Chapter 1Betrayed by My Bestie, I Snagged the Campus Hottie

Liam Anderson and I grew up together, and I've had a crush on him for ten years.

I always thought that if I gave it enough time, he would eventually notice me.

That is, until Liam's birthday, when he showed up holding hands with my best friend. They kissed in front of everyone's congratulations.

Then Liam said that to him, I was just a convenient maid.

Liam has always been incredibly handsome, so he's had a constant stream of admirers and relationships since we were young. I was the only one who stayed by his side all this time. I always thought I was special to him, carefully hiding my feelings while following his every word.

Liam's friends often joked, "Liam, you've got yourself a loyal little sidekick."

Liam never denied it.

This year, Liam turned twenty-four. One day, after he sobered up from drowning his sorrows over a breakup, I was cooking in the kitchen when Liam came up behind me and patted my head. "Amber, what would I do without you? I'd probably starve to death, right?"

"You know what, maybe we should just get together," he said casually.

His offhand comment nearly stopped my heart. I froze, unable to speak.

But Liam laughed first. "Just kidding. You're not really my type."

I shooed Liam out and continued cooking alone in the kitchen. His two sentences had lifted me up, only to shatter me moments later.

When I finished cooking, I left. Liam lazily said goodbye, "Come back soon, Amber." I didn't answer, practically fleeing from his place.

When I got home, my college roommate Rachel was there, calling me over to eat some strawberries.

Looking at Rachel sitting on the couch in just her pajamas, bare-faced yet still breathtakingly beautiful, I couldn't help but feel dejected.

If I were that pretty, maybe Liam would like me.

Of course, Liam has always been attracted to beautiful, glamorous, dazzling girls.

And me? I'm plain and ordinary, like one of the countless stars in the sky – people probably couldn't even remember my name if they tried.

Seeing me lost in thought, Rachel pinched my cheek. "What are you spacing out for? You've been acting weird since you came back from seeing your crush today."

"Did you two have a fight?"

Rachel knew I had liked someone for a long time, so she occasionally teased me about it.

I shook my head. "What crush? We're just friends. Don't make stuff up."

"Oh, come on. If you like him, just admit it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you like him, go confess. If he doesn't like you back, at least you can move on instead of torturing yourself like this."

She was right, but it was hard for me to do. After all, I had liked him for ten years.

But this time, I silently told myself that this would be the last time. If it didn't work out, I'd give up.

On my birthday, I invited Liam out for dinner.

But I didn't expect him to come to my rented apartment while I was out. Liam and Rachel ran into each other.

They chatted briefly, but to me, they looked like a perfect match – the handsome guy and the beautiful girl.

I dug my nails into my palms, telling myself it was nothing.

After Rachel left, Liam excitedly bumped my shoulder with his. "Wow, Amber! I can't believe you never told me you had such a gorgeous friend."

"You never asked," I replied.

It's true. He never cared about my studies, my life, or my friends. It was always me chasing after him.

"Hey, give me her SnapChat. I'll treat you to something nice," he said.

I shook my head, forcing myself to say, "She doesn't like guys like you."

"Oh, come on. Just give it to me."

In the end, I gave it to him.

But I thought that since Rachel had known me for so long and knew I liked Liam, she wouldn't agree to go out with him.

After that, Liam occasionally came to my rented apartment. He and Rachel didn't talk much, and they didn't seem very close, which put my mind at ease.

I was planning to confess to Liam at his birthday party a month later. If it didn't work out, I'd give up.

But I was sure it would work. After all this time, he must have noticed me by now.

I prepared for a long time, deciding what to wear to the birthday party and even revising my confession speech more than a dozen times.

However, I failed to notice Rachel's increasingly frequent late nights out and the happy smile on her face.

On Liam's birthday, he invited many friends. I wore a beautiful long dress for the occasion.

Before I left, Rachel gave me a strange look.