"Your application for the exchange program has been approved, Isla. You're the only person who got through, so congratulations!"

Isla Stokerton feels at peace when she hears the good news from her professor, Richard Langham.

"Thanks, Mr. Langham. I'll make sure to achieve great things and not disappoint you."

"Your application for the exchange program has been approved, Isla. You're the only one in the university to get the spot. Congratulations!" Richard Langham said.

Isla Stokerton felt relieved hearing the good news from him. "Thank you, Mr. Langham. I'll make sure to live up to your expectations!"

Richard had always been confident in the students he mentored. With a cheerful smile, he asked, "When are you planning to depart?"

Isla replied, "I've already applied for the visa. I'll be able to leave once it's processed in a month."

Richard was pleased to know that she had already arranged for everything. He continued, "You'll be away for three years. What about Emmett then? You've been pursuing him for so long—you've even confessed to him 99 times. Shouldn't the two of you get together soon?"

Isla was momentarily stunned to hear gossip about her from a professor she respected.

It seemed like gossip traveled fast. She wasn't aware that her story had already made it this far. But then again, it was pretty hard to ignore someone who had confessed 99 times.

Isla smiled bitterly as she recalled the secret she stumbled upon several days ago. She let out a soft sigh and replied firmly, "I'm not going to confess anymore. It's exhausting to keep on pursuing him like that."

Richard was surprised to hear the news. However, he did not push further seeing that she didn't want to talk about it.

The reminder alarm went off just as Isla ended the call. She opened it and realized that it was something she'd set months ago, with only a couple of words—"Emmett's birthday."

Upon recalling the bar address she received yesterday, Isla lowered her gaze, got changed, and went down to hail a cab.

…

The birthday party was already ongoing by the time she arrived at the location. Familiar voices sounded from the private room.

Someone said, "How could Isla be late? Could she be preparing for a surprise now? She's confessed 99 times already, and it's about to be the 100th. Don't you think it's time to say yes, Emmett?"

Another replied, "That's right, and you clearly liked her too. You might really lose her for good if you reject her again!"

Isla's hand on the door paused when she heard the guys' teasing, yet she remained calm.

She had known for a while that Emmett Cosworth liked her.

A week ago, Emmett had a basketball game. Isla watched the entire thing, then rushed over afterward to offer him some water.

However, he wore a cold expression as always. He barely spared her a glance as he turned around and walked away.

Even though Isla was used to his indifference, she still felt upset about it. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed his phone on the bench.

She picked it up, intending to catch up with Emmett, but her finger accidentally hit the power button, lighting the screen. Glancing down, she immediately saw his lock screen wallpaper. It was a photo of a woman.

There was nothing particularly strange about it, but what shocked Isla was that the woman in the photo was her.

The high ponytail tied with a floral hair tie, the charms hanging on her bag, the knee-length plaid dress, and the mole on the inner side of her wrist. It was her—down to the little details.

Looking at this photo, which was taken without her knowing, Isla was both surprised and confused.

Emmett had always ignored her, so why would he use her photo as his wallpaper?

Just as the screen was about to dim, Isla pressed the power button again and was immediately brought to the password screen.

She tried keying in her own birthday as the password on a whim. To her surprise, the screen unlocked the home page after she pressed the confirmation button.

Isla's mind went blank before she clicked on the photo album. Countless thumbnail images appeared in the next instant. A quick glance was all it took for her to realize that there were thousands of photos of her face.

She was completely shocked. It was one thing for Emmett to have her photo as his wallpaper, but he'd actually saved thousands of her photos in his gallery.

At the very bottom was a photo from the day they first met two years ago—one of her dancing solos during the freshman performances. The photo was titled "The first day I fell for her at first sight."

Shocked, Isla couldn't understand why Emmett wouldn't accept her feelings all this while when he had fallen for her the first day they met.

She only learned the true intentions behind his actions after talking to several people.

Emmett had liked her, but at the same time, he enjoyed being pursued by a woman. As such, he had delayed accepting her confession until now.

When Isla found out the person she liked felt the same way, she wasn't happy at all. Instead, she felt a mix of anger and helplessness.

