Chapter 4
636 Words
I turned around abruptly to look at Johnny, only to see him standing not far from me, gazing at me with a guilty look. "Sorry, I had no choice. Mr. Smith said he could offer me a good job."
Johnny's words filled my heart with an overwhelming sense of disappointment.
Over the years, I had witnessed too much of humanity's darkness. I thought I had grown accustomed to being betrayed by everyone, but Johnny was my only friend during college. He had been there for me during the darkest moments of my life, standing by my side when everyone else mocked me.
Even though I had been busy with my startup and hadn't kept in touch with him, I still believed our friendship would never change. But now, seeing Johnny standing beside Audrey, I felt like a complete joke.
Johnny reached into his pocket and took out a small notebook. Its corners were curled, and the pages had yellowed, showing its age.
Yet, I recognized it immediately. It was my old diary, filled with things about Audrey. After breaking up with her, I tossed it in the trash can, never expecting it to end up in his hands.
Johnny opened the diary, cleared his throat, and began reading aloud in a trembling voice amidst the mocking glances of Audrey and Mike. "Today, I finally got together with Audrey. I've liked her secretly for so long, never thinking she'd notice me. But I'm so poor. How can I provide her with a good life? I'll give her anything she wants..."
Johnny's voice echoed in the hall. I heard the sarcastic whispers of our old classmates, every word piercing through my heart like a blade.
"So funny. What a pathetic simp."
"Did he really think Audrey would be interested in him? What a dumbass!"
"Exactly, Audrey and Mike make a perfect match. But this guy thought Audrey was interested in him. He's like a clown!"
"He spent money on Audrey willingly and then claimed to be the victim. Ridiculous!"
My hands clenched into fists, my body trembling with anger. It was the first time I had loved someone genuinely, and even though I chose the wrong person, I accepted it. But I would never allow myself to become the butt of others' jokes.
"Enough! Audrey, what exactly do you want?" I shouted, glaring at the woman before me.
But Audrey acted as if she hadn't heard me. She wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and pouted. "See, honey, I wasn't lying. I told you he's a loser. How could I ever like him? You can rest assured now."
Mike chuckled as he held her waist, his eyes full of affection. "Babe, I was just jealous because I love you so much. But now I'm relieved. Even if you went crazy, you wouldn't go for someone like him."
They kept disregarding my presence and insulting me. Only then did I realize this whole farce was just Audrey's way of proving her loyalty to Mike. It was nothing more than a little game for the couple.
Mike looked at me and said coldly, "How about this? Shout three times that you're a simp, and we'll let you off. Otherwise, I'll post your diary online. You know who I am; getting you fired is just a piece of cake."
At that moment, I laughed in anger and retorted, "Mike, does your father know you're so arrogant when he's not around?"
Mike's expression darkened. "What does that have to do with you? Do as I say! Or you'll regret it!"
He might not truly love Audrey, but he enjoyed seeing ordinary people forced to beg him. Unfortunately for him, he met me.
I took out my phone and found Mike's father's number. "He might not know before, but I'll tell him now."
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