Chapter 6

"Simon's been busy helping me with my experiment data, so he hasn't had time to visit you at the hospital. Please don't be mad at him, Louise," Haley said, hurrying over and shoving the bouquet right in front of Louise's face.

The overwhelming scent of the flowers made a rash flare up on Louise's neck almost instantly.

"Don't you know I'm allergic to pollen?" Louise covered her nose and mouth, quickly stepping back, her eyes full of wariness.

The bouquet fell to the ground, and people passing by shot them strange looks.

Haley stood there, looking lost as she glanced at Simon. "But Simon asked me to buy these flowers."

Louise felt a heavy weight in her chest. When she looked at Simon, all the warmth she used to feel was gone. Now, all she had was disappointment in him.

Five years of relentless pursuit, and this was what she got in the end.

She gave a self-mocking smile, turned to leave with her bag, but Simon grabbed her wrist tightly.

For once, panic flashed across his usually calm face, and his voice was low. "This was my oversight, but you shouldn't have embarrassed Haley in public. You know she's representing the school in the competition. You—"

Louise yanked her hand free. She was so upset that she almost wanted to grab him by the collar to demand answers, but her pride held her back.

She shot him a mocking look. "If she can't even handle this, then stop putting on a show in front of me. If you care about her so much, then go protect her. Let's break up."

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Simon was stunned by her words. Along with the panic, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, and a relief and freedom he'd never experienced before.

Years of living under constant pressure and carrying that burden had him on the verge of collapse.

Maybe this was for the best.

But the moment that thought surfaced, a flood of unfamiliar feelings—loss, emptiness, even panic—hit him like a tidal wave.

By the time he snapped out of it and tried to run after her, Wendy's car had already disappeared down the road.

That night, a post titled "Legendary Royal College Couple Allegedly Torn Apart by a Fellow Student. Is the Ice-Cold Genius's Flawless Image About to Crumble?" shot up the trending list on the school forum.

That night, Simon's car was parked downstairs at Louise's new place.

A dozen relentless calls woke Louise from a light sleep. When she finally picked up, Simon's icy voice cut through the silence. "Come down. We need to talk."

Determined to end things once and for all, Louise threw on a coat and headed downstairs.

Simon said, "Louise, let's get married."

His words crashed down on Louise like a heavy blow. She stood there, utterly frozen, as if all the blood in her veins had turned to ice.

When she didn't respond, Simon suddenly seized her left hand and forcibly shoved a ring onto her ring finger.

The ring was clearly too tight. The unyielding metal scraped harshly over her knuckle, sending a sharp, stinging pain straight through her finger.

Simon acted like he didn't notice, forcing the ring down even harder, his voice cold and commanding. "I'll pretend you never said you wanted to break up. All you ever wanted was to be my wife. Well, here you go."

The ring was shoved roughly to the base of Louise's finger, cutting into her skin and drawing tiny beads of blood. The sharp pain made her eyes sting with tears.

"But tonight, you're coming back to Royal College with me," Simon said, fixing her with a cold stare. "You need to clear things up with the professors and school officials, take down that post, and apologize to Haley."

As soon as he finished, he forced the ring all the way down, blood welling up as the pain made Louise's eyes fill with tears.

Her voice was raspy. "You're judging me without even bothering to find out the truth. Is that really how you see me?"

Her vulnerable look made Simon's chest clench, that uncontrollable surge of emotion hitting him again. But Haley had sent him the location of the poster, and it matched exactly.

He looked away, his tone turning cold. "I heard your bestie Wendy's been out hunting for investors. Do you think she'll have any luck?"

Louise's eyes went wide, staring at him in utter disbelief.

"Guess there's really nothing you wouldn't stoop to for Haley," she sneered, yanking open the car door and sliding inside.

*****

The ride back to Royal College was dead silent.

When they arrived at the administrator's office, Haley burst into tears and threw herself into Simon's arms, her voice trembling with grievance. "Simon, the professor said I have to wait until next time to compete.

"He said this whole mess is too much right now."

Louise walked in with her arms crossed, her face expressionless. Her voice was calm but carried through the room. "Hugging and clinging to each other in public?

"No wonder those posts keep coming back, no matter how many times you try to delete them."

The administrators exchanged awkward glances, the air thick with tension.

Simon pushed Haley aside and walked over to stand beside Louise.

Even though the admins had deleted the original post, the whole campus was still buzzing about the three of them.

But the way things played out online totally blindsided Simon. Most of the posts were all about Louise, the campus belle, who was stunning and from a rich family.

Everyone was sighing about how she put her trust in the wrong person. Guys and alumni were lining up in the comments, shooting their shot and asking to meet her. Nobody gave a damn about Simon or Haley's so-called struggles.

Those comments, some mocking, some jealous, stabbed Simon right in the heart.

[Is Simon the ultimate freeloader boyfriend or what?]

[Hey, Louise, pick me. I don't need a lab.]

[So it's true that Simon only got where he is thanks to his girlfriend's connections?]

[Does he even know how to mooch properly? If not, let me do it.]

Simon's jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his fists.

Those whispers about him mooching off his girlfriend felt like a brand he could never shake off.

Anger churned inside him, but his face stayed eerily calm, his whole body tense.

Simon grabbed Louise's hand and spoke deliberately. "Let's take a picture together, put it up on the forum, and have Lulu post a clarification."

Since Haley was one of the people involved, she got stuck with the camera.

Her eyes were red as she watched Simon pull Louise into his arms, acting all lovey-dovey right in front of her.

That scene was like a knife twisting in her chest, and her hands shook as she tried to hold the camera steady.

"Your sweetheart is about to cry," Louise whispered in Simon's arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Aren't you going to comfort her?"

Simon's grip on her waist tightened abruptly, his face growing even darker.