Oops! I Fell for the Triplets

"You're really leaving?"

I looked at Celeste. She was sitting on my bed with her arms crossed. She looked like she was about to cry, but she was trying to look mad instead.

"How many times are you going to ask me that, Celeste?" I asked with a small laugh.

"Until you change your mind," she said.

I put another folded shirt inside my bag. "Then you'll be sitting there for a very long time."

"You are so hard to talk to!"

"I know. That's why you love me."

She rolled her eyes, but I saw her frown.

Honestly, I didn't want to leave either. This dorm room was small and old. The paint on the walls was coming off, and the bed was uncomfortable. But this place was my home for two years. This was where Celeste and I shared late-night talks, cheap meals, and so many good memories.

Celeste was my best friend. And if I was being honest, she was also the girl I used to like.

Used to, I reminded myself.

"Two years, Avery," she said softly. "We've been roommates for two years. And now you're just going to leave me here?"

"I'm not leaving forever. I still have my phone," I said.

"That's not the same."

I didn't reply right away. I looked around the room one last time, trying to remember everything. Then my eyes landed on the white envelope on top of my desk.

The main reason why I was leaving.

"Are you really sure about this?" Celeste asked, her voice turning serious. "You don't even know that old man. What if his offer is a trap?"

I stopped moving.

That was the exact question in my head. What if something goes wrong? What if I fail this job? What if someone finds out my secret?

I swallowed my fear and looked at her with a smile. "I have to try, Celeste."

"Avery..."

"You know my situation," I said quietly. "My tuition f*e is getting harder to pay. I'm taking too many part-time jobs, but the money is still not enough. I can't keep living like this."

Celeste went silent. She knew how hard my life was. She saw me counting small coins just to buy cheap bread. She saw me staying up all night working and studying.

"I just want to finish school without worrying about money every day," I added. "This job gives me a lot of money. It's my only chance."

"And what if you fail?" she asked.

"Then I'll find another way."

I picked up the envelope and put it inside my bag.

"Don't worry," I joked, trying to make her smile. "Once I make that old man's grandchild fall in love with me, I will buy you lots of expensive things to thank you."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Expensive things?"

"Yes! Clothes, bags, delicious food, and maybe even a house."

"A house? Are you asking me to marry you?" she laughed.

"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself!" I laughed back.

"You are so shameless, Avery," she shook her head, but she was finally smiling.

"Wait a minute," Celeste said, picking up one of my shirts from the bed. "Is this really all the clothes you're bringing?"

"Yes. Why?"

She looked at my clothes with a confused face. "Avery, do you have any girl clothes? Not even one dress or a skirt?"

I shrugged. "I don't need them. I don't wear dresses."

She sighed loudly. "You are wasting your pretty face!"

"What does that even mean?" I chuckled.

"You're very pretty, Avery. But you always hide under giant hoodies, loose pants, and men's jackets."

I looked down at what I was wearing—a plain white shirt, black loose pants, and an oversized denim jacket.

"I feel comfortable in these clothes," I said softly.

Celeste looked at me carefully. "I know. But sometimes... I wonder if you just hate being a girl."

My smile disappeared. It was hard to explain. I had spent a long time trying to understand myself, and I didn't know the right words to say.

"I just want to be myself," I answered honestly. "I don't like pretending to be someone I'm not."

Celeste nodded slowly. "Well, as long as you're happy."

"I am. Thank you, Celeste."

The car ride to my new school took two hours.

I sat near the window, watching the big houses and clean roads pass by. Don Alistair Veyrmont, the rich old man who hired me, sat beside me reading some papers.

"Miss Laurent," he spoke suddenly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you understand your task?"

"Yes, sir."

"My grandchild is not easy to deal with," he said, closing his folder. "I sent other people before, but my grandchild hated all of them. Your job is to get close to my grandchild and make them fall in love with you. But you must not force it. If it doesn't work, the deal is over."

"I understand, sir."

I remembered what he told me before. His grandchild likes both guys and girls—just like me. I thought that might make things a little easier.

"And one more thing," Don Alistair said coldly. "Nobody must know about our deal. If anyone finds out, you will get nothing. Also, Veyrmont Academy has very strict rules. If you make a mistake and get caught, you will be kicked out immediately."

I gripped my bag tightly.

I knew the danger. I was going to a place where one small mistake could ruin everything. But I needed the money badly. I couldn't back out now.

"Don't worry, sir. I will be very careful," I replied.

"We are here," the driver said.

I looked out the window and my jaw dropped.

The metal gate was huge. Inside, the school looked like a giant luxury castle surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Veyrmont Academy. A school for rich kids, politicians' children, and famous families. Normal students like me could never enter a place like this.

As the car moved inside, I saw a group of students walking near the entrance. I looked at them closely and suddenly froze.

Wait...

Why were all of them boys?

I quickly turned to the old man. "Sir, can I ask something?"

"What is it?"

"Is this an all-boys school?"

"Yes," Don Alistair answered calmly. "Veyrmont Academy is strictly for male students."

My heart stopped for a second.

An all-boys school?!

I looked down at my men's clothes, my short hair, and my flat chest. Don Alistair didn't just give me a normal job—he put me in a school full of guys where I had to pretend to be a boy every single day!

If anyone discovered I was actually a girl living in a boys' school, it would be a massive scandal, and I would be thrown out with no money.

"Is there a problem, Miss Laurent?" Don Alistair asked, eyeing me.

I took a deep breath, pulled my jacket tight, and forced a cool smile on my face. I was already used to wearing men's clothes and acting like a guy anyway.

"No problem at all, sir," I said.

I opened the car door and stepped out into the cool air. I looked up at the huge building in frot of me.

A new school.

A secret job.

And a target whose heart I needed to win—while pretending to be a guy.

I smiled to myself.

How hard could this be?