A week before graduation, I learned the truth: my boyfriend planned to bring my parents to the ceremony—to humiliate me in front of everyone.

His roommate tried to stop him.

“Are you really going to drag Serene’s family scandal into her graduation? For Elowen? Her cruel parents will destroy her!”

“She’s finally healed enough to give her speech as an outstanding graduate. If you rip open her scars in public, do you think she’ll ever forgive you?”

Caius Blackthorn only smirked.

“Forgive me? She loves me too much to ever be angry.”

“The Outstanding Graduate honor should’ve been Elowen’s. Serene stole it.”

“She’s her adopted sister. Her life’s already miserable, yet she still bullies Elowen. This is her punishment. Once the scandal explodes, the Harrington Global position will go to Elowen—the rightful runner-up.”

I turned away in silence, pretending I hadn’t heard.

At the ceremony, I had just finished my speech when Elowen, the host, suddenly asked, “Your parents are here too. Why don’t you invite them up to celebrate?”

My body froze. Before I could answer, two furious men stormed the stage.

“Elowen, you unfilial daughter!”

——

I shrank into the shadows, listening from a distance.

“Caius,” someone warned, “be careful. Serene’s parents are monsters. What you’re doing is too cruel.”

Caius only sighed, his face full of disdain.

“Of course I know. Her father’s a gambler and drunk. Her mother’s greedy and heartless. Without me, she would’ve died a dozen times.”

“If they learn she’s won awards and a top job, they’ll bleed her dry. She’ll never escape them.”

“But Serene is your girlfriend!”

Caius' reply was soft, almost tender—then laced with venom.

“Of course I care for her. She’d die for me. But… she’s been with too many men. The thought of it disgusts me. Even if… she only did it to save me.”

My head spun. My legs gave way.

Last year, when I was waitressing at a bar, a group of drunk men cornered me. Caius tried to help and broke his arm in the fight. To make them release him, I followed them into the alley…

Since that night, he never touched me again.

I tried to explain. But he always silenced me, pulling me close as if in pain.

“Stop, Serene. Don’t say it. It’s my fault. I failed you. I have no right to touch you…”

I thought it was guilt. I thought it was love.

It wasn’t.

It was disgust.

Caius' voice cut through the air.

“I can’t leave her—responsibility won’t let me. But Elowen… she’s pure, kind. I won’t let her become another Serene. To protect her, I’ll do anything.”

Tears burned down my face. I bit my lip until it bled, forcing myself silent.

I had clawed my way out of the pit my parents left me in. I studied for scholarships, worked every spare hour, saved every cent. I thought I had finally found salvation.

But salvation had only turned into another prison.

To my surprise, it was only my imagination.

I turned and walked away.

As seniors, the school no longer provided housing, so Caius and I rented a small place together. But tonight, I couldn’t bring myself to return.

Just as I stepped out of the bar where I worked, my phone buzzed. Caius' frantic voice burst through.

“Serene! Come quick! I’m in the back alley of Lost bar. Something’s happened—hurry!”

I ran there, heart pounding.

Under the dim streetlight, several tattooed men boxed Caius in. Elowen cowered behind him, tears streaking down her cheeks.

“I…I’ll pay you back! Just give me a few more days!” she stammered. “I only borrowed money to buy clothes for an interview. I just want a good job! It’s only five thousand dollars! How can you threaten to publish my photos over that?”

The leader shoved Caius aside with a sneer.

“Enough. Money now, or you come with us. Choose.”

Then Caius spotted me. He lunged forward, ripped the backpack off my shoulder, and yanked out my bank card—the one holding my scholarship and the wages I had bled for.

“Here’s thirty thousand! Take it and go!” he barked, thrusting it at them.

Then he turned to me, eyes blazing.

“Password. Now.”

My chest caved in. To him, I wasn’t a person in that moment—only a walking bank code.

Grinding my teeth, I gave it.

The men counted, smirked, and vanished. Relief washed over Caius' face. But he didn’t look at me. Instead, he turned at once to Elowen, voice gentle.