For the past two years, she had given up all her pride just to be with Emmett, enduring endless mocking from their classmates.

Isla brought him breakfast every day and always showed up with an umbrella at the first signs of rain. She had poured her heart into it all.

Having received nothing in return, she had cried alone in the countless nights, only to pull herself together the next day to continue pursuing Emmett.

Isla had almost come close to giving up the hard-to-get exchange program opportunity, all just to stay by his side.

The conversation in the room continued, and Emmett was heard saying, "She likes me, so she's not going anywhere. I'll say yes to her the next time she confesses."

Isla couldn't help but chuckle at his calm and confident tone.

There wouldn't be a "next time" anymore, as she had already given up on the 100th confession.

Now, Isla wanted nothing more than to leave and completely disappear from his life altogether.

The chatter in the private room came to an abrupt halt as soon as Isla pushed the door open.

Everyone turned away tacitly and started switching topics. They pretended they hadn't seen her.

Emmett had also picked up a glass of wine before joining the game on one of the tables. He did not bother looking up. He wore an indifferent expression.

Isla glanced at him. She couldn't help but marvel at how good his acting was.

She wasn't at all disappointed seeing how everyone had ignored her. Instead, she calmly walked over and sat down in a corner.

Everyone was busy chatting in the next hour, yet she remained seated on her own as she scrolled on her phone.

In the past, Isla would find a way to approach Emmett whenever he appeared. She would come up with all sorts of topics just to catch his attention.

Even this birthday party was something she had to pester him about for a long time. She had asked many to help her out before he finally invited her.

Logically, something so hard to come by should be valued more. However, with the way Isla had come barefaced, in sportswear, and looking carefree, she didn't seem to be taking Emmett's birthday seriously at all.

Her indifferent attitude, unlike before, made him break his cold front. He couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

It was soon time for the gift-giving session after the birthday song and cake-cutting. Isla waited until everyone had their turn before getting up leisurely. She then took out a calendar from her back and handed it to Emmett.

Everyone stared at her in shock. The calendar was no bigger than the size of a palm, with only 30 pages in total, making it look rather shabby.

Isla disregarded their shocked expressions. She looked at Emmett and calmly said, "Starting from today, you should tear off one page every day, Emmett. When you get to the last page, there will be a surprise waiting—it's my belated birthday gift for you."

Upon hearing her words, his roommates started laughing. "It's your 100th confession, right? You're truly persistent—it's been two years, and you're still going strong. Do you really like Emmett that much?"

Influenced by their words, Emmett naturally assumed that it was a countdown calendar for her 100th confession.

He smiled briefly before catching himself. He turned expressionless once again. "I only said that I might consider it when it's your 100th time, but I've never said I'll say yes to you."

Isla knew that they all had gotten the wrong idea. She wasn't about to confess by the time he tore off the last page. It was the day she would completely disappear from his life.

She did not bother explaining. Instead, she chuckled and deliberately said, "I've pursued you for a long time, yet I never managed to move you. I really want to know what your ideal type is like."

The room fell silent after Isla's words. Everyone turned to look at Emmett with a curious look.

He stared at her intensely and stayed silent for a while. "My ideal type—"

The door was pushed open just as Emmett started talking, instantly drawing everyone's attention away.

Sadie Lynch walked in under the gaze of everyone, holding a beautifully wrapped box. She flashed him a sweet smile and said, "Happy birthday, Emmett!"

Emmett's gaze landed on her when he heard her greeting.

He tapped a finger lightly against the table and continued, "My ideal type is of course a lively and sweet girl next door."

Sadie's cheeks immediately flared red having heard such an ambiguous confession as soon as she entered.

She skipped over to Emmett and handed him the gift she had carefully prepared, urging him to open it at once.

Everyone's attention was quickly diverted, and no one brought up that topic again.

Isla did not show any signs of sadness looking at the two who were surrounded by everyone. Instead, she returned to her seat while looking indifferent.

Throughout the night, Sadie was there no matter where Emmett went. They were laughing and talking happily, taking turns to drink on each other's behalf, and sharing the same piece of cake.

