I couldn't leave as Bella had grabbed my hand.

"Elias said some things that were a little harsh. Since you're already here, why not stay and have a Thanksgiving meal together?"

My gaze caught the bracelet on her wrist, identical to the one on mine.

Half a month ago, I made two bracelets by hand. One was for Elias, the matching piece to mine. Now, the bracelet I gave Elias was on her wrist.

While I was still in a daze, Bella pulled me toward the dinner table.

Elias' parents seemed very pleased with Elias' beautiful girlfriend.

During the meal, the older couple asked how they'd met.

Elias smiled and recounted his prized memory.

"In high school, I led our basketball team in a match against the neighboring high school. Bella happened to be a cheerleader for our school."

At that moment, Sophie covered her mouth in surprise.

"I remember this! Elias mentioned a cheerleader he met back in high school. So it was Bella! Elias even had a poster of her by his bed!"

I had seen that poster myself. In fact, Elias once undressed me before that very poster.

In his sports-themed bedroom, there was always a woman's image on the wall.

I once asked him to change the poster to one of mine.

He'd said, "Evie, I need my own space. This is exhausting."

I understood his feelings and never mentioned it again.

But I never thought that his personal space was where he cradled his feelings for another woman.

Bella was warm and confident. She quickly won over Elias' parents.

At one point, the topic shifted. Someone said, "Bella is two years older than Evie but much more stylish. Evie, you should learn a thing or two from Bella."

Elias sneered coldly. "Someone with a body like hers trying to imitate Bella? Impossible! Just look at those hopelessly dull black glasses of hers."

I looked down helplessly at my loose clothes.

Suddenly, I remembered holding him in my arms just last night. Elias had groped my chest and said they were big and soft.

He'd said, "Evie, I like how you look pure during the day but are so slutty when you take your clothes off."

Now, however, he was putting me down for another woman.

Sophie helped me change the subject. The talk soon turned to academics.

Bella said that she had already received her acceptance letter for the master's program at Ashcroft University.

Elias smiled, took her hand, and looked at her with admiration.

"Bella is amazing. I'm going to work hard to get into Ashcroft University too, following in her footsteps."

I bit my lower lip hard to stop myself from crying.

Elias had once told me he didn't like nerds and only wanted to marry a woman who'd take care of her family.

Because of that, I'd stupidly written his academic reports for two months, even ready to quit school and be a housewife for his sake.

But I now knew that he didn't hate smart women. He just didn't want me to be smart enough to see through his tricks.

I couldn't listen anymore and excused myself to go to the bathroom.

I stared at my reaction in the mirror for a long time.

Plain and boring, wearing old-fashioned glasses, I was nothing like Bella, who was flashy and with a stunning figure.

But even someone like me was a top student at Ashcroft University.

Bella was bragging about her acceptance letter, but I had already gotten mine a year ago.

I calmly opened my phone and messaged my advisor.

"Sorry, the thing about me taking a semester off was a prank by a friend who took my phone. I'll be back at school right after the break, in a month's time."

My advisor replied quickly, "Evie, I knew that message couldn't have come from you, so I never replied.

"You're the smartest and most outstanding student I've ever mentored. Why would you give up school for a man?

"Enjoy your break. When you come back, the teachers and senior students will be waiting for you."

I washed my face to clear my head and slowly returned to the table.

Bella was still talking about their shared past.

"Back then, I heard that the captain of the baseball team liked me, but he never confessed. I thought it was just a rumor.

"Just a month ago, I broke up with my then-boyfriend and found myself drunk in a club. That's when I ran into Elias.

"He took me home and kept asking me out thereafter. Three days ago, he confessed that he wanted to introduce me to his family during Thanksgiving."

Everyone at the table admired their love story.

They had been each other's secret crushes for years, then met again by chance.

If the guy involved wasn't my own boyfriend, I would have praised their love story too.

Elias looked at Bella with deep love in his eyes.

But I had seen that look last night too, when Elias was in bed with me.

Finally, the torturous meal ended.