“Elowen, it’s okay now. Don’t cry. I’m here.”

She collapsed into his arms, sobbing harder.

I clenched my fists. My voice trembled, but I forced it steady.

“Caius, you gave them everything. How am I supposed to live?”

He stiffened, irritation flashing across his face.

“Serene! Your sister was almost dragged away by those animals. And you care about money? Do you even have a conscience?”

Conscience.

I almost laughed.

“If I had no conscience, I wouldn’t have given you the password,” I said coldly. “Now I have nothing—not even food or bus fare. And I’m supposed to survive on what? Air?”

His expression twisted. He blurted, then cut himself short:

“This scholarship… it should have—”

But I understood instantly.

To him, this honor, this money, was never mine. It had always belonged to Elowen. He hadn’t snatched it in desperation. He’d taken it because he believed it was hers by right.

My lips curled in a bitter smile.

“‘Should have been Elowen’s? She failed a course and delayed graduation. How does that make her worthy of ‘outstanding graduate’?”

Caius' temper exploded.

“Don’t you dare! It’s because of you! You tried to kill yourself! Elowen was worried sick, distracted, sleepless. Of course her grades suffered—it’s your fault!”

His words struck like a sledgehammer.

Suicide?

No.

My parents beat me with belts, tried to force me out of school, tried to sell me to a man old enough to be my grandfather—his third wife.

When I refused, they tricked me home, drugged my drink, and almost delivered me into his bed.

In despair, I once grabbed a razor and slashed my wrists. Caius arrived just in time, dragging me to the hospital.

Elowen was there too. She didn’t stop my parents. Instead, she clung to Caius' arm, whimpering that she was frightened, that her heart was racing. Because of her theatrics, I nearly lost my chance at treatment.

And now, all of this—my pain, my scars—was being twisted into my fault. My fault for ruining her grades. My fault for stealing her honor.

The absurdity hollowed me out. So this was it: not loving someone was the original sin. No explanation could wash it away.

At that moment, Elowen lifted her tear-streaked face from Caius' chest and looked at me, trembling.

“Serene, I’m sorry. It’s all because of me. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back. I’ll… I’ll sell blood if I have to…”

She swayed like she might faint.

“Elowen!” Caius caught her, holding her as if she were made of glass. His eyes blazed at me.

“Serene! Look at her! Do you want her to collapse like you did? Do you want her to fall just like you?”

My chest tightened, my voice shaking.

“Fall? Where have I fallen, Caius? Say it. Explain it to me.”

He faltered, guilt flickering before irritation took over.

“Forget it. I won’t argue with you. You’re being unreasonable.”

Then, with Elowen in his arms, he flung his final words like a knife:

“Graduation is next week. Treasure these last days. Out in the real world, no one will ever pamper you like I do.”

Without looking back, he walked away.

I stood frozen, then bent to pick up my scuffed backpack.

Pamper me?

That was the cruelest joke I had ever heard.

I went back to our rented apartment, packed my belongings, and zipped up my suitcase.

Just then, a message from Elowen flashed on my screen.

Photos.

A black swan cake, a diamond necklace, a lush bouquet of roses.

The last one: her and Caius, leaning together, smiling.

Today was her birthday.

Tomorrow was mine.

One day apart—yet a galaxy between us.

It wasn’t that Caius had no money. He simply had none to spare for me.

After midnight, my phone buzzed again. A text from him.

Happy birthday. I’m busy tonight. Don’t wait up.

I turned the phone off and finished packing.

I found a shared flat in an old neighborhood. Cheap. Cramped. A little grimy.

But it was mine.

The next morning, I switched my phone back on. A flood of unread messages from Caius filled the screen.

You moved out? What tantrum is this? Just over five thousand dollars? When did you become so materialistic?

Come back soon! Elowen was thoughtful enough to celebrate your birthday. She’s not feeling well but has been waiting for you all morning. Go buy a black-bone chicken and make her soup. And get fish too—Elowen likes it steamed.

Below was a long grocery list, written as if I were his maid.

Celebrating my birthday?

I almost laughed aloud.

What thoughtfulness.