Chapter 2
Three days after the breakup, Anthony started his little show.
We were classmates, and during these days after graduation, the front of the dorm was packed with moving company vans.
I was lugging a big bag with my designer silk comforter inside when I bumped into Anthony right as I was heading downstairs.
Or rather, he was clearly waiting for me there on purpose.
Anthony was leaning against a black Audi A6, a Rolex Submariner dangling from his wrist. He looked just like one of those overbearing CEOs in a romance drama, waiting for the heroine to change her mind and come running back.
Too bad for him, I recognized that Audi A6 instantly—the license plate ended with 888.
That car was just a hand-me-down from my family, now used by the admin department for company errands.
And that Rolex? If my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, there was a tiny scratch on the edge of the dial. My dad had banged it up while playing golf two years ago.
He tossed it in a drawer and joked it'd be a prize for some outstanding employee.
So this was Anthony's idea of leverage.
Treating the company car as his personal ride, and showing off the boss's old watch like it was a prized possession.
Plenty of our classmates were watching, whispering to each other.
"Damn, did Anthony just strike it rich? He's rolling up in an Audi right after graduation?"
"I heard he got in good with someone powerful, maybe that lady exec from the Knowles Group..."
"Seriously? He's mooching off her like a pro?"
As the gossip swirled around him, Anthony's smug grin only grew wider.
Spotting me, he slid off his sunglasses and swaggered over, giving my bag a little kick—like he was daring me to react.
"Julia, is this seriously all you own?" Anthony said, his tone oozing superiority.
"I told you, girls should know how to dress. Just look at yourself—your whole outfit probably isn't worth 70 bucks, and you're dragging around that shabby bag like a refugee. Without me, you're really living pathetic."
I glanced down at my minimalist designer T-shirt. Sure, it didn't have any flashy logos, but in Anthony's eyes, it might as well have come from a street stall.
"Nice car," I said, gesturing at the Audi with a half-smirk. "Did you borrow it for the day?"
Anthony's face froze for a moment, then he raised his voice, "Borrowed? No way. She assigned it to me. Only the core team gets to drive one."
"Oh, so you're part of the core team now?" I said, nodding with a hint of sarcasm. "And the watch, did she hand that over too?"
Anthony instinctively touched his wrist, a flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly smothered by his smugness.
"Of course! This is a Rolex. Get it? Even if you sold everything you own, you couldn't afford just the bezel on this watch. Come on, Julia, just admit it—you're jealous."
He leaned in close, dropping his voice to a sleazy, almost nauseating whisper.
"She treats me like a king, Julia. She's totally head over heels for me. Last night, we had this candlelit dinner together. She told me I'm like the dream she never got to chase when she was young."
My stomach churned.
Last night? My mom and I were at home, gnawing on chicken wings and binge-watching variety shows. So where did that candlelit dinner even come from?
Is this guy seriously delusional?
He took a polite remark from his boss and twisted it into some grand romantic gesture.
And he was dressing up company perks as if they were special gifts just for him.
Anthony, you're not just mooching—you're totally dreaming.
"Well, good luck making those dreams come true," I said, grabbing my bag and slipping past him.
"Just so you know, that's a company vehicle. If you get a ticket, your bonus gets docked. So maybe don't drive like a maniac."
Anthony sneered behind me, "Keep being salty, Julia! Just wait till I move into Hillside Manor in a few days—then you'll see what real luxury looks like."
Hillside Manor?
Wait, is he talking about my family's place?
I paused, turned back to look at him, and my gaze softened with a hint of pity.
Wow, he's really got some wild dreams.
But Anthony wasn't about to let it go.
Maybe he was disappointed that flaunting his wealth in front of me didn't get the reaction he wanted—no dramatic tears, no desperate pleas to get back together.
So he went all out with the humblebrags on his social media, turning his feed into a showcase of over-the-top humblebrags.
Besides, he deliberately set the post to be visible not just to me, but to all our college mutual friends as well.
On Monday, there was a cup of Starbucks coffee, with the Knowles Group building's floor-to-ceiling windows in the background.
Caption: [Stayed late at the office, and she personally made sure I got my coffee fix. She acts strict, but deep down, she really cares about me. Honestly, having a bossy mommy pamper me like this feels amazing.]
That was just the afternoon coffee the admin department ordered for everyone—hundreds of people in the company got one.
Wednesday: [Photo: A blurry shot of a woman in a business suit, head down, signing something.]
Caption: [A focused woman is the most beautiful. She told me her productivity goes up whenever I'm by her side. We just vibe on a whole other level.]
That was my mom, but she was actually signing the layoff list. If she caught Anthony taking a secret pic, she'd probably add him to the list right then and there.
Friday: [Photo: Two tickets to the opera house.]
Caption: [Weekend plans—just the two of us. She said she wants to help me appreciate the finer things in life, make up for everything I missed out on before.
[The last one? All she ever did was drag me to street stalls for cheap eats. That's the real difference.]
After scrolling through those two posts, I couldn't take it anymore and called my mom.
"Hey Mom, are you heading to the opera house this weekend?" I asked.
She sounded exhausted on the other end. "Opera house? Some client gave me a couple tickets, but I don't have time for that. I just gave them to the intern and told him to hand them off to another client. What's up?"
"Oh, nothing," I replied.