Chapter 2
Over the next few days, people kept sending me photos of Yannis and Lily.
Some showed them holding hands, their backs to the camera.
Some were clips of them kissing.
One even showed Yannis staring coldly as Lily sat on the floor crying.
Every shot was perfectly angled and framed.
I could tell right away Lily looked like me.
I was so annoyed, I told them all: [Send one more, and I'm blocking you.]
They explained that Yannis had paid them big money to send these to me.
I replied: [Take the money. If Yannis asks, tell him you sent the photos.]
Only an idiot would say no to easy money.
If Yannis loved throwing money around, I'd let him.
Everyone messaged back right away, saying they'd leave me alone from now on.
Some felt too guilty about the money and sent photos to me every few months.
These rich kids had way too much free time.
I'd made it clear I didn't care about Yannis's life.
But they made a group chat called "Yannis and Lily's Relationship Watch," tracking how things were going between the two.
Although I was overseas, it felt like I was watching a live stream of their every move.
Even when I muted the group, the messages would mention me.
And I hate seeing unread notifications on my phone.
Against my better judgment, I clicked on the message they'd tagged me in again.
It was another photo, but this time there were no faces in it.
It was just a shot of two hands holding. The girl's ring finger had a huge diamond on it.
Below it read: [Guess what! Yannis and Lily are getting engaged.]
The chat blew up.
[For real?]
[Looks like it. Yannis bought that ring at an auction.]
[So no more money from Yannis?]
[Guess how I got this pic.]
[Wait... did Yannis send this to you?]
[Yes. He transferred me the largest amount ever and told me to make sure Lauren saw it.]
Someone asked me: [Lauren, what do you think?]
I thought it was ridiculous.
I typed: [Thank God. Hope they live happily ever after.]
One person replied: [But aren't you Yannis's one true love that he's always been crazy about? How can he be getting married after just a few years?]
True love, my ass. I barely recognized the words anymore.
This was one-sided obsession and harassment from Yannis.
I typed fast: [I'm saying it one last time. I have NOTHING to do with Yannis. And this group can be deleted. I'm moving back home.]
Everyone started talking about me coming back.
[I thought Daroland was hard. People usually take longer to graduate.]
[What's that saying? Something about five years turning into seven?]
[Those five years studying in Daroland have been the most unforgettable seven years.]
[That's the one.]
I replied: [With my IQ, if I didn't graduate early, that's a delay.]
[Damn, that's some next-level flex.]
[More like BS.]
I closed my phone and didn't reply.
*****
Word spread fast that I was coming home.
I kept insisting I had graduated, but plenty of people insisted I came back because of Yannis.
They couldn't wait to see me put Lily to shame.
"A fake's a fake, no matter how much she looks like the real one."
"Honestly, the Bennett family would never take someone from Lily's background. People like us gotta stick to our own kind."
"I don't get Yannis. He acts like he's still hung up on Lauren, but now he's with Lily. And the craziest part is, Lily looks quite like Lauren."
They chattered away, not caring how I felt, and even put me against Lily.
Please.
I'd compete with her fair and square in business or contests.
But over Yannis? Not worth it.
But no matter how I denied it, they nodded along and then ignored me.
They only wanted juicy gossip.