As a world-renowned genius, I only gave up on the top universities' offer and went to the same community college as her because she asked, "Will you go to the same college as me? I'd love to see you every day."

I thought I had met the right woman until her conversation with her friend suggested otherwise.

"He's not my boyfriend," she said. "Think of him as a clever dog. I only keep him around because he entertains me."

Her friend mentioned a name, Aidan Stewart.

Her expression softened at the mention of Aidan. "Aidan isn't like him. Aidan is a blessing heaven sent to me."

At that moment, I finally realized what I was to her.

I didn't wait any longer. I called the professor who favored me and said, "Dr. Anderson, I'll take on the drug research."

Aidan Stewart

"Are you sure?" the professor asked from the other end of the line. "This means staying abroad for a long time. Weren't you reluctant to leave your girlfriend before?"

I looked at the woman who was supposed to love me.

She was chatting happily with her friends. The smile that appeared when she heard Aidan's name still lingered on her face.

I looked down at the ground and whispered, "Nope. It's just my wishful thinking all along."

The professor didn't comment on it. "Alright. I'll book your flight. You leave in three days, so start preparing."

…

After the call ended, I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the room.

My presence attracted everyone's attention. They began to exchange whispers among themselves.

"Look. It's the guy chasing Selena. Isn't he obedient? He really can't stay away from her, can he?"

"Mind your words! He's Selena's boyfriend! Do you know he's a genius?"

"So what if he's a genius? At the end, he followed her to the community college and was at her beck and call the whole time. Does he have no dignity?"

Selena's best friends had been mocking me from the start.

I simply disregarded them. I've decided not to let it get to me.

Their cheeks began to burn with embarrassment when I paid no mind to their insults.

"Hey! We're talking to you! Can't you hear us? Seriously? What kind of genius can't hear people talking to him?"

Selena lightly punched the arm of the girl nearest to her. "Come on, that's enough. You'll hurt Noah's feelings if you keep teasing him."

Then she turned to me and gently handed over her laptop. "Noah, take a look at the assignment. You're the only person we can depend on now."

Her friends went silent at her words, looking at me expectantly.

I glanced at the description on the screen. One solution popped up in my mind after another.

Yet, I kept quiet, refusing to help them.

Sensing that I was in a bad mood, Selena took my wrist with both hands and swung my arm playfully. "Dear Noah, it's time to put that clever little brain of yours to work. Please help us with the assignment?"

Ever since I entered community college, I had handled her homework and her dorm mates' assignments. Sometimes, I even helped her cheat on her exam by taking it myself.

I used to think it was Selena's way to show she cared about me. I perceived her behavior as she relied on me because she had feelings for me.

But now, I've finally discovered that I was a mere tool to her. Other than that, I meant nothing to her.

Her friends eventually lost their patience when I remained silent. "What the hell is wrong with you, Noah? You usually don't take so long to come up with a solution. What's with the silent treatment? Cat got your tongue?"

Instead of defending me, Selena looked at me reproachfully.

In the past, I would always give in whenever she looked at me that way, no matter how badly her friends treated me.

However, everything had changed.

As the tension thickened, someone approached from afar.

She hurriedly ran past me to greet him. "Aidan, what are you doing here? You should've told me you were coming."

He looked as if he had rushed over, a gift box in his hand. "I was told I could find you here, so I took a chance."

He handed her the gift. "I want to give you this. It's an appreciation for the College Students' Innovative Training Program thesis you shared last time. It helped a lot."

The anxiety vanished from her face. A smile replaced it as she accepted the gift. "It was nothing. You're giving me too much credit."

I remembered that paper. She had come to me in a panic, begging for help. It was simple enough, but it still took me an entire day to finish.

I pulled an all-nighter and finally sent it to her. Instead of thanking me, she forwarded the attachment to Aidan right away.

Her friends teased her, "Aren't you going to introduce us to handsome Aidan? He's adorable. I kind of want to pinch his face."

Selena's expression darkened instantly. She stormed over, threw the laptop to the ground, and stomped on it.

A Close Friend

"Cut it out already! Do you think Aidan can't hear you gossiping about him?" Selena snapped.

Her friends were stunned into silence. Nobody expected her to get so worked up.

After all, when they mocked me earlier, she had brushed it off as harmless teasing. But now, for Aidan's sake, she lost her temper and yelled at them.

I instantly realized where I stood in her heart.

I lowered my head to hide the sad smile that threatened to emerge.

Just then, I noticed Aidan approaching me. "You must be Selena's boyfriend. Nice to meet you. I'm Aidan Stewart."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "Did you see how much she cares about me? You don't stand a chance against me."

But all I could see was the amulet hanging around his neck.

It was a worn black obsidian necklace.

Noticing where my gaze had landed, he pulled out the necklace and flashed me a grin. "What is it? Is something wrong with the amulet Selena gave me? I declined it, but she insisted, saying it really worked."

Selena immediately grew flustered and stepped between us. "We were doing extreme sports last time. I gave him the necklace to keep him safe. Let it go, Noah. It isn't valuable."

Seeing her try hard to defend Aidan, I eventually bit back those accusations.

We met during my senior year. Back then, I was a proud boy with many talents.

Unfortunately, I fell in love with her, the girl who sat next to me.

The day I confessed to her, and she accepted, she asked, "Will you go to the same community college as me? I'd love to see you every day."

At that moment, I lost all reason and agreed.

Later, everyone else saw my decision as self-destruction. As my grades plummeted, the praise I once received turned into harsh mockery.

"Is he really the top of our grade? Did he cheat in every exam before to secure the position?"

