Chapter 3
I sat in my car, waiting for Eric to get off work, then started tailing him.
I kept my eyes on him as he sped away on his motorcycle.
Deep down, I fought hard to suppress the urge to floor the accelerator and run him over.
Not again. I would never let these two scumbags destroy the happiness I deserved once more.
I wouldn't just get my revenge; I would also make sure to get away clean.
With this thought, I lightly tapped the gas, then slammed on the brakes, bumping into Eric's motorcycle.
Eric went down hard with his motorcycle, sprawled awkwardly on the pavement, his forehead bleeding from a gash.
He roared, "What the fuck are you doing?!
"Get the fuck out of the car!"
Eric scrambled to his feet, furiously pounding on my car window.
I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before rolling it down.
Just before his fist could connect, I quickly put on a look of feigned delight and cried out in surprise.
"Eric?! Oh my goodness, it's you!"
His fist froze mid-air, his expression shifting from rage to confusion.
"I'm Sophia's friend, remember? We're roommates!
"You're Eric, Sophia's boyfriend, right?"
At the mention of "Sophia's boyfriend," he finally lowered his fist.
After sizing me up for a few moments, a flicker of recognition crossed his face.
His gaze remained hostile as he looked me over.
I didn't know Eric well; we'd only met a few times.
The first time I met him was right at the start of my freshman year.
Right after we got our dorm assignments, my roommates and I took turns treating each other to meals to get acquainted.
When it was Sophia's turn to treat, she brought Eric along to foot the bill. He was a man of few words, just sitting beside her and constantly piling food onto her plate.
Later on, I ran into Eric a few more times at the school gate, always dropping things off for Sophia.
But he wasn't Sophia's boyfriend. To her, he was just a clingy simp she couldn't shake off.
Eric had been chasing Sophia since high school. After failing the college entrance exams, he just followed her to where she studied and found himself a job.
Later, he blew nearly all his hard-earned money on Sophia, hoping it would finally win her over.
But Sophia never actually dated Eric, but she never drew a clear line either; she just kept stringing him along.
I figured this simple-minded, hot-headed brute could be my perfect weapon, only if I played him right.
Eric and I had no prior history, let alone any bad blood.
I also didn't understand why he was already acting so hostile toward me.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention while driving just now!"
I hurriedly got out of the car to apologize.
"How about this? I'll cover your motorcycle repairs and medical expenses.
"Give me your number, and I'll send you the money right now."
With my sincere apology and proactive compensation offer, Eric remained hostile but didn't object.
After getting his number, I promptly transferred two grand to him.
"Since you're Sophia's boyfriend, that makes us friends too. I feel terrible about what happened today. Let me drive you to the hospital now."
Hearing the word "boyfriend" again, Eric finally softened a little.
As Eric spoke, a hint of sadness flickered in his eyes. "Honestly, I'm not her boyfriend. Not yet, at least. We're just friends right now."
Putting on an exaggerated look of surprise, I exclaimed, "What? No way! Back in freshman year when we used to eat together, I totally thought you two were already dating!"
Eric declared confidently, as if trying to convince himself, "But it should happen soon. Sophia seems to have softened up lately."
"Go for it! Put in a little more effort, and you'll definitely win Sophia over," I encouraged him.
"Honestly, you two are such a great match. You're much taller, so when you two stood together, it was an adorable sight."
On the way to the hospital, I kept cheering Eric on and telling him how well-matched he and Sophia were.
He really took my words to heart, and his attitude toward me changed completely.
"Joanna, is there some misunderstanding between you and Sophia?" Eric asked.
"What's wrong?" I pressed.
He said, "Sophia often tells me you look down on people like us. She says you think I'm not good enough for her, and you keep encouraging her to find a wealthy boyfriend."
A chill ran down my spine. I couldn't believe Sophia had started laying the groundwork this early.
Her malice toward me didn't just begin with borrowing that bag.
But what on earth could possibly make Sophia hate me so much?
Still, I composed myself and let out a chuckle.
Joanna said with a playful smile, "Oh, that's just her little trick. When she says others think you're not good enough for her, she's really hoping you'll treat her even better, you know?"
Eric nodded, still rather confused. "Oh... so that's how it is."
I said, "Eric, I noticed your salary at the auto dealership isn't that great. Let me help you find a better job.
"Look, Sophia is so fashion-conscious, and your salary isn't great.
"If you switch to a better-paying job, you could buy her designer clothes and bags.
"Then you'll win her over in no time."
I kept piling on the sweet talk, leaving Eric completely dazed and flattered.
He nodded repeatedly, rubbing his hands together guiltily.
"I never thought you'd be so kind-hearted! I was so wrong about you!" Eric exclaimed.
But I scoffed inwardly. When this jerk turned on me while I was completely defenseless, he never once considered if he might have wronged me.
That evening, when I returned to the dorm room, Sophia—just as in my past life—carelessly tossed the bag onto the table.
She said offhandedly, "Here you go, Joanna. Your bag's back."
Then, she placed her phone on the stand with feigned casualness.
The camera was aimed directly at me.
The same trick again. She was clearly trying to pull the same old stunt to provoke me.
This time, I didn't give her a chance to win over my roommates.
Instantly, I let out a sharp gasp. "What?! Sophia, why did you give me back a fake?"