He Rejected Me, I’ll Win Him Over

Debby Olson was the dream girl at Minton University. Every guy on campus had a crush on her, and the entire Olson family treated her like a princess. But out of everyone she could've picked, she fell for Ethan Warren. At the freshman opening ceremony, Ethan stood quietly in the crowd wearing a faded white shirt that had clearly been washed too many times. Still, nothing could hide the cold elegance around him. One glance was enough. Debby wanted him. And ever since she was little, she'd never failed to get what she wanted. The very next day, Debby blocked Ethan outside the lecture hall in front of half the campus and shoved a pink, scented love letter into his hand. Smiling brightly, full of confidence, she introduced herself. "Ethan, I'm Debby Olson. Date me." Ethan didn't even bother looking down at the letter. His eyes swept lazily across her gorgeous face, calm and distant. "Not interested." Then he walked right past her. The entire hallway went silent. People stared in shock, some even gasped under their breath. For the first time in her life, Debby was rejected. But that same evening, she ran into Ethan again at a bar off campus. He was working a part-time job there, trapped by a drunk older woman who kept touching him and refusing to let him leave. Debby stepped in at the perfect moment and got him out of it. She noticed the rare embarrassment on his handsome face, the humiliation hidden deep in his eyes, and suddenly an idea crossed her mind. Her red lips curved into a smile. "Ethan, I'll solve all your problems. Your mom's medical bills, your tuition, your living expenses until graduation—I'll pay for everything. And all you have to do..." She leaned close to his ear, her voice soft and teasing. "Is stay with me whenever I want you around." He lifted his eyes to hers. There was no gratitude in them. Only cold understanding, like he could see straight through her. "Rich girls' games aren't really my thing." "This isn't a game." Debby pulled out a contract she'd prepared in advance and shoved it into his hands. "Everything's written clearly. We both get what we want. The deal ends whenever I get bored." She thought he'd reject her again. Instead, Ethan glanced at her, gave the faintest smirk, picked up the pen, and signed his name. For some reason, Debby's heart tightened. But the feeling was quickly drowned out by excitement. She thought she'd finally cracked open the glacier around him. For the next three years, they looked just like every other college couple. They studied together in quiet library corners, hugged beneath cherry blossom trees, kissed in empty classrooms. Ethan treated her incredibly well. If she casually mentioned being hungry at midnight, he'd climb over the dorm gates just to buy her favorite desserts. If she got scared during thunderstorms, he'd hold her all night and whisper softly until she fell asleep. When her cramps got so painful she broke out in a cold sweat, he'd warm his hands and gently rub her stomach over and over again. Little by little, Debby completely fell for him. She honestly believed she'd melted his frozen heart. Until today, by accident, she overheard from her best friend that Ethan was actually the long-lost son of one of the wealthiest families in the capital. Debby's heart exploded with joy. That meant the biggest problem between them was gone. Now they could truly be together. Excited beyond words, she grabbed the engagement ring catalog she'd secretly picked out weeks ago and rushed toward the science building where Ethan usually stayed. "When he proposes, I'll pick this one." Debby couldn't stop smiling as she walked there. But the moment she reached the quiet garden behind the building, she froze. Ethan was holding another girl in his arms. The girl wore a simple white dress and looked innocent and pure. Standing on tiptoe, she shyly kissed Ethan on the cheek, her face bright red. And Ethan didn't avoid her. Instead, he lowered his eyes and looked at the girl with unmistakable tenderness. Then slowly, he leaned down toward her. Debby's mind went blank. Heat rushed straight to her head. Before she could think, she stormed over and slapped Ethan hard across the face. "Ethan! Who the hell is she?!" The sharp sound startled the girl, who immediately hid behind him. A red handprint appeared clearly on Ethan's face, but somehow it still didn't ruin how ridiculously handsome he looked. He stared at Debby, his expression unreadable. "Since you've already seen it," he said calmly, "there's no point hiding it anymore. She's my girlfriend, Lena Mills. We've known each other since we were kids." Debby felt like her brain had exploded. "Your girlfriend?" she said shakily. "Then what am I?" Ethan looked at her with the same cold expression he'd always worn. "We were only ever in a contract relationship. It was written clearly from the beginning. I thought you understood that." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bank card, and handed it toward her. "If you think your investment over the last three years wasn't worth it, consider this compensation. I'll pay back the rest as soon as possible. We're even now." After saying that, Ethan wrapped an arm around the frightened Lena and turned to leave. But Debby grabbed his wrist tightly. Her eyes turned red instantly, her voice trembling in a way it never had before. "Ethan... I really loved you." For the first time, something flickered in Ethan's eyes. His throat moved slightly. For a brief second, Debby thought he'd changed his mind. Then Lena gently tugged on his sleeve. "Ethan..." Ethan snapped back to reality immediately. That tiny trace of emotion vanished completely. Slowly, firmly, he pried her fingers off his wrist one by one. Then he looked directly at her and said the cruelest thing she'd ever heard. "But I've never loved you." And with that, he took Lena's hand and walked away without looking back once.