Chapter 6
Kelsey’s hand froze on the doorknob.
Inside the infirmary, Jason’s friends continued their animated conversation.
“What choice did he have? The Juilliard nomination deadline is coming up fast. If he wants Harbour completely devoted to him, he needed to make a big gesture!”
“First we post some photoshopped pictures of her online, then when she’s devastated, Stan swoops in like a hero and teaches the guy a lesson. Pure genius! That’s how you make a girl fall head over heels!”
“But dude, you went way too hard on him! Yeah, we paid Peterson to take the fall, but you put him in the hospital! That’s gonna cost extra for sure.”
A heavy silence filled the room before Jason finally spoke, his voice cold and tight.
“I only told him to make a few mild fakes. He’s the one who took it too far.”
His friends laughed uproariously.
“Come on, man, that’s playing it too safe! How would that have any impact?”
“Seriously, you’re too soft. I mean, Harbour’s already hooking up with you in the boathouse. We could have just hidden and taken some real pictures. Wouldn’t that have been more effective?”
“Exactly! We promise we wouldn’t have caught your face in the shots, and she’d never suspect a thing!”
Jason’s voice turned glacial.
“What the hell do you think I am?” he snarled. “Some monkey performing for your entertainment?”
Hearing the fury in Jason’s tone, his friends quickly fell silent.
Outside the door, Kelsey took a step back, her face ashen. The soup container in her hands suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
So that’s why Jason had gone berserk on that boy. It was all just another calculated performance.
The most pathetic part was that she had actually believed, for one brief moment, that he might have genuinely cared for her…
Kelsey looked down at the soup she’d brought, the irony of her gesture hitting her like a physical blow. The warmth she’d felt bringing it now seemed like a cruel joke.
Chapter 6
She dropped the container into a nearby trash can and walked away without looking back, each step carrying her further from the beautiful lie she’d almost believed again.
The next day, Kelsey went downtown to shop for some essentials for her trip to London.
Around noon, she stopped at a small café for lunch. As she was paying her bill, she heard a familiar angry voice behind her.
“How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone? Are you incapable of understanding basic English?”
Kelsey turned around, startled to see Hannah confronting a sleazy–looking middle–aged man with a buzz
cut.
The man snickered.
“I’m your father, aren’t I? Just because I drove your mother away and did a little time doesn’t mean you can pretend I don’t exist. I’m your father today, and I’ll be your father forever!”
Hannah’s face went pale, her hands clenched into tight fists. “What do you want this time?”
“What do I want?” Her father grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. “Last time we talked, you said you were going to land that Stan kid from the wealthy family and get me a nice payout after the wedding. I’m just checking if that offer still stands.”
Hannah’s voice was ice cold. “Of course it does.”
Her father narrowed his eyes. “But I’ve been asking around your school. You broke up with Stan, and he’s got some new girlfriend named Harbour? Are you actually capable of pulling this off?”
Hannah sighed with irritation.
“You don’t understand anything. Breaking up with Jason was strategic. His family has serious money and connections. Someone with my background needs to play this carefully.”
“You’re a man–you know men don’t value what comes too easily. That’s why I pretended to focus on my Juilliard audition and initiated the breakup.”
“As for his new girlfriend, don’t worry about her. Jason doesn’t have real feelings for her!”
“Just remember what I promised: when I marry Jason, I’ll give you three hundred thousand dollars, and then you have to disappear from my life forever!”
Kelsey stood frozen in place.
Chapter 6
So Hannah’s breakup with Jason was all calculated?
Before she could process this revelation, a server approached her.
“Miss, your receipt.”
Snapping back to reality, Kelsey took the receipt and quickly left the café.
When Kelsey returned to campus, she saw that Jason had called her multiple times.
She ignored all his calls and went to the administration office to pick up her early graduation certificate.
As she was leaving the office, a black SUV suddenly pulled up beside her. The door swung open, and someone yanked her inside.
It was Jason.
He pinned Kelsey against the seat, snatched her phone from her hand, and glared at her with barely contained fury.
“So your phone isn’t lost after all,” he said with a dangerous smile. “Then why aren’t you answering my calls?”
Kelsey avoided his eyes. “Didn’t notice them.”
“Didn’t notice?” Jason laughed bitterly.
He was about to say something else when he spotted the graduation certificate in her hand. His expression darkened instantly.
“Kelsey, why the hell are you graduating early?”
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
