Before I could stop him, he had already ticked the option for Medford College on the screen.

"Aaron, I don't want to go to this school."

Even I did not notice the tremor and coldness in my own voice.

I pulled his hand away and warned him flatly, "You know how much time and effort the Brooks family spent raising me. There's no way I can choose a school like this and keep disappointing my parents."

"How would your parents be disappointed? You're not even their biological daughter…"

The moment the words left his mouth, Aaron quickly corrected himself.

"Besides, don't they already have another daughter now? And college entrance exam scores don't define a person anyway. You're talented no matter where you go. You'll shine anywhere."

Remembering what the floating comments had said, I stared directly into his eyes.

"What about Yvonne Brooks?"

"Her?" Aaron sneered with obvious disdain. "That real daughter they just brought back? She has no manners and no class. Even if she gets into university, she won't amount to much."

His words were harsh, but there was an unmistakable softness hidden in his eyes.

A kind of indulgence.

"You're right," I said calmly. "Gold shines no matter where it ends up."

I snatched the mouse from his hand.

"In that case, I'll fill out my application myself."

"Just remember to pick Medford College." He watched me patiently. "Go on, hurry up and submit it. Why are you dragging this out?"

Right then, his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen, and almost instantly, the corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile. His fingers moved rapidly as he replied to the messages, so focused that it was as if I no longer existed.

Looking at how eager he was to leave, I forced out a smile.

"If you've got something to do, then go ahead."

Even as he was leaving, he still turned back to remind me, "Remember, you have to choose Medford!"

Meanwhile, the floating comments above my head scrolled wildly across my vision.

[The real daughter prepared a maid outfit as a reward for the male lead. She's already waiting for him at the hotel!]

[Damn, sneaking a taste of forbidden fruit right after graduation? That's wild.]

[Supporting female character, don't throw away your future for a man. Your life belongs to you. Don't become part of their little game.]

I quietly exited the application page.

Then I changed my university choices.

Because to me, my future mattered far more than any man.

After resubmitting my applications, I even edited a fake screenshot and sent it to Aaron.

Sure enough, my phone vibrated almost immediately.

[Chloe, I knew you'd apply to Medford. I knew you'd stay with me!]

[There's a class reunion tonight, and I've got a surprise for you too. Did you see the dress on the table? You have to wear it tonight. Make sure you dress up beautifully before you come.]

The moment he saw the screenshot I sent, he could not wait to message me.

I looked toward the cheap paper bag sitting beside the table.

Inside was the 'surprise' dress Aaron had prepared for me.

I pulled it out and immediately saw the awful quality. The fabric was cheap synthetic material, with loose threads sticking out everywhere.

Even the floating comments could not help mocking it.

[So the male and female leads want to humiliate the supporting female character in public, but did they really have to pick such a cheap knockoff?

[If she's actually willing to wear that dress to the reunion, that's true love right there. The thing is ugly and practically see-through. Then the female lead can show up in the authentic version and mock her fake heiress identity all over again.]

[Suddenly both the male lead and female lead feel kind of disgusting. The supporting girl literally didn't do anything, yet they still insist on humiliating her.]

[What do you mean she did nothing? She stole the female lead's identity as the Brooks family's daughter for years! This is the price she should pay!]

I clenched the cheap white dress tightly in my hands.

If they wanted to make a fool out of me, then fine. I'd play along to the very end.

By evening, I arrived at the entrance of the Trillion Hotel, where the gathering was being held.

My phone screen lit up again. Another message from Aaron.

The same nauseating tone, full of self-important urgency, like he needed to control everything.

[Chloe, are you here yet? Everyone's waiting for you, don't keep us waiting too long!]

[And remember to wear the dress I bought you. I've got a huge surprise for you tonight!]

A cold smile tugged at my lips.

My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I finally replied with a single word:

[Okay.]

I pushed open the heavy private-room door.

Around the enormous round table sat a sea of familiar faces, all our old high school classmates.

At the head of the table, Aaron sat close beside Yvonne, the intimacy between them painfully obvious.

Just like the floating comments had said, Yvonne was wearing a dress almost identical to the one Aaron had given me.

Except hers had intricate embroidered detailing along the skirt, made with luxurious fabric that screamed money at first glance.

She had been leaning toward him, whispering something softly into his ear. The two exchanged shy, sweet smiles.

Meanwhile, Aaron casually rested his arm along the back of her chair in an openly possessive gesture.

The moment he saw me walk in, a flicker of mockery flashed across his eyes.

Then, as if waiting precisely for this moment, he pulled out the bouquet of nine hundred and ninety-nine roses he had hidden behind him. Raising his voice deliberately so everyone could hear, he dropped to one knee in front of Yvonne.

Several classmates turned toward me in confusion.