"Did he seriously fall for the infamous player, Selena Nelson? Well, maybe they deserve each other."

I didn't care about those personal attacks. All I cared for was Selena.

After high school, I successfully enrolled in the same community college as her.

On the first day of orientation, I gave her the only thing I had left from my late parents. An amulet.

"It carries my best wishes," I told her. "I hope it keeps you safe."

Disgust flickered across her face, but she still accepted it.

Now, she had given it to someone else. She hadn't said anything, but her message was obvious—I should step back and make way for Aidan.

She introduced both of us to each other. "Aidan, meet Noah, a close friend of mine. Noah, this is Aidan, a junior."

Aidan's eyes lit up. "I see. Noah is just a friend, not your boyfriend."

Then he held out his hand. "Nice to meet you again, Noah." He emphasized the word 'friend.'

The reminder was like a stab to my heart. It was unbearably painful.

I looked past his hand and rose to leave. "Since the laptop is broken, you should work on the assignment yourself. I need to go now."

Before leaving, I caught their expressions.

Aidan barely hid his smile, while Selena looked like something was weighing on her mind.

I had not gone far when Aidan called out, "Let's go shopping for clothes, Selena. You criticized my fashion sense last time. You need to style me today."

Hearing that, I quickened my pace and left the place.

…

When I finally arrived home, I found a link to a short reel in my inbox.

Wearing new clothes, Aidan looked glamorous in the reel. In front of him, Selena fixed his tie with a tender look, as if she were his wife.

The caption read, 'A woman who loves you will take time to make you a better person.'

The video was soon recalled before Aidan sent me a message, 'I'm sorry, Noah. I didn't mean to send the video to you. Please ignore it.'

I put my phone away with a sneer.

I knew he was trying to provoke me, and I refused to take the bait.

I just couldn't get over Selena's behavior. She had disappointed me.

Over the past five years of our relationship, she had never chosen a new outfit for me.

Despite my usual composure, I got carried away sometimes and liked to show her my affection. I remembered tugging at her sleeve, hoping she would buy me a new shirt.

"But your wardrobe is full of black shirts," she would say. "No one can tell whether you're wearing a new one or not."

She always wrapped me in a hug, distracting me with her kisses. "You're a genius, Noah. You're different from other people. Wearing black all the time is what makes you special."

Every attempt ended the same way. Slowly, I gave up on asking anything from her.

After seeing Aidan's video, I finally realized what Selena said was only an excuse.

Unfortunately, I used to be madly in love with her and believed every word she said.

I exhaled deeply and entered my dorm. I needed to pack for my trip abroad.

When I began packing, I found that I didn't have many things to bring with me.

After all, my life had revolved around Selena for years. I had never thought to buy anything for myself.

A Closure

What I didn't expect was Selena visiting me at my dorm, eagerly explaining, "Noah, please hear me out. I didn't mean to introduce you as a friend. It's just that I once told Aidan I was single, and I didn't want him to think I lied.

"You understand where I'm coming from, right? You're the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for."

She hooked her arm around my waist and snuggled against me, but I couldn't feel any affection from her.

Worse, the thought of being touched by her disgusted me.

I gently pushed her away and said casually, "Sure. It's fine. I understand."

"I've always known you're the best, Noah. Love you!" Surprised, she kissed me and left with glee.

To her, I was the one who could be easily brushed off. She believed that showing a little affection would soothe me and make me grateful.

However, she was wrong.

I turned away and wiped my tears.

I was participating in the College Students' Mathematical Modeling Competition the next day. Selena and I had registered as a team.

I expected to see Aidan at the hotel where we stayed, and I was right.

Putting an arm around her shoulder, he grinned suggestively. "Good morning, Noah. Selena and I'll be counting on you today. As for us, we'll relax somewhere. You won't mind that, will you?"

Selena at least had the nerve to look awkward.

Then, she gave me that innocent, pleading look. "I didn't mention that Aidan would join us before because I know you surely wouldn't mind him. You aren't angry, are you?"

I didn't comment on that and simply asked them to book the room next door. I wanted to focus on the competition.

As the competition started, the organizer revealed the requirements.

I chose the topic I was best at, the one I could complete on my own without anyone's help.

Unfortunately, the rooms weren't soundproof. At midnight, I heard moans and cries coming from the next room.

Usually, I could easily block the sound out of my mind, but I found it familiar.

I stopped working and paid attention to the sound, trying to figure it out.

And it hit me—it was Selena.

My blood ran cold.

While I was busy coding the mathematical model, the two of them were next door enjoying themselves.

The idea struck me and burned me alive from within.

I wanted to destroy something, everything.

I silently opened my door, only to find they had left their door ajar.

Now, I could hear every word they exchanged.

"Be gentle. Noah is next door," Selena said, her scolding half-hearted.

"How am I supposed to hold back?" Aidan replied. "Seeing him around you drives me crazy."

She giggled. "Here we go, again. I've told you once, and I'll tell you again—I only keep him around because he's useful.

"I never meant anything I said to him in high school, but he believed every word. From then on, he followed me around like a lost puppy. Honestly, I've wanted to get rid of him for ages."

I looked into the room and met Aidan's gaze, seeing the barely concealed amusement in his eyes.

He did it on purpose. He wanted me to hear them from the beginning.

My heart shattered completely.

I didn't try to enter the room anymore. Instead, I closed my door properly and listened to the quiet click.

I packed my things in my room and left the hotel.

…

Before leaving, I broke up with Selena through a message.

Soon after, the professor called and told me he had booked an earlier flight.

I took a cab to the airport and left the country with almost nothing.

Looking out the plane window at the clouds below, I had only one wish—to never see Selena again.