He Dumped Me, I Chose His Senior

Chapter 3

I returned to the apartment I shared with Eli.

I packed only my own belongings, leaving behind every single gift Eli had ever given me.

Before leaving, I took off the ring on my finger and set it on the table.

Dragging my suitcase, I hailed a cab and gave the driver an address.

It was a small apartment I bought with all my savings—cozy enough for me to live in peace.

The next morning, I was woken up by a barrage of phone notifications.

Opening my messages, I found a string of voice notes from my best friend, Stella Starling.

Stella: Jenna, check the trending topics right now!

Stella: You and Eli were caught by the paparazzi, and now you're on the trending list!

Sure enough, several topics dominated the top of the charts:

#EliRhodesSpottedinRomance

#EliRhodesDiningWithGirlfriend

#EliRhodesGirlfriend

I glanced at the paparazzi photos. They were taken yesterday as Eli and I walked into the restaurant side-by-side for his victory party.

Eli was striking and well-known in the racing scene, making him easy to recognize.

Only my blurry profile was captured, and since I was wearing a hat, anyone who didn't know me well wouldn't be able to tell it was me.

Scrolling through the comments section, I saw it was a chaotic mess.

A: [Oh my god, is that Eli? The Eli who just won the race yesterday?]

B: [His girl looks gorgeous! Even without a clear face, you can tell she's a beauty just from her figure.]

C: [Come on, it's just a blurry photo. You can't see anything. Stop hyping it up.]

D: [Is he finally going public with his girl? Can't wait!]

My thumb paused on the screen as I stared at that last comment.

I couldn't help but recall the time when Eli and I had been together for six months. During a race, the media had spotted a plain silver band on his finger.

It was one of the matching couple's rings he had bought, and I had never taken mine off.

Later, during a livestream, a fan asked if he was seeing anyone.

From my seat just outside the camera's frame, I watched him look straight into the lens and lie without a hint of hesitation.

"Don't start rumors," he said with a smile. "I'm single."

Someone else noticed the ring on his finger and asked about it.

He glanced down at it briefly.

"It's nothing special," he replied lightly. "Just a ring."

After that, he never wore it again.

He didn't care if I'd be hurt or if I'd threaten to break up with him.

When it came to me, he always knew he had the upper hand.