All Chapters of Rejected by One, Wanted by Another : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Zoe sat on the edge of Lucy’s bed, swinging her legs. The morning light caught her new diamond pendant hanging from her neck. It was a teardrop-shaped stone that looked far too expensive for a student’s budget. Zoe reached up and twirled the diamond between her fingers, making sure the facets caught the light every time Lucy looked up from her books."Don’t you love this?" Zoe asked, tilting her head. "I got it from my new boyfriend. He has such expensive taste. He said I deserved something that shines as much as I do."Lucy kept her eyes on her textbook. She flipped a page and underlined a sentence. "It is very bright, Zoe.""Bright? It is a masterpiece," Zoe said. She stood up and walked over to Lucy’s desk, leaning down so the necklace dangled right in front of Lucy’s face. "You know, some men really know how to take care of a woman. They don't just give them a name. I bet Adrian only gives you those boring, traditional pieces Victoria picks out."Lucy didn't look up. "I don't real

The dorm room was filled with r Zoe cardboard boxes and half-empty suitcases. Lucy sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes fixed on the black graduation gown hanging from the closet door. She had spent four years working toward this moment, but now that it was here, it felt like a final curtain closing.A sharp knock at the door made her jump. Before she could answer, Zoe walked in, carrying a bottle of wine and two plastic cups. She was wearing her pajamas and had her hair tied back in a messy bun."I decided we are going to drink our sorrows away tonight," Zoe said, held the bottle up triumphantly. "It is our last night as students. No more textbooks, no more exams, and definitely no more crying."Lucy cleared a space on the floor, pushing aside a box of old notebooks. "I thought you were going to the Matthews estate tonight for that pre-graduation dinner.""I told them I had a headache," Zoe said, sitting cross-legged on the rug. She used a small corkscrew to open the bottle. "I wan

Lucy sat in the front row, her hands folded anxiously in her lap.The Dean stepped up to the podium, his voice echoing through the massive speakers. "We will now begin the presentation of departmental honors. These students have shown exceptional dedication to their craft."Lucy waited. Her heart beat hard against her chest. She watched as students from the science and business departments walked across the stage, shaking hands and taking photos. Then, the Dean turned a page in his thick leather folder."From the Department of Humanities, for the highest Grade Point Average and the Excellence in Research award: Lucy Quinn."The applause was loud. Lucy stood up, her silk dress rustling beneath her graduation gown. She climbed the wooden steps to the stage, her heels clicking on the floor. She took the first plaque, then the second. The cameras flashed, blinding her for a second. She shook the Dean’s hand, feeling the cold metal of the award in her palm."Congratulations, Miss Quinn," t

Lucy pushed open the heavy door. The air hung thick with the smell of Adrian’s rich cologne and Zoe’s sweet floral perfume.On the bed, Adrian and Zoe were lost in each other.Zoe lay on her back, legs wrapped tight around Adrian’s waist. Her graduation dress lay crumpled on the floor beside his suit jacket. Adrian thrust into her with deep, steady strokes, his muscular hips rolling between her spread thighs. Zoe’s full breasts bounced with every powerful push. Her head was thrown back, lips parted in a moan as she clung to his shoulders, nails digging into his skin.“Yes… just like that,” Zoe gasped, her voice breathy and needy. Adrian groaned low, driving harder, the wet slap of their bodies filling the room. He gripped her hips, pulling her onto him as he buried himself to the hilt again and again. Zoe’s back arched, her body trembling with pleasure. She looked completely lost in him, like she belonged right there under him.Lucy froze in the doorway. Her heart shattered instantly,

The rain continued to beat against the glass pane of the bedroom window, the apartment was completely still.Lucy stood up from the edge of the bed. Her ivory dress was still damp at the hem, clinging coldly to her skin. She looked down at her hands, then turned to face Jonathan, who was standing near the door. He was watching her quietly as if he feared she might break if he moved too fast.The grief inside her chest began to shift. The shock of seeing Adrian and Zoe together was still there, but the pain was turning into something else… the desperate need to be truly seen, loved and wanted. For months, she had been preserving her body and her dignity for a man who viewed her as an item on a corporate balance sheet. She had been saving herself for a fiancé who used her name as a prop while he spent his afternoons in the arms of her best friend.She looked at Jonathan, and the choice became entirely simple. This was her act of defiance. This was the only part of her life that Adrian