Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mason stared at me, his eyes clouded with deep disappointment.

"When Valerie's brooch disappeared, you were the only person who entered the lounge," he said coldly. "If it wasn't you, who else could it be?"

I looked at him helplessly, feeling a sharp ache pierce through my chest.

"Valerie and I checked the hallway security footage," he continued ruthlessly. "Yours is the only figure on tape. Who else could have done it?"

With that single sentence, Mason completely sealed my guilt in the eyes of everyone present.

The surrounding classmates sneered, their expressions dripping with unrestrained hatred.

A heavy wave of exhaustion washed over me.

Throughout this past year, even though I was his official girlfriend, Mason had always chosen Valerie over me.

Whenever I expressed hurt over their intimate boundary-crossing, he would gently brush it off, insisting they were just childhood friends.

I cared about Mason deeply, so I swallowed my pride and endured being second best.

Every time he offered me a few sweet words of comfort, I foolishly forgave him.

I held Mason's gaze and spoke clearly. "I told you, I didn't steal anything. Valerie told me your chronic gastritis was acting up and asked me to fetch your medication from the lounge. That is the only reason I went in there."

I paused, scanning the crowd. "Just because Valerie accuses me, it makes me a thief?"

A flicker of mockery danced in Mason's eyes as he looked down at me.

Everyone in the room stared with cruel amusement.

After a long pause, Valerie shifted slightly and adopted a gracious tone to settle the dispute.

"Forget it," she murmured softly. "I'll just consider the brooch a gift to you, Melanie. Just please... don't do something like this ever again."

Before I could react, Mason cut in sharply.

"You're my girlfriend. Wouldn't you know if my stomach was hurting?" he challenged coldly. "Only the hallway has cameras, and you were the only one who went inside during that window. Are you trying to claim Valerie is framing you?"

I parted my lips, desperate to defend myself.

I had never dared to cross Valerie because I knew my place; I knew I could never compete with her importance in his life.

I had worked tirelessly every single day just to earn a tiny fraction of his respect.

Then Mason added the final blow: "Take a look at yourself, Melanie. Do you really think you're worthy of her framing you?"

His brutal words dragged me straight into an icy abyss.

Once again, he had chosen Valerie without a single second of hesitation.

He would always believe Valerie's word over mine.

My mind flashed back to the day Mason first confessed his feelings to me.

Valerie had stood nearby, laughing coldly. "His monthly allowance is more than your grocery budget for an entire year. You don't seriously believe he actually loves you, do you?"

At the time, Mason had scolded her with a stern face. "Stop talking nonsense, Valerie. I'm serious about Melanie."

Looking back now, that was the first and only time he had ever reprimanded Valerie on my behalf.

I also remembered when I accepted his confession, only for him to suddenly leave campus due to an urgent family crisis.

When I asked if everything was alright and if I could help, Mason had looked at me with genuine bewilderment.

He had patted my head like a stray pet and said, "You wouldn't understand high finance, Melanie. Just stay on campus and focus on your classes until I get back."

Before Valerie left with him that day, she had pulled me aside. "Melanie, you don't belong in our world. You don't actually believe Mason loves you, do you?"

That was the second time she had asked me that question.

I had believed him because Mason looked into my eyes and declared his love with absolute sincerity.

A long time ago, someone told me that anyone could rewrite their destiny through relentless effort.

So, I naively believed I could close the social divide between Mason and me through hard work.

In my bleak and impoverished life, whenever someone offered me a sliver of affection, I clung to it like a lifeline.

Now, I finally understood the harsh truth.

Some people are born at the finish line, while others spend their entire lives merely crawling out of the gutter.