Chapter 1

Indeed, Samuel already had a girlfriend—me.

I went on stage to give my speech. Once I was done, I descended at an unhurried pace and walked toward him.

Samuel Grant, my boyfriend, stood there as if he had been waiting for a long time. He reached for my hand, and his palm was warm. His long fingers caused that warmth to crawl up my skin the moment he touched me.

“Good speech, Layla.”

His voice was cool, like a gust of wind blowing through a forest. It allowed my heart to calm down.

“But your skirt’s too short. It’s not suitable for this occasion.” He frowned and removed his blazer before putting it around my shoulders.

The fabric still retained his warmth, and it was mixed with the faint scent of wood. Both of those things enveloped me like a hug.

I tilted my head to look at him. “Don’t you think you’re being too controlling, Samuel?”

He just leaned into my ear and whispered, “I can’t help it. My girlfriend’s too dazzling, and I’m worried that someone will snatch you from my hands.”

His warm breath brushed against my ear and made me shudder as my face burned.

The comments went wild again.

[Aaaahh! He called her by her name! He called her his girlfriend! What kind of novel plot is this?!]

[So, those four idiots gave up on the girl with a full-ride scholarship to an Ivy League university to study in some so-called “elite” university with a manipulative witch? Are they regretting their decision so much that they want to die now?]

[Don’t run your mouth off. They did go to a proper elite university. The point is, the professor they’ve been wanting to study under is the boyfriend of the girl they left behind LMAO!]

[I love this plot twist so much!]

My four childhood friends indeed had no idea.

To them, I was just a lackey with pretty good grades and a walking doormat. They thought I had a hard time moving on with my life without them.

During our final gathering before our SATs, the atmosphere had been pretty lively.

Tyler Thompson had put a hand around my shoulder and ordered, “Just study in a local university, Layla. Don’t bother trying for anything else.”

Noah Winston continued with a smile, “The four of us can take care of you.”

Ethan Howard scoffed. “If you run, I’ll break your legs.”

Mark Steward said nothing and just quietly filled my bowl.

Back then, Rose Blanche had just transferred to our class.

She always appeared timid and idolized my four childhood friends.

While eating, she teared up.

“I’m so jealous of you… I just want to go to the capital and learn how to draw, but I’m scared of going alone…”

Tyler and the others felt their hearts going out to her, and they promised to help her.

I did not think much of it back then and just offered her a few words of comfort.

When our results came out, I applied to a local university, just as I had promised. But I could not contact my friends.

So, my mother asked someone to look into this. Only then did we find out the truth.

The four of them had applied to another university.

They applied to an elite university in the capital to be with Rose.

My mother was so furious that she slammed her palms on the table. “Those lying pieces of trash! The audacity! How could they go behind our backs for a transfer student who had only attended your school for two months?!”

As for me, I sighed in relief. It was as if a stone that had been weighing on my chest for more than ten years was finally removed.