She shot me a nasty smile before I watched Adrian drive away.

I couldn’t hold out any longer and collapsed.

When I woke again, I was in a hospital room.

It was empty except for the steady drip of an IV.

As I sat up in silence, my hand brushed against something on the bed—a small voice recorder.

A sticky note was attached, with two words written on it: Play me.

I pressed the button.

Immediately, Bella’s voice filled the air.

“Adrian, Layla’s pregnant with your child. Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for her?”

Adrian’s tone sounded distracted.

“No. I’m just playing around with her.”

Bella’s voice was sweet and casual.

“Good. I’m bored of her too.

Three days from now, on your anniversary, you propose—then quietly tell her the truth. Tell her it was you who took her virginity, and you who spread those rumors on campus. I want to watch her reaction in person.

They say if you crush someone at their happiest moment, it can drive them insane~”

Adrian was silent for a long time before answering.

“Fine.”

The recording cut off.

I automatically started picking at my hand before realizing my fingers were icy cold.

The chill spread from my heart through every inch of my body.

I bent forward slowly, as if I could press the pain out of my chest, but it didn’t work.

The anguish was everywhere.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I clutched the recorder and sobbed.

When I returned home from the hospital, Adrian arrived almost at the same time.

Seeing me unharmed, he seemed relieved.

“Layla, about what happened at the hospital—”

“No need to explain. I don’t want to hear it.”

His brow furrowed for a second, then smoothed.

He took out a red velvet jewelry box, revealing a ruby necklace.

“I saw this on the way home and thought you’d like it.”

I stared at it without reaching for it.

When my guaranteed graduate school admission was revoked, my roommates fully believed the rumors.

They poured red paint all over my bed and scrawled “slut” and “STD” across it.

Even after I cleaned it, new insults would appear.

In the end, I moved into a single dorm room, only to find “public property” and “community bike” spray-painted on the door.

Since then, I’ve hated red.

Adrian knew that.

I took the necklace and tossed it into the trash.

“Adrian, you know exactly why I don’t like red.”

His smile froze.

He stepped forward to hug me, but I moved away.

“I’m tired. I’m going to my room.”

I turned, but he grabbed my arm hard.

His face was dark, his voice a near growl.

“Layla! What the hell is going on with you?

You won’t listen to my explanation, you won’t take my gift—what exactly do you want?”

In the past, I would have backed down immediately, terrified he’d lose patience with me.

After all, he’d saved me once, and for a long time, he was all I had.

But now, that didn’t matter.

I pulled my arm free and pointed to my stomach.

“I’m pregnant. I’m tired.”

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes before he let go.

As I walked away, he called after me and handed me the necklace he’d picked up.

“I’m sorry, Layla. I lost my temper. Keep it. The past should stay in the past, and I’ll always be here for you from now on.”

Was he really telling me to let it go?

But a perpetrator has no right to tell the victim to “let it go.”

I shoved Adrian away and walked off without looking back.

The day before our anniversary, a stranger added me on WeChat. I accepted.

They sent me a video.

The footage was shot secretly, making it grainy, but I could still make out Bella in a wheelchair.

I instantly realized—this was from two years ago.

In the video, Bella was pouting.

“Adrian, I hate Layla. She stole my guaranteed graduate school admission, and she acts all high-and-mighty like some untouchable princess!”

“Just help me one more time, please—ruin her for me, okay?”

One of Adrian’s friends jumped in eagerly.

“Adrian, I’ve got something that’ll knock her out all night.”

Adrian shot him a sharp glare, instantly shutting everyone up.

“Bella, if you don’t like her, I can get her transferred to another school.”

Bella slammed her hands on the wheelchair armrests, her voice rising.

“Is this how you take care of me, after Mom told you to look after me before she died?!

If you won’t, I’ll find another man! Or I’ll just end it right now—nobody in this world loves me anymore!”

Adrian rubbed his temples, visibly tired.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

The video cut off.

I typed out a reply to the sender—wanted to ask who they were, why they were helping me.

But in the end, I only sent two words: Thank you.

Anniversary Day.

Adrian wore a perfectly tailored suit.

Bella was in a custom designer gown, beautiful and ostentatious, as if she were the star of the event.

Many guests were there—most were my former college classmates.

“Layla’s so lucky. Even as a worn-out shoe, she still landed Adrian.”

“Don’t forget she’s a public bike. Who knows whose kid she’s carrying?”

Bella heard their whispers and smirked to herself.

Across the room, Adrian stood holding a small ring box, glancing at his watch from time to time.

It wasn’t even a wedding, but he looked uncharacteristically nervous.

He texted me:

“Babe, how much longer until you’re here?”

I used to reply in seconds.

This time, a long silence.

A strange unease stirred in him.

The next second, the entire room gasped.

On the giant screen, a mysterious video began to play:

“No, I’m just playing around with her.”

“Adrian, propose first—then quietly tell her the truth.”

“Tell her it was you who took her virginity, and you who spread the campus rumors. I want to watch her reaction.”

“I hate Layla. She stole my graduate spot and acts all high-and-mighty!”

“Just help me ruin her one more time.”

Faces in the crowd grew increasingly grim.

Bella went pale, waving her arms frantically.

“It’s all fake! Don’t believe it!”

“Security! Turn that off, now!”

Guards rushed to unplug the power, plunging the venue into silence.

At that moment, Adrian’s phone rang. It was me.

“Adrian, happy second anniversary. Do you like my gift?”

“Oh, and I forgot to mention—your bastard child? I already got rid of it, the same day you took Bella to the hospital.”

His pupils contracted sharply.

He gripped the phone so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Layla! How dare you?! Tell me where you are!”

I let out a cold laugh and hung up.