During an elective class, the campus belle, Jemima Ford, who is our senior, describes her ideal type with everyone egging her on.

She says, "My future husband has to be at least six feet two inches tall. His parents must be college professors, and his grades should be top three in his major…"

The room buzzes with teasing chatter and gossip. At the same time, I snap up my head in surprise.

Why does Jemima's description of her ideal type sound like my boyfriend, Elijah Sanders?

The next second, the professor standing by the podium smiles obsequiously and says, "Very well said. If Eli hears this, he'll definitely be very happy! Later, the two of you can meet. That way, he won't get tricked by some naive girl into going abroad."

Amid the burst of laughter from the class, I lower my eyes and look at the message my parents sent me.

It reads, "Sweetheart, are you really going abroad with your boyfriend? There'll be no one left to inherit our company with you gone."

I locked my phone screen and watched as it went black. My fingers unconsciously tightened, crumpling the study abroad application form in front of me.

In the classroom, the students' chatter continued.

"Wow! Jemima Ford is fully aware of how attractive she is. I heard even matchmaking agencies have reached out to her!"

"Right? She just came back from studying abroad. She's also got a car and a house. She's pretty and rich."

"Look at Professor Dawson's expression. She's looking at Jemima like she's her future daughter-in-law!"

One compliment after another poured out from my classmates' mouths.

At the front of the room, Hannah Dawson kept nodding approvingly. She was beaming widely.

She concluded with satisfaction, "Very good. As expected of my prized student! You have a very clear plan for your future, Jemima. I'm sure the universe will align to make everything work in your favor. Soon, you and—"

"Wait!" I suddenly spoke up.

With my classmates watching on curiously, I stood up. My eyes locked onto Jemima's, and I plastered a fake smile filled with resentment onto my face.

I said, "Jemima, it looks like we have the same ideal type. Fortunately, I've already found a boyfriend, and his name is Elijah Sanders."

My voice grew colder as I continued, "Why don't I talk to Elijah about this later? If any of us happens to meet someone who fits your criteria, we can introduce him to you."

This provocation successfully angered someone, but it wasn't Jemima.

Like a protective mother hen, Hannah grabbed a box of chalk and hurled it at me.

There was a crash!

My ash brown hair was instantly dusted white.

Then came a furious tirade from Hannah. "Ivory, this is not the time and place to be showing off your relationship. Do you think you're worthy of Eli? If you know what's good for you, break up with him immediately!"

Countless eyes focused on me. I forced myself to suppress the sting in my eyes and not let my tears fall.

All this time, I had treated Hannah as my future mother-in-law with respect. Alas… I couldn't understand why she disliked me so much.

The class bell rang just in time to break the tension.

Realizing she had lost her composure, Hannah awkwardly shifted her gaze away from me. "That's all for today. Class dismissed.

"Oh, Jemi. There's a surprise waiting for you in my office. When you come over, you can show me how much scholarship money you've saved over the years, too."

"Jemi?" I repeated blankly. I froze as that nickname echoed in my mind.

In all the years I'd known Hannah, she had only ever addressed me as "Ms. Pearson" frostily. Every single word and action was a warning not to act recklessly in class just because I might become her daughter-in-law one day.

I yielded at every turn, but she just pushed further without regard.

Like clockwork, she'd interrupt every date I had with Elijah. Headaches, fevers, missing her son… She had used every excuse in the book.

I swallowed all my grievances in silence. It was because once we graduated, Elijah wanted to go abroad for an exchange program. He wanted me to go with him.

Hence, my less-than-pleasant interactions with Hannah would only last until graduation.

But today…

Taking a deep breath, I wiped away the tears at the corner of my eyes and looked at my phone, which had been vibrating nonstop earlier.

Half an hour ago, Elijah had sent me a message. He texted, "Ivy, your birthday's coming up. Let's go big at our usual place!"

I replied, "Okay. I'm on my way there."

After calming myself down, I packed the documents on my desk into my bag and went to meet him.