"Aaron, did you get this wrong? Isn't Chloe your girlfriend?"

Aaron frowned immediately, irritation obvious on his face.

"Chloe and I just grew up together. How could she possibly be my girlfriend?"

"The one I actually like is the real daughter of the Brooks family, Yvonne. Everyone misunderstood before because Chloe kept imagining things."

"And look at her now, wearing another knockoff version of Yvonne's dress. Fake things will always be fake. I only like the real deal."

He looked at Yvonne affectionately.

"Yvonne, will you be my girlfriend?"

Yvonne covered her mouth with both hands, her voice trembling emotionally.

"Yes... I will."

I stood there alone, like I had been completely shut out of everyone's world.

All this time, everyone thought Yvonne and I were biological sisters.

Turns out I was the fake heiress all along.

The room immediately erupted into whispers.

"So Chloe is the fake daughter? No wonder she never looked anything like Yvonne."

"And today of all days, she deliberately wore the same dress to show up here? What is she trying to do, embarrass herself?"

"Fake girls like fake things. Makes perfect sense."

"She could wear knockoffs for the rest of her life and still never become a real rich heiress."

"Wait though, that dress looks kind of familiar. I feel like I've seen it in a magazine before."

"You're crazy. A fake dress making it into a magazine?"

To make things even more humiliating for me, Aaron looked me up and down with blatant judgment and disdain.

"Your dress honestly doesn't look too bad at first glance.

"But Yvonne's authentic version is obviously better. You get what you pay for.

"A cheap bargain-bin knockoff like yours doesn't even deserve comparison."

He turned toward Yvonne with a smile.

"Don't you agree, Yvonne?"

Yvonne finally seemed to notice me. She lifted those watery, doe-like eyes and glanced at me timidly.

Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her expensive dress as she spoke in a soft voice.

"Big sister, if you like my dress, I can ask Mom and Dad to buy you one too. But could you please not wear fake designer brands?

"It really lowers our family's image. If people saw this, they'd think the Brooks family can't even afford to support their adopted daughter properly…"

She trailed off at just the right moment.

But the implication had already landed perfectly: the fake daughter wearing fake luxury goods, desperately trying to compete with the real heiress for attention and affection.

The gazes around me instantly changed.

My classmates looked at me like needles pressing into my skin, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, mockery, and barely concealed delight at the drama unfolding before them.

I could clearly catch the ridicule in their eyes.

The shame burned through my nerves like fire.

Even so, I kept my back straight. My face remained almost unnaturally calm as I slowly pulled out an empty chair and sat down.

Then I picked up my cutleries and quietly continued eating, as though none of this had anything to do with me.

My silence seemed to catch both Aaron and Yvonne off guard, though irritation quickly replaced their surprise.

Aaron cleared his throat and spoke loudly with the air of someone controlling the entire room.

"Today's the day we submitted our university applications. Since everyone's here, why don't we all share where we applied?

"After all, this is going to decide the next four years of our lives, maybe even our entire future."

The barrage of comments exploded again.

[Here it comes! The classic scene! They're about to mock the villain girl in front of everyone for applying to Medford!]

[So ridiculous. I seriously hope she stops acting lovesick for once. Your future matters way more than some guy!]

The moment the topic shifted to university applications, the whole room lit up with excitement.

"I totally overperformed this time. I put Silvercrest University's finance program as my first choice. My dad said it'll help me a lot in the future."

"Damn, I barely made the cutoff and applied for Verdant University's computer science program. I'm praying I don't get bumped down. That's my dream school."

"You guys are all insane. I'm the only one who applied to a local teachers' university. My mom said girls should stay close to home, become teachers after graduation, get a government position, and have a nest egg."

The conversation bounced back and forth around the table.

All the while, Aaron sat there smiling faintly, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, completely confident in himself.

Finally, it was his turn.

Slowly, he reached over and took Yvonne's hand, a carefully crafted smile spreading across his face.

"Yvonne and I…"

He deliberately paused, savoring the attention of the entire room before finally saying, slowly and clearly:

"Since we both exceeded expectations on the exams, we applied to the same university together: Kingston University."

He deliberately emphasized the last four words.

A chorus of shocked exclamations immediately erupted around the room.

"Kingston?! Aaron, that's insane!"

"Yvonne got into Kingston too? That's amazing!"

"You two are seriously the perfect couple. You'll get to stay together at the same university too!"

Praise and congratulations flooded in from every direction.

Yvonne blushed shyly and leaned closer into Aaron's arms, looking completely wrapped in happiness.

Just as everyone was busy congratulating them, Yvonne's gaze cut cleanly through the crowd and locked onto my face.

There was no hiding the malice in her eyes now, nor the excitement of someone about to get exactly what they wanted.

"Now," she said softly, "I think the only person who hasn't shared their application yet… is my sister, right?"