2: 2

“Make me pay? Barbara, have you been watching too many soap operas? Did they rot your brain?”

Nat stopped, turned, and looked at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum.

“In this circle, who could possibly make me pay a price? You?”

He snorted, slid an arm around Abigail's shoulders, and walked out of my house without looking back.

Beside me, my parents were still going on and on, scolding me for not knowing better, saying I'd nearly offended the Cox family when they were exactly the kind of connection we needed.

I couldn't be bothered to listen, so I went straight to my room and locked the door.

The next day, Abigail posted a digital invitation on her socials.

It was for her college acceptance party, booked at a five-star hotel downtown.

The caption read: “Thank you to the one I love for walking every step with me. Columbia, here I come~”

Along with it, a photo of the expensive diamond necklace Nat had given her.

The class group chat blew up instantly, everyone chiming in with congratulations.

A few people tagged me, asking where I'd gotten in.

I didn't reply. I just stared quietly at the screen.

Soon a private message from Abigail came through.

“Barb, my party's tomorrow. You absolutely have to come.”

“Nat says if you come, it means you've forgiven us, and he's got a surprise ready for you too.”

Looking at that fake little message, I let out a cold laugh.

“Sure. I'll be there right on time.”

The next evening, dressed in plain, casual clothes, I walked into the banquet hall.

The room was buzzing. Abigail, in a couture gown, stood surrounded like a princess with everyone fawning over her.

Nat stood at her side in a sharp suit, playing the role of host to the hilt.

The moment she saw me come in, Abigail rushed over, all warmth.

“Barb, you finally made it! I thought you were still mad at me.”

She raised her voice on purpose, drawing every head in the room toward us.

Nat came over with a glass in hand, glanced at me, and frowned.

“An occasion this important, and you show up dressed like that?”

“Never mind. At least you came, so you're not completely clueless. Here, this is for you.”

He casually handed me a beautifully wrapped box.

The classmates around us started egging him on at once.

“Wow, young Mr. Cox really doesn't hold back. Barb, open it, see what it is!”

I didn't take it. I just looked at him coldly.

“What is this?”

Annoyed at my attitude, Nat shoved the box into my hands.

“A freshman guide for the state school, plus a fresh set of grad school prep materials.”

“Since you're headed to that state university, study hard and stop dwelling on nonsense.”

“As long as you behave yourself, the spot as the Cox family's young mistress is still yours in four years.”

The room went quiet in an instant, and every gaze turned subtle.

Everyone knew Columbia had been my goal, so this was nothing short of slapping me across the face in public.

Abigail covered her mouth and gave a fake little gasp.

“Nat, you're so tactless. Barb's going to be hurt.”

Then she turned to me, her eyes brimming with the urge to show off.

“Barb, don't take it the wrong way. Nat just says whatever's on his mind. Really, he means well for you.”

Looking at the box in my hands, I suddenly laughed.

In front of everyone, I dropped that box straight into the trash can beside me.

“Nat, save your charity for someone who actually needs it.”

Nat's face darkened at once, and he grabbed my wrist hard.

“Barbara, don't push your luck! You think you're still that academic star?”

“All you are now is a loser who can only get into a state school!”

“I invited you as a favor. Don't be so ungrateful!”

I wrenched my hand free, my stare cold to the bone.

“Nat, who the real loser is, you'll have your answer soon enough.”

3: 3

“What's that supposed to mean? You think you can still turn this around?”

Nat looked at me like I'd just told him the funniest joke he'd ever heard.

“The application system closed ages ago. The acceptance letters are already in the mail. You planning to sprout wings and fly your way into Columbia?”

He crowded closer with every word, contempt and warning stacked in his eyes.

“Barbara, take my advice and face reality. Stop struggling for nothing.”

“Own up now and apologize, and I can pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Otherwise I've got plenty of ways to make sure you can't survive at that state school either!”

Abigail hurried to grab his arm, playing the picture of understanding.

“Nat, don't scare her like that. Barb just can't handle the drop right now.”

She turned to me, something venomous hidden in her eyes.

“Barb, honestly, a mid-tier state school isn't so bad. Sure, it's no Columbia, but at least it's a real four-year college.”

“And since we're such close friends, if you're short on tuition money, I can lend you some.”

The classmates around us started whispering, their eyes full of ridicule.

“Barbara's a mess, huh? Her childhood sweetheart ran off with her best friend, and now even her college applications got changed.”

“Mess how? Didn't young Mr. Cox say he'd marry her after graduation? Wife of a rich family. People beg for that and never get it.”

“Right. And here she is playing all high and mighty. Doesn't know a good thing when she sees it.”