Memories flooded Isla as she quietly watched their intimate moments.

Although Emmett, the campus heartthrob of Quintessa University, had countless admirers, he had always kept his distance from women. The only exception was Sadie, his childhood friend.

He would help fix her messy fringe, help her with her bag, and go to classes with her. He would even make bets and host basketball games with guys from other universities, all just for her.

Emmett's favoritism toward Sadie felt like a thorn in Isla's side.

However, it wasn't until the day Isla learned the truth that she realized it. Although Emmett and Sadie were childhood friends, they weren't close before this.

Sadie had always pestered Emmett, yet he never paid her much attention. It wasn't until Isla showed up that he started deliberately getting close to Sadie.

All his actions were just to make her jealous. He was hoping it would push her to pursue him even more.

That was why Isla only thought it was ironic when she saw Emmett putting on this act in front of her again.

She placed her wine glass down and left for the washroom. After splashing her face with some water, she felt more sober and pulled out a tissue from her bag to wipe her face.

As her vision was blocked, Isla did not realize that someone had come to stand beside her. She only found something amiss and glanced to the side when she heard Sadie's peculiar tone.

Sadie said, "You've been pursuing Emmett for so many years, Isla, and he never accepted you. Yet you still dared to show your face at his birthday party?

"Oh please—he doesn't like you at all. Can't you have some self-awareness? You're so cheap with your obsessive pining!"

She looked so well-behaved, yet her words were beyond vulgar.

Isla did not show any signs of displeasure upon hearing Sadie's words. She merely looked at Sadie calmly and asked, "Are you done cursing at me?"

Sadie was stunned as she wasn't expecting Isla to have such a small reaction. However, she refused to back down and planted her hands on her hips.

She continued, "Of course not! Do you know what everyone has been saying about you? You're the "obsessive pining woman that confessed 99 times"! Can you stop being this shameless? Everyone can tell that Emmett likes me. Why can't you just see that?"

Isla was still unperturbed seeing Sadie's shrew-like behavior. She simply shifted her gaze to look behind Sadie and said, "You might want to look behind you before you continue cursing me."

Following her gaze, Sadie turned around looking perplexed. She immediately noticed Emmett, who was standing outside the door. He seemed to have been standing there for quite some time. He likely witnessed everything that had happened.

The thought of it made Sadie panic instantly. Her expression quickly morphed into a pitiful look. All traces of her earlier arrogance disappeared.

She hurriedly walked over to Emmett and took his arm. She started explaining herself nervously, "It's not what you think, Emmett. Isla was the one who bullied me first—"

But Emmett seemed completely unfazed. Even though he had clearly witnessed Sadie cursing at Isla, he acted as if he didn't see anything.

He looked up at Isla before removing his coat and draping it over Sadie. His tone was gentle when he said, "It's so windy outside. You should be careful not to catch a cold when you're dressed so lightly."

Emmett then took her hand and walked back to the private room.

Sadie wasn't expecting him to act this way. He seemed unbothered that she had just cursed at Isla. Sadie immediately gained confidence and smugly turned around. She flashed Isla a mocking smile as if laughing at her audacity.

Isla, who had her head lowered, did not notice Sadie's provocation. She crumpled the used tissue into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. She then turned around and headed downstairs.

The hallway was silent save for her footsteps. She recalled what had just happened and let out a cold chuckle in the dark.

Emmett's gaze was clearly on Isla when he draped the coat over Sadie earlier, yet he was expressing his worry toward Sadie.

Isla had to give it to him—his acting skills were way too good. If she hadn't known about his little secret, she might have fallen into his trap and ended up upset for a long time.

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Over the years, Isla had set aside all her pride and reserve just to pursue him. No matter how much others mocked or insulted her to her face, she had never taken it to heart.

She only wanted to focus on herself and achieve her goals without any regrets. As such, she was determined to confess 99 times.

However, the person Isla had liked for two years chose to ignore the rumors and insult just because he enjoyed the pursuit—that hurt her more than any other curses and mocking ever could.