened the fridge, only to find it depressingly empty. “I got into Crestfield because I had no other choice. It’s not Ravencrest, and it’s not what I wanted.”

“Boo-hoo,” Elara mocked, her dramatic tone practically dripping through the phone. “So what if Crestfield isn’t Ravencrest? At least you’re going to college and studying engineering, which is, like, the most Evie thing ever.”

I sighed, shutting the fridge door and leaning against the counter. “Elara, do you even know what engineering is?”

“It’s like… robots and stuff, right?” she said, and I could practically hear her smirking on the other end.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, rubbing my temples.

“Anyway,” she continued, undeterred, “I’m throwing this party, and you’re going to come, and you’re going to have fun. And maybe—just maybe—you’ll get laid again.”

“Elara!” I snapped, heat rushing to my cheeks.

“What?” she replied, feigning innocence. “You can’t tell me you’re still not thinking about him. It’s been nine months, Evie. Nine. Months.”

“I’m not thinking about him,” I said firmly, though the lie was obvious even to myself.

“Oh, please,” Elara said with a scoff. “You’re probably still dreaming about that hot stranger who gave you the best night of your life, and then you—”

“I know what I did, Elara,” I interrupted, groaning. “I took a shower and washed off his number. Can we move on?”

“Nope,” she said cheerfully. “I’m never letting you live that down. Do you know how rare it is to find someone who looks like a Greek god and actually knows what to do in bed? And you just let him disappear.”

I sighed, leaning against the counter and pinching the bridge of my nose. “I didn’t let him disappear. It was a one-night stand. That’s literally how they work.”

“Not when they’re that good,” she quipped. “Honestly, I’m just disappointed in you. I expected more from my best friend.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint,” I said dryly. “Now, can we please talk about something else? Like how you’re going to pay for this party you’re so determined to throw?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” she said breezily. “I’ve got it all figured out. You just have to show up and look hot. It’s not that hard, Evie.”

I rolled my eyes, already regretting this conversation. “Elara, I really don’t think—”

“Nope,” she interrupted. “You’re coming. End of discussion.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the sight of my mom sitting on the living room sofa stopped me in my tracks.

“Elara, I’ll call you back,” I said quickly, cutting her off mid-rant.

“What? Why—”

“Mom’s here,” I said, already lowering the phone.

“Fine,” she huffed. “But we’re not done talking about this party, Evie!”

I hung up before she could say anything else, stuffing my phone into my pocket as I walked into the living room.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, frowning as I took in the sight of my mom sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch, her hands folded tightly in her lap.

“That's not how you talk to your mum.”

“Well, that's how I talk to my mum, who left me for over a year and didn’t even bother showing up to her daughter’s graduation,” I snapped, arms crossed tightly over my chest. “I was the best in my class, by the way. Not that you care.”

“Oh, come on, Evie,” my mother said, waving me off as if I were being dramatic. “You’re a big girl now. Besides, I was… busy. Trying to get you a proper life.”

“Yeah, by stripping your life away,” I shot back, my tone sharp. “Great way to be a mother.”

Her face twitched, just for a second, before she composed herself and smoothed her dress, a glittery, way-too-tight number that clung to her figure like desperation. Her hair, a bright platinum blonde with dark roots peeking through, fell in loose curls around her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless, but heavy, the kind that didn’t just try to hide age but bury it completely.

“My little pessimist,” she said with a sigh, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt. “I heard you got into Crestfield.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. A low-class school. Exactly what you’re about to call it, right?”

She pressed a hand to her chest, feigning shock. “I wasn’t going to say low-class.”

“No?” I challenged, glaring at her.

“Fine,” she admitted, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s not Ravencrest, is it? But it’s… something, I suppose.”

“Wow, thanks for the glowing review,” I said, the sarcasm dripping from my voice. “Now, can you go back to wherever you were before? I don’t need your commentary.”

She ignored me, standing up from the couch and smoothing her dress again. “What if you got into Ravencrest?”

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “They don’t give scholarships, Mom. That’s the whole point. It’s for rich kids and trust fund babies. Not for people like us.”

“People like us,” she repeated, her tone almost mocking. “There you go again, being so pessimistic.”

“And there you go again, being delusional,” I shot back, a grin tugging at my lips. “I know, Mother. I know. Now leave.”

She didn’t move. Instead, she tilted her head, her gaze distant for a moment before her eyes lit up with an unnerving enthusiasm. “You’re going to love it, Evie. Just imagine: a big university, a gorgeous campus, parties on yachts—”

“Yachts?” I interrupted, my brows shooting up. “Really? Dad left you for another woman, Mom. And not just any woman, his wife. You weren’t even the first pick. You were the ‘other woman’ chasing after a rich husband. And now you’re back here, being—”

“Unreasonable?” she cut in, her voice unusually calm as she reached into her purse.

I stopped mid-sentence as she pulled out her hand and held it up.

There, sitting on her ring finger, was a massive diamond ring.

My jaw tightened. “Who did you steal that from?” I asked coldly.