Chapter 4

Was he kicking me when I was down? Or just rubbing salt in my wounds? If my project really was ruined, and right at this critical moment, when he knew I was desperate, he still had the nerve to make this kind of demand.

Didn't that mean he didn't give a damn about me? That he just saw me as a disposable pawn, someone he could sacrifice whenever he felt like it?

Just when I thought I'd made my refusal clear enough, the car rolled to a stop at the side of the road.

We were still a good distance from the data recovery center.

Samuel sat behind the wheel, silent, his expression stormy as he stared straight ahead, jaw clenched tight.

"Why'd you stop?" I snapped. "If you don't keep driving, they're seriously gonna close!"

I couldn't hide the irritation in my tone; the frustration was obvious.

Samuel let out a cold laugh and turned to me, his eyes sharp and frosty. "I never realized you were this selfish, Samantha. You dragged us all into this whole ordeal, but you can't even give up a spot you don't even need anymore.

"Don't you think you're being way too selfish? Besides, did anything Sophie just said make sense to you at all?"

"Do you honestly believe it's just pure luck that you happen to have a classmate who's a data recovery expert?"

I was so pissed that I was trembling, almost bursting out in a bitter laugh.

I stared right at Samuel, spelling it out for him: "If it was your award-winning project that got trashed today, and you lost your chance at a promotion, would you seriously just give that opportunity away to someone else?"

Samuel didn't even hesitate. He nodded, his voice firm and unwavering.

"I would!" he said. "Because I'm not as selfish as you. If it were my project that got trashed today, I'd just suck it up and deal with it.

"Sure, I don't blame you for insisting on coming here to get your data fixed. I get why you're desperate. But that doesn't mean I agree with how you're handling things."

"Honestly, the first thing you did was call your classmate. That's when I realized how unbelievably selfish you are. You didn't spare a thought for Sophie. But I still came with you, didn't I?"

I took a deep breath, forcing down the rage and disgust churning in my chest.

I snapped, "First of all, I'm not some psychic. Changing my wallpaper doesn't mean I could've predicted Sophie would dump coffee and ruin my hard drive.

"Second, are we still going or not? Or are we just giving up?

"It's almost seven. The final submission deadline for the Gold Award contest is midnight. We don't have much time left."

Samuel glanced at the traffic light ahead, but didn't budge.

His silence was all the answer I needed.

If I didn't agree to give up that internship spot to Sophie today, I could forget about getting my hard drive fixed.

In the back seat, Sophie couldn't hide her excitement. Her delight was written all over her face.

Suddenly, it hit me just how pathetic I was, scrambling so hard to fix everything like it would actually make a difference.

Samuel knew I was desperate, so he played this card right in the middle of everything, trying to strong-arm me into giving in.

He really did know me. Whenever I cared about him, I'd always end up compromising for his sake.

But I wouldn't anymore, though.

I stared out the window at the endless flow of traffic, watching the lights flip from green to red and back again, powerless to do anything but sit there.

Inside, I was seething with rage, and yet, there was this twisted sense of relief.

Thank God it wasn't my hard drive that got trashed today.

Thank God I hadn't blurted out the truth earlier. If I had, I never would've realized what a shameless scumbag my boyfriend of three years really was.

He really had me fooled.

It was so much that I didn't see his true face until now.

Seeing me stay silent, Samuel let out a sigh and softened his tone.

He turned to me, using a gentle, almost patronizing tone, like he was lecturing a stubborn child. "Why are you being so stubborn, Samantha? Giving up that spot to Sophie isn't a big deal for you.

"With your family's connections, your dad could pull some strings and land you an even better opportunity next year.

"Sophie's family isn't well-off, and after all that went down today, she still stuck by you. That just shows she's a genuinely kind person. Once she's settled in the Future City project, she'll have your back.

"Try to look at the long game, okay?"

I looked Samuel right in the eye and asked, dead serious, "Seriously, why?

"Is it just because you feel sorry for Sophie? Or do you actually believe all that crazy conspiracy stuff she's been spouting?"

Samuel's eyes flickered with a hint of panic, but he quickly masked it with that calm, "I'm only thinking of you" look.

"Samantha, I need your support," he said.