Elias said he would drive Bella home.

I wanted to end this suffocating night just as badly.

At this moment, Sophie pushed me toward Elias.

"Elias, you usually drive Evie home. Why not take them both tonight?"

Elias frowned, about to refuse, but Bella spoke first.

"Sure. She's younger, and it's not easy being a maid. Let's just take her with us."

Elias' tight brow relaxed, and he smiled gently, nodding in agreement.

Sophie pushed me into the car—the same one where Elias and I had shared so many intimate moments.

Elias took the initiative to open the passenger door of his car for Bella.

I watched them in silence from the back seat. The whole time, all I felt was a sharp pain inside.

Even though Elias and I had shared so many intimate moments in this very car, he had never let me sit in the passenger seat.

He had said, "Our relationship isn't public. If people see us together, it won't do you any good."

I once thought he was being considerate. But I now realize that he was just afraid of people finding out about us.

I closed my eyes and instinctively reached to the side, only to find that the doll I had bought to leave in Elias' car was gone.

My heart sank. He was so eager to erase any trace of us in front of Bella.

Numbly, I put on my headphones to block out their conversation.

After Elias dropped Bella home, she waved goodbye to us.

The bracelet I had spent so long making jingled softly on her wrist.

I couldn't help but stare at her hand.

Perhaps she caught my lingering gaze, but Bella shook her hand in front of my eyes, then took off the bracelet and held it out to me.

"You like this? Elias gave it to me. It's nothing valuable."

She then slipped the bracelet onto my wrist. But the bracelet somehow ended up tangled with the matching piece I was already wearing.

Bella said in surprise, "Evie, you have the same one?"

She turned to Elias and said, "I'm giving this to her. You won't be upset, right?"

Elias' voice was cold. "No. It's just a cheap thing."

The token of our love, which I had spent two weeks making, was just a cheap piece of junk to him.

Tears blurred my vision. I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and calmly thanked them both.

"Mr. Vaughn's cheap item is priceless to me. I lost one such thing before, but it has made its way back to me—and at just the right time."

I had loved Elias with all my heart.

But since he didn't want it, I would take it back.

Presently, I saw Elias' grip tighten on the steering wheel, but he said nothing in response.

After Bella kissed him goodbye and went inside, it was just Elias and me left in the car.

Against expectations, he didn't immediately drive off. Instead, he opened the door, stepped out, and lit a cigarette nearby.

I knew this was his way of showing irritation.

I said nothing and kept my eyes on him.

After a long silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "Evie, I'm sorry."

I looked up at him, but he turned his face away, clearly avoiding my gaze.

The silence stretched on for a long time after. I was the first to break it. "Elias, is an apology all you have left for me?"

I wasn't sure what I was still holding onto. I had seen how much he favored Bella.

Yet, a small hope still lingered in a corner of my heart.

These past two months were spent in pure sweetness.

Our bodies matched perfectly. He barely ever went home after a night with me. Instead, he spent it in my bed.

I was well aware of the gap between us. Elias had told me that his family wouldn't allow him to be with a poor student like me.

I even considered staying his secret lover forever.

But today, seeing how Elias' parents treated Bella, I realized it wasn't simply about permission. He just didn't intend to fight for me.

When his cigarette burned out, Elias spoke again. "Bella is beautiful. She's nothing like you.

"Evie, being with you was just me having a taste of an Ashcroft University honor student. Now that the one I love has come back, I don't want to hurt myself any longer.

"To be honest, a plain-looking cleaner with an average figure like you being with me isn't a loss on your part. Let's just pretend this never happened."

Elias was the one who came onto me first, who walked into my bedroom on his own two feet.

Yet, he now spoke as if I had taken advantage of him.

Every night we spent together had turned into mere grievances.

I clenched the report in my bag tightly and retorted, "What about those assignments you made me do for you all this time? Elias, you only got close to me so I could help you keep up with her in school, right?"

