Chapter 3

Gabriella's POV

The Lowines threw a party to congratulate Scarlett on getting into university the next afternoon.

The private room was packed with my relatives.

"Scarlett truly made something of herself, Harry. She was accepted into Julliena University," Uncle Frank exclaimed.

He was all smiles as he raised his wine glass.

Dad had a rosy glow on his face as he waved his hand, saying, "She had a weak constitution ever since she was a child. We're already more than satisfied that she managed to get into one of the top local universities."

"Julliena's a perfectly good university," Aunt Dahlia chimed in, smiling. "It's close to home too. She can even visit you over the weekend and have dinner with you."

She then turned to me and asked, "What about you, Gabby?"

Silence descended upon the room in an instant.

I didn't say a single word. Instead, I kept my head down and continued poking the mashed potatoes on my plate with my fork.

Mom immediately joined the conversation, saying, "Gabby's also going to Julliena University. She can help me take care of Scarlett since she's studying in a local university too."

My relatives nodded and praised me.

I didn't stop poking my mashed potatoes, turning it into a mushy mess on my plate.

They had no idea that I didn't apply to Julliena University at all.

Jasper had been standing behind me when we were filling in our university applications. As a result, he saw when I typed Julliena University as one of my options.

I waited till he turned around to pour a glass of water for Scarlett before calmly pressing the backspace button. I then listed Bellion University as my first choice.

"What are you daydreaming about, Gabby? Tell the waiter to bring a jug of warm water," Christopher snapped while kicking my chair.

I placed my fork down and rose to my feet. I heard Jasper speak up in a gentle voice seconds after I left the private room.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Lowine. Gabby and I will take care of Scarlett together during our time in university. The three of us can have meals together every day just like before."

I headed toward the restroom, turning the tap on and letting the cool water run over the back of my hands.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a pair of black, thick-framed glasses and a faded T-shirt. My face was pale from pulling too many all-nighters.

This was the Gabriella Lowine that everyone else saw—a side character who didn't need to have her own life.

All the dishes had been served by the time I returned to the private room.

Jasper was wearing a pair of plastic disposable gloves. He placed the peeled shrimp on Scarlett's plate and said, "Be careful when you're eating them. You have a weak stomach, so you can't eat too much seafood."

"I know," Scarlett whined while playfully glaring at him. "You're so naggy, Jasper."

Jasper simply smiled. He peeled another shrimp and placed it on my plate. "Have one too, Gabby."

I looked at the shrimp on my plate. There were still some black bits on the back of the shrimp, and it wasn't completely peeled.

I couldn't help but think that the sloppily peeled shrimp was just like his feelings for me. It was obvious that he had a favorite, while his feelings for me were cheap and perfunctory.

"I don't eat seafood," I said, using my fork to push the shrimp off my plate and onto the tablecloth.

Jasper's expression darkened in an instant.

Christopher slapped his hands on the table and shouted, "Why are you giving Jasper attitude when he was kind enough to peel shrimp for you?"

Mom shot a cold look at me and said, "She's always been like this ever since she was a child. She always has to fight Scarlett over what she has. Now, she's being petty over shrimp."

Scarlett's eyes reddened as a troubled look crossed her face. "I won't let Jasper peel shrimp for me anymore, Gabby."

I didn't look at them. Instead, I grabbed a wet tissue and wiped the water stains on the tablecloth.

"I'm allergic to seafood," I said.

Silence descended upon the room instantly.

Jasper's hand froze in midair. He turned to look at me with a bewildered expression, asking, "Allergic to seafood? But I saw you eat it in the past."

The confusion in his eyes was a little amusing.

Jasper had taken me to a seafood buffet when we were ten. He wanted to use his Christmas money to treat us, so he only brought Scarlett and me. He peeled a huge plate of lobsters when Scarlett whined about wanting to eat them.

I steeled my nerves and forced myself to have a few bites because I didn't want his efforts to go to waste.

However, I got rashes all over my body and also contracted a high fever that night. I kept scratching myself as I tossed and turned on the hard bed in the storage room all night.

The next day, when Jasper came over to play with Scarlett, Mom told him that I was being lazy and hadn't gotten up yet.

I never touched seafood again from that moment on.

"Yes, I had it in the past," I said, wiping my hand with the wet tissue before throwing it in the trash. "I almost died in the storage room after eating it."

Mom's hand froze in midair. She cleared her throat and snapped, "Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? There was no need for you to bring that up here."

Jasper looked at the shrimp that I had pushed off my plate. Panic flickered in his eyes for a brief moment. "Gabby… I didn't know that—"

"I'm full," I said, placing my fork down.

I sat upright in my chair and listened to my relatives rave about Scarlett's future.

Jasper sat next to me. He didn't say another word for the rest of the meal. He occasionally snuck glances at me as if he was waiting for me to take the initiative to make peace with him just like before.

But I just kept my head down and looked at my phone.

I had just received an email with my acceptance letter from Bellion University.

The university's blue emblem glowed with a faint light on the screen.