Chapter 3

Before I could react, Zack suddenly pulled me aside and demanded, "Wendy is your best friend. How could you publicly shame her online?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I yanked my hand away, but Zack only sneered and held his phone up to my face.

A post on the campus forum had blown up.

Someone posted pictures of Wendy, claiming she had stayed by my side as my best friend while secretly trying to steal my boyfriend.

Zack looked at me with deep disappointment. "Wendy and I are only getting married because of our families. Do you really have to make this so ugly?

"She has never looked down on you for being poor and even went out of her way to help you. How are you any different from a selfish ingrate?"

I tried to tell him I hadn't done it, but Zack didn't believe me.

When the announcer called my name, Zack left me with one cold warning. "Don't regret this!"

The graduation ceremony was being livestreamed online.

I forced myself to stay calm and walked over to the center of the stage. I had barely finished introducing myself when angry shouts came from the crowd.

"Disgusting! How can someone who cheated on her thesis get to be a top graduate?"

"Get off the stage!"

I turned around and looked at the big screen. It showed proof that I had hired someone to write my thesis and cheated my way into being named a top graduate!

The crowd erupted, and I immediately denied it. "This is fake! I didn't do it!"

But the school was afraid the situation would get worse and cut off my microphone.

Amid a flood of insults, I was forced off the stage.

Backstage, Zack stood with his arms crossed, staring coldly at me.

I clenched my teeth and held back the tears threatening to fall. "Was destroying me what you wanted?"

My vision blurred with tears.

In a daze, I remembered the look of concern on Zack's face when he learned Mom was seriously ill.

"Leah, I'll work hard and make money to help Carla get better. Then you can marry me without any worries," he had said.

But now, Zack walked toward me with a dark look in his eyes, his voice calmly cruel.

"The best way to shift people's attention is to give them an even bigger scandal. Leah, I wouldn't have had to do this if you hadn't made that post.

"You brought this on yourself, and you can't blame anyone else for it."

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

I collapsed to the floor, too devastated to speak.

My phone suddenly started buzzing nonstop with hateful messages.

"You stole your best friend's fiance and then smeared her name? You have no shame!"

"You even tried to blame her? You should just die!"

I looked up in disbelief.

Wendy stood nearby and shrugged. "Leah, we've known each other for over ten years. You should know I'm not the kind of person who takes things lying down."

When I was five years old, a boy at preschool pulled my hair. Wendy grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off all his hair.

When I was 12 years old, a drunk man followed me. Wendy grabbed her backpack, hit him over the head with it, and ran off with me.

She had been terrified too, but she still held my hand tightly. "You're my best friend! We're supposed to look out for each other."

When Wendy was 18 years old, she gave up on going to art school and spent more than six months studying day and night so she could attend the same college as me.

I felt bad seeing the dark circles under her eyes, but she didn't care.

"You're too soft," she said. "What if someone bullies you? I won't feel better unless I'm there to protect you!"

And now, she said, "Growing up, I've never let anyone walk all over me. You betrayed me and posted that about me on the campus forum, making me take all that abuse. Don't you think you should pay for it?

"It's only fair that I give you the same treatment."

Wendy had posted on the campus forum, claiming I had tried to steal her fiance instead. She shared proof that she had been engaged to Zack long ago.

There were already more than a thousand posts attacking me.

Zack looked at my numb expression and seemed to feel sorry for me.

He was about to speak when my phone rang.

Mom's trembling voice came through. "Leah, did you get involved with someone else's boyfriend?"