Chapter 2

I sprinted to the parking lot as fast as I could, ignoring the stinging pain in my throat and the metallic taste in my mouth. I stepped on the accelerator and sped towards Rachel's location.

It was rush hour, and traffic was heavy. I was caught at several red lights. Desperate, I stopped at an intersection, abandoned my car, and rented a motorcycle.

The location Rachel sent me was at the outskirts of the city, where the roads were bumpy and rough.

I failed to spot a large pothole at the bottom of a slope, causing my front wheel to get stuck and my motorcycle to flip over.

My left leg was pinned under the seat. It took me a long time to climb back up.

Ignoring the wounds and pain, I managed to lift the motorcycle back up. Luckily, it was still intact and started normally.

I hopped back on and once again rushed towards the location Rachel had sent me.

The rest of the road was smoother, and within three minutes, I found the house where Rachel was supposed to be among a row of independent houses in the countryside.

The black metal gate stood wide open. In the narrow shady area inside, Rachel and three other people I did not recognize were sitting around a table, casually eating watermelon and playing cards.

My fierce and intimidating aura startled everyone.

Seeing me dirty and bloody all over, Rachel's eyes flashed with satisfaction.

She turned to the others and said, "Chill. He’s my boyfriend."

Rachel pulled me over and introduced me to her friends. "Zoran, these three are my childhood friends."

I was fuming. The metallic taste of blood was growing stronger in my mouth. "Didn’t you say your parents locked you up?"

A blush of embarrassment appeared briefly on Rachel’s face, but she quickly glossed over it. She said a little awkwardly, "Actually, this is also a test!"

She added, "I didn’t plan to do this. They called me this morning saying they were back from out of town and would be leaving at noon. We haven't seen each other for years, so I rushed back. I told them you gave up on going to MIT for me last year but they didn’t believe me, and that’s why I put you through this test."

The more she spoke, the prouder she sounded. She boasted to her friends, "I told you my boyfriend would miss the exam for me. You guys lost the bet! $100 each, pay up!"

I felt a surge of blood in my throat. I was furious, my chest rising and falling violently.

I could not believe that Rachel had sacrificed my year of hard work just to show off to her friends.

She waved 3 green bills in front of me, brimming with pride. "Aren't I amazing, Zoran? I just made 300 bucks. We can have a lavish meal tonight!"