That day ended in a bitter argument, with classmates who doubted us jumping at the chance to hurl insults my way. Words like "gold digger," "materialistic," and "schemer" were thrown around, completely smearing my reputation.

For a week, I didn’t bother reaching out to Travis Jordan. Eventually, it was Cade Moore who stepped in to play mediator, tricking us into a meet-up.

The moment I saw Travis, my instinct was to leave. Maybe he'd had time to cool off over the past week, as he greeted me with a broad smile and blocked my exit. Despite my mixed emotions, he pulled me into a hug right in front of all his friends.

“Don’t be upset, I know I messed up.”

I tried to pull away, but the next thing I knew, a cool necklace was being fastened around my neck.

“A late Valentine’s gift, handmade by me. It matches the star necklace you gave me.”

His gentle tone and the exquisite gift melted away some of my anger. As my annoyance faded, I found myself more open to conversation.

I pulled up news articles and Sarahi Medina’s Facebook posts and confronted him.

“You said you two were just business partners. Since when do business partners get so cozy?”

Travis wrapped his arms around me from behind and glanced at the phone.

“It’s a huge misunderstanding. She was worried that her pearl earrings were uneven before facing reporters and asked me to check them. I didn’t even touch her! You know I’m nearsighted; I only leaned in slightly to take a look.”

I couldn't help but smile, but I pressed on: “What about that Facebook post? You said you had a last-minute meeting, only to be seen having dinner with her instead. What’s your story?”

Travis turned me to face him, cradling my face, and delivered a genuine kiss.

“Honey, honestly, the meeting time was changed by the client. Sarahi said she hadn’t eaten all day and had a stomach ache, so she insisted I accompany her to get some food.”

I flicked his hand away, unable to suppress my smile. Just as I was about to deliver a warning, Sarahi Medina walked in.

Her eyes were red as she approached me directly:

“Cade told me you argued because of me, so I rushed over. Lucia, even though Travis and I have a marriage arrangement, we’re just friends. If it bothers you, I can ask my dad and his uncle to call it off, and I’ll leave the country to stop being a problem.”

The heavy rain outside had left her drenched. After saying this, she shed a few tears and prepared to leave.

I clearly saw the look of reluctance in Travis’s eyes as he released me and hurriedly followed Sarahi. Right in front of me, he gently wiped the rain from her face, not hesitating at all.

His friends saw me standing there, looking unhappy, and began whispering among themselves, criticizing me for being a bully.

Even Sarahi glanced at me timidly. At that moment, I truly felt like I was the one who should leave.

That evening, I barely touched my dinner rolls before making an excuse to leave, claiming I was feeling unwell.

I expected Travis to stay behind, taking care of the fragile Sarahi, but he dashed into the rain after me.

He led me to a nearby café, ordered a hot coffee to warm my hands, and ran back out into the rain to buy a towel to wrap me up.

“Lucia, don’t be mad at me. Sarahi’s family is very strict. If she actually goes home and talks about ending the arrangement, she might face serious consequences. I only see her as a sister; that’s why I care for her a bit more. Please don’t worry; my eyes and heart belong solely to you.”

Seeing me shiver, he sat close, held me tightly, and rubbed my hands to warm me up.

Despite my inner turmoil, his steadfast care convinced me to lay aside my resentment and trust him.

But he ultimately broke that trust.

After that day, Sarahi shamelessly remained glued to Travis’s side. They talked about company growth and jewelry exhibitions, pairing so perfectly that they seemed like a couple.

Not only our classmates but even I believed they were in a relationship.

Sarahi eventually approached me, brimming with confidence:

“Lucia Rivera, Travis might see me as a sister now, but one day, he’ll see me as his lover. Just wait and see.”

I couldn’t muster a response, watching her leave with the smile of a victor.

It was a weekend, and Travis had initially told me he planned to unwind and play tennis with his friends. I called him unexpectedly, asking him to come see me, which clearly upset him. "Didn't you say I could go play tennis? It's pretty awkward to bail on my buddies like this!"

I was frustrated too, and I snapped, recounting everything Sarahi had said. After I finished, his mood soured even more.

"You're dragging me over here for something so trivial? How many times do I have to tell you that Sarahi and I are just friends? Lucia, do you realize how exhausting it is to date you? Should I start updating you every time I breathe? Is that what it would take for you to trust me?"

His words cut deep. Holding back tears, I asked, "Do you really think I don't trust you?"

Travis met my gaze and after a long pause, sighed. "Alright, I get that insecurity can be common. Since Sarahi bothers you, I'll find a way to clarify things with her. But Lucia, I'm asking you, please stop making this harder for me, okay? My dad already puts a lot of pressure on me, and I hardly get any time to relax. Could you just cut me some slack?"

It was nearing graduation, and his father was forcing him to give up his passion for law to take over the family jewelry business, leading to a standoff between them. Sarahi’s father never liked me, so I couldn’t offer much advice to Travis. All I could do was give him some space to unwind.

"I'm swamped with graduation stuff right now; let's take a break from each other for a while." With that, he turned and walked away.

Watching his retreating figure, a chill crept into my heart, and for the first time, I questioned if he was worth it. Afterward, he didn’t reach out, but I often saw him with Sarahi at the library, studying late into the night. I even heard from Cade that Travis had given up on law and decided to study jewelry design abroad.

Then, my graduation project caught the attention of Celestial Jewelry Company, and they wanted to sign a deal for mass production. But suddenly, I was surrounded by reporters, their cameras pointed at me.

"Lucia Rivera, we've heard reports that claim your graduation project is a copy of Sarahi Medina’s work. Is that true?"

I was stunned, stepping back as I tried to defend myself. "I didn't do it—you're falsely accusing me!"

At that moment, Sarahi appeared, eyes red, accusing me. "Lucia, I let it slide when you copied my design for the end-of-term project. But this graduation project, the 'Thorned Rose' series, was something I created to celebrate Travis's birthday, and he even helped tweak it. How can you claim you didn’t plagiarize it?"

Instantly, all the cameras turned to Travis, waiting for his response. I looked at him too. Travis avoided my gaze and spoke to the cameras, "The 'Thorned Rose' is indeed Sarahi's concept. During our late-night study sessions, I saw her designing it myself."

I stood there, frozen, blinded by the flashlights, and walked up to him, looking him in the eye. "Are you sure I'm the one who plagiarized?"