Elias blew out a smoke ring, then irritably ran his hand through his hair. "Evie, you're smart. I'll pay you double from now on. Don't ask me that again."

What right did he have to think a little money could erase the pain and humiliation he'd caused me?

Before confronting him, I had foolishly hoped that maybe he loved me too.

But now, none of that mattered.

Without hesitation, I got out of the car, walked over to Elias, who was still smoking, and slapped him hard across the face. "Elias, this is how I'll accept your apology!"

Shock flashed in his eyes. He never expected the obedient me to do something like this.

"Evie, don't regret this," Elias said grimly. After dropping those threatening words, he got into his car and quickly drove away.

I crouched alone in a corner of the street, no longer able to hold back my tears.

A sudden tap on my shoulder caught me off guard before I even had a chance to react. A piece of tissue was held out in front of me.

"Here, use this. You're looking kind of scary right now."

I was in no mood to deal with strangers. Worse yet, my emotions were a mess.

Without thinking, I shoved the man away and ran off crying.

Tears blurred my vision, and I didn't notice the pole in front of me until it was too late.

But the impact I braced for never came. Instead, a pair of warm hands blocked me just in time.

I blinked through the tears, trying to see who had stepped in to protect me.

Realization hit me all at once. I recognized the man as Graham Sinclair, the captain of the basketball team that had once played against Elias' team.

Back then, Elias and I had still been madly in love. I used to sneak out to watch every one of his games.

Even though I'd never spoken to Graham before, I remembered his face clearly. He was strikingly handsome in a way that stuck with you for a long time after.

To my dismay, I was crying so hard that I couldn't even manage a thank-you. My voice caught in my throat, and I couldn't form a single word.

Graham rubbed the spot on his hand where I'd accidentally bumped into him, now reddened, then offered me another tissue.

"Come on, Evie. Wipe your face. You look like you're halfway through a Halloween party."

Hearing this, I glanced at my reflection in a nearby store window and froze.

My makeup was now a total disaster, mascara streaking down my cheeks. My hair was also a tangled mess from all the running.

I had no idea how Graham managed to recognize me in my current state. I barely even recognized myself.

I took the tissue and hastily wiped my face, trying to fix the damage. Then, feeling embarrassed, I muttered a quiet thank-you.

Graham didn't respond. Instead, he reached out and gently smoothed my messy hair with his warm hand.

I instinctively stepped back to put some distance between us, but he moved forward again, effectively closing the gap once more.

Holding up a shopping bag, he said, "I was picking something up for my sister. I saw you out here and figured I'd give you a ride home."

I wanted to say no. But my house was too far away, and I was too drained to consider my other options. In the end, I got into his car.

The scent inside was reminiscent of his—clean, comforting, and unexpectedly soothing. The frantic edge of my emotions began to settle.

Neither of us spoke during the drive. The silence hung thick between us, but it wasn't unpleasant.

When we finally arrived at my house, I reached for the door handle. But before I could leave, Graham spoke up.

"Evie, why were you crying alone back there? Did your boyfriend leave you behind?"

His question was blunt, and I had no good answer for him.

Elias and I had never gone public with our relationship. Now, he was officially with Bella.

I didn't want anyone digging into that humiliating mess, not even for Sophie's sake.

Thus, I didn't answer his question. Feeling awkward, I pushed the car door open and ran out in a hurry.

At the time, I didn't notice that Graham had slipped a note into my bag.

Blissfully unaware, I jogged the rest of the way home. But when I reached my front door, I found Elias waiting for me, face dark and expression unreadable.

He stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and slammed me against the wall. His voice was cold as he demanded, "Evie, who was the guy that brought you back just now?"

I swung my bag at him with all my might until he finally let go. I stood there panting, then snapped, "What's it got to do with you?"

Elias ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to grab me again, but stopped short. His hand froze midair.

After a long pause, his voice dropped.

"I just wanted you to calm down for a bit. When I went back to find you, you were already gone.

"Evie, I wanted to tell you that you've done well these past couple of months. And since you still like me, I don't mind keeping things going between us."