Chapter 2
872 Words
The rumors on campus and the strange looks from everyone around her nearly overwhelmed Elaine.
She asked the college for medical leave and planned to stay home for a few days.
Graduation was right around the corner anyway. She could use the time to finish her thesis, then leave as quickly as possible once everything was settled.
Yet during those days, Simon never once came looking for her.
In the past, Elaine had always been the one to contact Simon first. The two of them stayed in touch every single day.
But this time, she did not reach out to him, and he never contacted her either.
Instead, the school forum was constantly flooded with candid photos of Simon and Suzy together.
The two of them were always showing up side by side.
There had long been rumors that they were a couple, and Simon had never bothered to deny it.
Back then, Elaine had been too wrapped up in his tenderness to notice the signs.
Her student visa was approved quickly. She would be leaving in fifteen days.
Her mother wanted her to leave the country as soon as she got the visa. The school could mail the diploma later.
Maybe it was for the best. The sooner she left this place full of gossip and trouble, the better.
She started packing her luggage.
Just then, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.
"Miss me?" Simon whispered with a low chuckle.
His long fingers began roaming restlessly across her body. The familiar scent of pine surrounded her, so familiar that for a split second, she almost melted into it out of habit.
It was Simon.
Why was he here?
But the moment she remembered the cruel words he had said that day, nausea rose in her chest.
Using all her strength, Elaine shoved him away hard.
Simon froze, clearly caught off guard by her reaction. His brows furrowed slightly, and for a brief moment, there seemed to be a trace of hurt in his eyes.
"What is it?" he asked softly. "You don't want to see me?"
Looking at his refined and heartbreakingly handsome face, Elaine still found it hard to believe.
She could not believe this was the same man who had said those heartless things. The same man who treated her like a toy on that forum.
She did not want to get tangled up with him anymore before leaving, so she casually made up an excuse.
"It's nothing," she muttered. "I'm just not feeling well."
Simon did not press further. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently before changing the subject.
"By the way, Elaine, graduation's almost here. How's your thesis coming along? Your defense is tomorrow, right?"
Before Elaine could answer, Simon had already walked over to the materials she had prepared. He flipped through them while nodding in admiration.
"As expected of Riverdale University's top student," he praised with a smile. "Your arguments are solid and well thought out. Don't worry, I'll come cheer you on tomorrow."
Simon rarely paid attention to her studies before. Elaine did not think much of his words and only forced a faint smile.
After receiving a phone call, Simon glanced at the screen and hurriedly left.
As for where he went, Elaine did not care anymore.
After all, she was leaving soon.
The next day was the thesis defense.
Wearing her graduation gown and holding her thesis papers, Elaine arrived at the defense hall.
Sure enough, Simon came. He said he was there to support her, yet he deliberately sat far away from her.
Still, it was not surprising. Their relationship had always been kept in the shadows.
But the moment Suzy appeared, Simon immediately got up and walked over to her. The two of them sat side by side.
From the back row, Elaine watched their figures. They looked just like a couple deeply in love.
The order of the thesis defenses was decided by drawing lots.
Elaine drew one of the last numbers, so she could only sit in the back and wait for the other students to finish one by one before she could leave.
She sat quietly in the corner, her eyes unfocused, her thoughts drifting far away.
Until a familiar figure stepped onto the stage.
Suzy.
Holding the thesis she had supposedly "prepared herself," Suzy calmly walked up to the podium and began her defense.
But as Suzy spoke more and more confidently, answering every question with ease, Elaine's face grew paler by the second.
Because every single word coming out of Suzy's mouth—every argument, every analysis—belonged to Elaine.
Elaine's hands began trembling violently. Her face turned white as a sheet.
She stared at the familiar title on the screen, the familiar paragraphs, the familiar wording. It felt as though someone had grabbed her heart in a death grip, squeezing so tightly she could barely breathe.
She could not hold it in anymore.
Elaine shot to her feet, her voice shaking uncontrollably as she cried out,
"Professor, that's my thesis!"
The entire room fell deathly silent.
Every pair of eyes turned toward Elaine at once.
For that one moment, time itself seemed to stand still.
- Writer
