Shawn even planned our future together when he signed his first contract.

I thought that he was my forever and that I'd grow old with him. Then, in our senior year, Olive Russell showed up.

She was his childhood friend who transferred to our class after returning from abroad.

At first, I brushed it off, even trying to get along with her.

But gradually, Shawn pulled away, dodging my invites with flimsy excuses. He bailed on my birthday, claiming he was out of town for business.

Suspicious, I went to his company, only to find Olive holding court.

Employees fawned over her, calling her Mrs. Quinn despite knowing I was his girlfriend. And Shawn wasn't on any trip. He stood there with a smirk, not correcting a soul.

My heart cracked open, tears burning my cheeks.

When he saw me, he didn't flinch. His brows furrowed instead. "What are you doing here?"

Growing up spoiled, I wasn't one to take crap. Pointing at Olive, I demanded, "This is your business trip? Partying with her?"

I stayed calm, not yelling, but he exploded. "Olive's interning here. It's just a welcome party. Stop being jealous over nothing. It's annoying."

...

His words sliced through me.

Days ago, he had been all sweet. Now, he was tearing me down in front of his team.

My face must've betrayed my hurt because he backpedaled fast. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

I clutched my bag and looked him in the eye. "Then what did you mean? Why did you lie to me?"

He grabbed my hand. "The trip was canceled at the last minute. I didn't have time to tell you."

His soft tone dispelled most of my doubt, but what happened earlier lingered in my mind.

"Why did they call her Mrs. Quinn?" I grumbled.

"Just a joke. They all know you're my girlfriend, you jealous goof." He squeezed my hand, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't be mad, okay? It's your birthday. Let's grab dinner tonight."

I was about to tell him to cut such jokes when Olive swooped over.

Olive looked at me, her voice dripping with fake humility. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. If it bothers you that much, I'll quit. Just don't fight because of me."

Tears glistened on her cheeks, a performance worthy of an Oscar.

Everyone bought it, their glares branding me the villain. Silent, they glanced at Shawn, who felt embarrassed and let go of my hand.

He went to her side and comforted her gently.

He took me to dinner as promised, but I couldn't taste a thing. He babbled about Olive. "She is like a sister to me. Her parents asked me to give her a job. I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you'd overthink it. If I liked her, we'd have been together ages ago. I know you just care about me, and you know how much you mean to me."

His sincerity almost convinced me.

Then he pulled out a pair of rings, sliding one onto his finger and the other onto mine. "These are all I can afford now, but when I make it big, I'll get you the biggest diamond in the world."

I leaned into his warmth, the ring glinting on my finger. My doubts faded like morning mist.

But he broke that promise.

Soon, he stopped hiding his bond with Olive. Rumors swirled that he had dumped me for her.

Before I could trace the gossip, Olive cornered me, her usual shy smile replaced by a smug sneer. "You know what's pathetic? Chasing a guy like you did. Shawn loves me. Be smart and back off."

I clenched my fists, ignoring her taunts, but she pushed her luck, mistaking my silence for weakness. "If you won't face reality, I'll make you."

...

I told Shawn, expecting him to have my back.

Instead, he sighed over the phone, exasperated. "Nothing's going on with Olive. Why do you keep making stuff up? I've known her forever. She's not like that."

I raised my voice. "I made things up? What kind of person do you think I am?"

He went quiet, then said, "If you don't like her, I'll let her go after her internship."

Shawn paused. "But I'm swamped now. Can you stop bothering me with this? Focus on your thesis. Let's both take some time to calm down and talk after graduation."

He hung up, his dismissal stinging like a slap.

Apparently, he trusted her more than me. For the first time, I wondered if he was worth my heart.

Our cold war dragged on for a month. Neither of us reached out to the other.

When we crossed paths on campus, he just ignored me.

At the graduation ceremony, as I reached for my cap and gown, the department head confronted me. "Scarlett Lewis, your thesis is identical to Olive Russell's. Who is the plagiarist?"

I was stunned. "Sir, that's impossible. I wrote every word myself."

Olive stepped forward, tears on cue. "Sir, I didn't copy anyone. Shawn Quinn can vouch for me."

All eyes swung to him, and I searched his face for signs of guilt.

He wouldn't meet my gaze, and I figured out what was going on.

I had stored my thesis in our shared cloud drive. The betrayal clicked into place. Olive had access because of him.

The department head stared at Shawn, who took a shaky breath. "Sir, Olive is interning at my company. I've seen her work late on her thesis."

His words branded me guilty.

Facing everyone's scorn, I stepped closer, my voice low. "So, you're saying I copied her?"

...

Shawn's eyes flickered with guilt.

I waited, expectant, but he doubled down. "I know Olive wrote hers."

I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. All my sacrifices in the past four years were for nothing.

I was so blind that I fell in love with someone like him.

He fidgeted, eager to say something, but Olive beat him to it. "Even though you're his girlfriend, you can't make him lie for you. Today, I'll show everyone your true colors. You're nothing but a bully, forcing me to give you exam answers and even sending thugs after me."