In the private room, I waited and waited, but Elijah still hadn't shown up when it was already quite late. I frowned slightly, my unease about to spill over.

The next second, the phone in my palm vibrated. There came a notification of an update on the campus forum.

Someone posted, "Shocking news! Two girls fought over one guy in an elective class today!"

I immediately tapped on the link. Sure enough, someone had posted about what happened in the elective class.

The comments section instantly buzzed with heated discussion.

"The one they're fighting over is obviously Elijah Sanders, the captain of the basketball team. She's obviously telling everyone it's him. The only thing she didn't say was his name."

"I remember Elijah has a girlfriend. How is this any different from trying to steal someone else's man? Does she think she's a big deal just because she studied abroad?"

"Wait, something's off. Didn't someone else get the exchange program spot last year? I don't think it was Jemima. I'm gonna check…"

My hand that was gripping the phone froze, and I narrowed my eyes.

Something had felt off in class just now. When I applied for the study abroad program, I had consulted many of my seniors who had gone before. I didn't remember there was anyone named Jemima Ford at all.

So, was she lying?

While I was lost in thought, the comments under the post had already bombarded.

Then, the feed refreshed. Jemima herself brazenly joined the thread.

"I just returned to the country, and I'm already on the forum. Guess my charm is irresistible. But let me warn you all—don't go dumping every bit of blame on me. Those two might not even end up getting married!"

After a pause, she continued typing rapidly, "Besides, how am I worse than Ivory? She's totally flat-chested and saggy all over. Who knows? Maybe she's even had a kid. Meanwhile, I've got a hot body, a car, and a house. In the dating scene, I absolutely crush her, okay?

"Just yesterday, a matchmaking agency contacted me and said they've arranged over ten blind dates for me this Saturday. They're practically begging me to show up. So, don't think I'm competing with other women. When one is good enough, no one can take what's yours!"

One outrageous comment after another appeared below.

I was so furious that I replied to her directly underneath, "Are you sick or something?"

Jemima replied right away, "Oh? You're triggered already? Think I'm eyeing your boyfriend?"

The mockery in Jemima's words was impossible to hide.

She went on, "What a pity. While you're busy defending him, he's carefully peeling grapes for me right now!"

Immediately after, an image was uploaded. When I opened it, it was unmistakably Elijah's face!

My mind went blank for a moment. The cold wind slipped in through the slightly open window, causing goosebumps to break out across my skin.

My trembling fingers zoomed in on the photo. The table was filled with seasonal fruits and seafood, and in the center sat a ten-inch cake. The icing on it was especially glaring to look at.

It read, "Welcome back, my favorite student!"

Tears slipped down without me realizing and splashed onto the back of my hand.

I knew that place well. It was Hannah's desk in her office. On the right side of the photo, you could even see her hand making a cheerful peace sign.

In the past, whenever I went to her office to help, she always gave me the cold shoulder. She never asked if I wanted snacks or turned on the air conditioner for me. Sometimes, she even acted as if I were air…

The stark contrast highlighted those unhappy memories in my mind again and again.

After a long while, I let out a bitter laugh and turned off the screen.

Raising my hand, I called out toward the waiter, "Hey, there's no need to wait anymore. Please serve the dishes."

Several bottles of alcohol were brought into the private room one after another. Messages popped up on my phone. They were birthday wishes from my friends. My parents' generous birthday allowance arrived right on time, along with a few extra words of concern.

They texted, "Ivy, have you really decided to go abroad with Eli? Before you leave, could you come back and visit us? We miss you so much."

My hand that was lifting the wine glass to my lips froze.

The next second, tears fell without warning.

At that moment, I finally realized just how much I had invested in this relationship. Elijah was the one who wanted to go abroad and build a career. I was the one who painstakingly researched which was the best institution and prepared all the application materials.

But in Hannah's eyes, I had become the culprit who lured her son away and caused their separation.

In the past, I put up with it time and again. But now, I couldn't take it anymore!

With a sharp rip, I tore apart that application form that I had so carefully kept.

It was as if fate were giving me a sign. In the next second, bright fireworks burst right outside the window, celebrating my rebirth.

