Chapter 3

The teacher explained that as long as the application period had not ended, students could modify their choices an unlimited number of times.

The so-called "only three changes allowed" rule was nothing more than a scare tactic to make students take the application process more seriously.

My choices were restored.

But I knew very well that things between me and Ethan—and those two girls—were far from over. Since neither in this life nor the last had they been willing to let me go, I would no longer sit back and wait for fate to crush me.

After planning everything carefully, I finally felt the heavy weight in my chest lift.

Believing that my admission to a community college was already set in stone, Ethan went traveling with Jessica and Megan.

Every day, he sent me photos of the three of them being intimate.

[Ryan, how does it feel to watch the two women you like fawning all over me? Not good, right?]

[Jessica and Megan both said they'd rather be my second choice than pick you. As a man, don't you think that's pretty pathetic?]

Faced with his constant provocation, I felt nothing at all. I simply knew his good days were numbered.

When the acceptance letter from Horvarte University arrived, the homeowners' association posted an announcement in the community group chat.

[One student in our community has been admitted to Horvarte University. The Local Community Foundation will award a 10,000-dollar scholarship as an encouragement. Residents who are available tomorrow are invited to attend the award ceremony!]

This was a long-standing tradition in our community. For top universities like Horvarte and Stanferte, acceptance letters would first be held by the foundation, and an award ceremony would be held before they were officially handed over.

The group chat immediately exploded with congratulatory messages.

Then Jessica's mother sent a voice message.

"Thank you all for your blessings. Jessica will continue to work hard once she gets to Horvarte!"

Immediately, the residents began praising her and asking for parenting advice.

At that moment, Megan's mother also sent a voice message.

"The one who got into Horvarte is obviously Megan. Mrs. Miller, how shameless can you be to claim it as your daughter's?"

Mrs. Miller fired back instantly. "You're the shameless one! My Jessica scored a 1490. She already told me she was admitted to Horvarte!"

Mrs. Flores replied, furious. "My Megan scored a 1510! If anyone got in, it's her! Don't you know that in top-tier admissions, even ten points can make a world of difference? 20 points is a huge gap!"

The two of them argued viciously in the group chat, each insisting their daughter had been admitted to Horvarte.

Watching the flood of messages, I sneered inwardly. If they knew their precious daughters had abandoned top universities just to chase some poor guy to the worst community college, I wondered if they would pass out from rage.

In the end, the foundation stepped in to mediate and confirmed that only one student in our entire community had been admitted to Horvarte. As for who it was, that would be revealed at the award ceremony the next day.

Because of the chaos in the group chat the night before, the award ceremony drew an unusually large crowd. Everyone wanted to see which family had produced the Horvarte admit.

Before the ceremony began, the three of them—Ethan, Jessica, and Megan—approached me.

Ethan looked at me and said, "Ryan, you should have reflected on yourself by now. As long as you sincerely apologize and promise that my tuition and living expenses at the community college will still be covered by your family, the four of us can go back to how things were before—best friends."

"But community college is expensive. It's not like before when it was 200 dollars a month. Now it needs at least 1,000 dollars a month."

I nearly laughed out of sheer anger at his shamelessness.

"Ethan, let me make this clear—my family will not sponsor you a single cent from this moment on."

His eyes turned red as he looked toward Jessica and Megan for support.

They immediately turned on me.

"Ryan, don't be ungrateful! Ethan is still willing to accept your family's support—that's already doing you a favor."

"If you don't agree today, don't expect us to look out for you at the community college!"

A cold smile curved my lips as I looked at them.

"You should be worrying about yourselves instead."

...

On stage, the foundation representative held up the Horvarte acceptance letter and announced loudly, "Please welcome Ryan Jenkins from Unit 502 to the stage to receive your Horvarte University acceptance letter and a cash scholarship of 10,000 dollars."

Under the gaze of everyone present, I walked onto the stage and received what was rightfully mine—the Horvarte acceptance letter.

At that moment, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Flores rushed onto the stage, shouting in disbelief.

"This is impossible! There must be a mistake! That acceptance letter belongs to my daughter, Megan!"

"The one admitted to Horvarte should be my Jessica!"

Just then, a delivery driver in a green uniform stepped forward and called out, "Jessica Miller and Megan Flores, your acceptance letters have arrived."