Listening to all of it, I only felt how absurd it was.

These were the friends I'd once given my whole heart to. This was the pure friendship I'd once believed in.

I took a deep breath, pushed the anger back down, and turned to leave.

But Nat planted himself in front of me, refusing to let it go.

“Stop right there! Did I say you could go?”

“You're apologizing to Abby today! Your attitude just now scared her!”

I looked at him coldly, the way you'd look at an idiot.

“Apologize to her? Does she even deserve it?”

Nat flew into a rage and raised his hand to hit me.

“You dare talk to Abby like that!”

I didn't flinch. I just stared him down.

“Go on, hit me. Lay one finger on me today, and I promise you'll regret it for the rest of your life.”

My eyes were so cold that his hand froze in the air, not daring to come down.

He gritted his teeth and spat out a threat.

“Barbara, you just wait! I'll show you what happens to people who cross me!”

I let out a cold laugh, stepped past him, and walked straight out of the ballroom.

When I got home, I found my room ransacked, everything thrown into chaos.

An old wooden box on my desk had been smashed to pieces, its contents scattered across the floor.

It was the only thing my grandmother had left me before she passed last month, a silver necklace that meant everything to me.

Now the pendant had been crushed flat under someone's heel.

My mother sat on the living room couch, cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV.

“Mom, who went into my room?” I asked, forcing the anger down.

She didn't even turn her head. “Nat came by earlier, said he was looking for something.”

“He saw that beat-up old box on your desk, thought it looked shabby, and just tossed it out.”

“It's not like it was worth anything. Just go buy a new one tomorrow.”

I was shaking all over, my nails digging deep into my palms.

“That was from Grandma!”

She rolled her eyes, impatient.

“A dead person's junk. What's the point of keeping it? Bad luck, that's all it is!”

“Go apologize to Nat, and quick. He left in a real temper just now.”

“If you set him off, this whole family will be out on the street!”

Looking at this stranger of a mother in front of me, I lost all hope completely.

“Fine. Very good.” I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath.

“If none of you will show me any decency, then don't blame me for showing you none.”

4: 4

"Unfair? What do you have to complain about? Who do you think you are?"

My mother spat a mouthful of shells hard into the trash, then stood up and jabbed a finger at my face, shouting.

"I raised you all these years just so you could make my life miserable?"

"A catch like Nat, you couldn't find another one if you searched with a lantern, and you dare to give him attitude?"

"Let me tell you something, Barbara. You march yourself over to the Cox house right now and get down on your knees and beg Nat to forgive you!"

I looked at her without a flicker of feeling and didn't say a word, just turned, walked back into my room, and locked the door.

I put the crushed silver necklace away carefully, and my eyes went cold.

That arrogant Nat Cox, and Abigail with her two faces, and this pair of selfish parents.

Every ounce of pain you piled on me, I'm taking all of it back.

For the next two days I didn't leave the house. I stayed in my room, organizing and adding to my evidence.

Once Nat found out I'd filed a complaint, he cut off every dollar of my allowance to force me to cave.

He also pulled strings through the Cox family and had the company where my parents worked put pressure on them.

So every day at home they screamed themselves hoarse at me, trying to make me sign a statement withdrawing the complaint.

"Are you signing or not? If you don't sign, your father and I are both getting fired!"

My mother waved the document, screeching.

"Nat said it himself. As long as you sign this and admit you filled out your college applications wrong by your own slip of the hand, he'll let us off!"

Looking at that absurd document, I found it laughable beyond words.

"He can dream," I refused, without a second's hesitation.

My father lost it and charged at me. His hand cracked across my face.

"Ungrateful girl! You won't be satisfied until you've driven us both to death, will you?"

"How did I ever give birth to something this vicious!"

I held my swollen cheek, and there was no warmth left in my eyes.

"You forced me to this."

Right then, the doorbell rang.

Thinking it was Nat, my mother slapped on a smile and rushed to answer it.

"Oh, Nat, you're finally here. Barbara, she—"

The door opened, but the one standing outside wasn't Nat.

It was two officers in uniform.

"Excuse me, is this the Henson residence?"

My mother froze and stammered out an answer.

"Y-yes, that's right, officers. Is there something we can help you with?"

They showed their badges first, their faces grave.

"We've received a report. Someone is suspected of illegally accessing a computer information system and altering another person's college applications."

"We need Barbara Henson to cooperate with our investigation."

My mother went white as a sheet, her legs shaking.

"O-officers, isn't there some mistake? This is just kids messing around—"

I pushed the door open and walked out.

"Officers, I'm Barbara Henson. I'm the one who called you."