Chapter 3
Zoe's POV
On a Saturday afternoon, I sat in a quiet corner of the library, opened my laptop, and logged into a Google Drive account.
Charles and I had created this joint account to exchange study materials. I was about to back up my final exam notes and club event plans, and then log out for good.
Andrew, sitting beside me, was helping me edit a short video for TikTok. I usually made some extra cash by taking on sponsored video gigs.
Andrew insisted he knew something about camera work and had practically taken over the editing process.
"Hey, Zoe, what do you think about adding this sound effect for the transition?" Andrew leaned in, the glow from the screen highlighting his sharp, clean-cut profile.
"Yeah, that works. The timing's spot on," I replied casually, my eyes drifting back to the Google Drive as I prepared to download the last folder.
The folder was labeled "Untitled", and I figured it was some random course files, so I clicked on it without thinking.
But instead of class materials, a bunch of phone screenshots and photos popped up, all auto-synced.
The first was a hotel booking confirmation. A deluxe king room at Central Grand Hotel downtown, and the reservation was for the 14th of last month.
The second was an e-receipt for a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, addressed to Summer Linwood.
I stared at the screen, my mind went blank for a moment, and then my stomach turned.
The 14th of last month was when I was stuck in my dorm with a high fever for two days. Charles had texted me, saying his professor had sent him out of town for a project, so he couldn't come see me.
He ordered me some takeout and told me to drink plenty of water.
So that was what his "project" really was, getting laid with someone else at a hotel downtown.
"Zoe, are you okay? You look terrible," Andrew caught the change in my expression and glanced at the screen.
When he saw what was on the screen, his grip on the mouse tightened so much that his knuckles went white.
But instead of freaking out like most guys, he took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and his tone was full of concern and disbelief. "So that's why Charles was in such a hurry to leave that day.
"He wouldn't even wait a second for you. Turns out someone else was already waiting for him."
Andrew's words cut through the flimsy cover of that so-called "compliance test" like a scalpel, exposing the most rotten truth underneath.
This wasn't just some spoiled rich kid's temper. It was the shameless confidence of a cheater who already had someone else lined up.
He couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. He went straight for the humiliation, trying to see how much I could take before breaking, or testing my limits.
"Disgusting," I said coldly, my stomach twisting in knots.
I'd spent the past year staying up late, hustling for gigs and writing copy just so I wouldn't have to take a single dollar from Charles. I'd even felt a pang of guilt for refusing his intimate moves. I felt like an absolute fool now.
"Zoe," Andrew reached over and gently closed my laptop, shielding me from those glaring pieces of evidence. He looked at me, his usual playful eyes now deep and intense.
"Don't let this kind of trash sting your eyes. I'll back up the evidence for you. No matter what you want to do, I've got your back."
As I looked at him, my reason snapped back into place.
"I'm not going to cause drama or throw a tantrum," I said. I picked up my phone and opened Notes, starting to tally things up. "Charles's got a major class next Monday.
"I'm going to make sure he pays me back every single dollar he owes me."
*****
Monday afternoon, in the lecture hall.
This was a lecture class for the business and communication departments. I walked in just as the class was about to start, and I immediately spotted Charles sitting in the middle of the fourth row.
He wasn't alone. Sitting next to him was a pretty girl in a tight-knit sweater. The two of them leaned in close over a tablet, looking way too cozy.
So that was Summer Linwood.