Midnight passed uneventfully after that. My phone screen never lit up again.

It wasn't until 3:00 am that my phone finally vibrated.

A drunken voice message from Elijah came through. "Sorry, Ivy… My mom asked me to attend… a homecoming dinner today. I figured since… we're going to settle abroad together, I should spend more time with her…"

In the silent night, Elijah's slurred explanation sounded over and over as I replayed it again and again.

After a long time, I sent a voice message of my own in a quiet voice. "Let's break up, Elijah. Since Hannah likes Jemima so much, you can go abroad with her instead."

After saying that, I turned off my phone.

When I turned it back on the next day, dozens of missed calls from Elijah popped up. The flood of messages that poured in indicated how anxious he was.

"Ivy, listen to me. I didn't know about your argument with Jemima.

"I only peeled those grapes because Mom asked me to. I just did it since I was peeling some for myself. Don't get mad at me over something so small."

Something small?

My finger that was scrolling down paused, and I let out a scoff.

Throughout my relationship with Elijah, he had never done even such a small thing for me. For three years, I had always been the one chasing after him. Our relationship only progressed because of my efforts.

Now, I didn't want any of it anymore!

The moment I looked down, my phone rang again. This time, it was a video call.

With a light swipe, Elijah's flustered voice and face came through. "Ivy, didn't we agree to go abroad together? We've been together for so long. We're so used to having each other in our lives. How can we just…"

A shadow fell over me.

Elijah was holding his phone as he ran right up to me. My body was yanked forward with force. His warm breath brushed against my ear. It was strangely ticklish.

"Don't be mad, okay? It's all my fault," he said.

I didn't speak.

I had dated him for three years. So, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care in the slightest. But more than anything, I refused to put up with the unfair treatment I'd been shown.

Bitterness and resentment surged in my heart. Why should I let Jemima, an outsider, disrupt my life plans? She boldly declared her interest in my boyfriend and belittled me like I was nothing.

I should let her, as well as Hannah, have a taste of their own medicine.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out and hugged Elijah back. My fingers brushed over his lean waist as I forced a smile.

I proposed, "Elijah, move out and live on your own. Let's rent a place off-campus first. I need to know that you're really determined to be independent. If you can't even handle moving out of the dorm, how am I supposed to believe you can settle down abroad?"

The moment I said this, Elijah froze.

Then, he frowned hard with a troubled expression on his face. "That's not a very good idea, is it? Ivory, you know my mom's faculty housing is close to my dorm. I want to spend more time with her before we leave. Besides, I've promised to go shopping with her this Saturday…"

His hypocritical excuses disappointed me and made my blood run cold.

"Then, forget it. Let's cool off for a while," I said decisively.

Too tired to argue, I turned and walked away.

Elijah was left standing there. His expression soured, and he seemed a little frustrated.

For the next few days, the two of us behaved like a typical couple who were giving each other the silent treatment. He still waited downstairs at my dorm to deliver breakfast as usual. However, he did it with a long face.

Going about life in such a suffocating atmosphere drained most of my energy. But at the same time, I was secretly investigating Jemima.

After going through all her social media posts, I realized she hadn't gone abroad through our college's exchange program at all. She had paid to go overseas. And in her posts from a few years ago, there were even photos of her marriage certificate.

Her most recent post read, "My last relationship was a complete disaster. Thankfully, it's over now. There's no way an attractive woman like me can't find true love after returning home!"

I frowned hard for a moment before scoffing in exasperation.

No wonder Jemima rushed straight to matchmaking agencies after coming back. She wanted to prove that she still had the allure, even as a divorced woman!

The bitterness in my heart gradually faded, but it was replaced by boundless resentment.

If I remembered correctly, Jemima's blind dates were set for Saturday.

Saturday… What a coincidence! If I wasn't mistaken, the study abroad application deadline was also on that day. It seemed like everything was happening all at once.

A cold, bitter smile played on my lips.

I wanted to see if Hannah and Elijah could truly handle a woman like Jemima.