Chapter 4I Let Them Have Their Romance And Claim The Scholarship Myself

The next time I saw Lily in person was at our five-year high school reunion back in the States.

Everyone had changed so much, eagerly swapping stories about frat parties, college finals, and corporate grind.

"Arthur, man, I read your latest paper in that journal! Absolute genius!"

"Isn't your mentor some legendary professor? I saw a picture of you two in an article. Makes us all look good having a celebrity in the group!"

"I literally brag to my coworkers that I went to school with you. You're like a mythical creature to them."

I sat at the table, offering polite and humble replies, enjoying the warm atmosphere. Everything was perfect until someone nervously piped up and asked the golden question.

"Hey, Lily. Are you and Jaxon still together?"

The loud chatter in the room instantly died. Every single pair of eyes darted toward the girl sitting quietly in the corner.

Lily looked nothing like the radiant prom queen she used to be. She was wearing heavy, expensive-looking makeup, but it couldn't hide the deep exhaustion etched into her features. There was a rough, cynical edge to her that hadn't been there before.

She forced a tight smile, her tone unnervingly flat. "Oh, we broke up a while ago."

A collective murmur of shock rippled through the room.

The legendary rebel and the ice-queen, the couple that practically demanded the spotlight, had crashed and burned.

Back in the day, their contrasting dynamic was thrilling. But once they were stripped of the high school bubble and the halo of good grades, reality hit hard. There was nothing charming about their differences anymore.

After ruining her college prospects, Lily had followed Jaxon to a mediocre city. Desperate to reclaim her lost glory, she tried to completely isolate herself and focus on studying to prove everyone wrong.

By doing so, she ended up ignoring her beloved bad boy.

Jaxon might have stopped getting into fistfights, but a leopard doesn't change its spots. His wandering eye and charismatic smile drew a lot of attention in the real world.

His most persistent admirer turned out to be a wealthy older woman, a literal sugar mama who was beautiful and thrilled to throw cash at him.

Jaxon got hooked on the easy money and luxury cars. He grew increasingly irritated with Lily, who had lost her sparkling charm and was always stressed about exams. Eventually, he dumped her and moved into the rich woman's penthouse.

The betrayal broke Lily. She spiraled into a deep depression for months. Eventually, she clawed her way back to reality and tried to finish her degree.

But her desperate, frantic need for instant success led to burnout. She graduated with mediocre grades and ended up in a mind-numbing, entry-level corporate job.

Jaxon, just like in my past life, ended up marrying a well-off woman, and rumor had it they were living a comfortable, happy life.

After briefly gossiping about the drama, the classmates smoothly changed the subject, losing interest.

In my previous life, Lily had gone to Europe, networked with the elite, and returned as a high-powered investment banker with a massive net worth. People at the reunion had practically tripped over themselves trying to compliment her and kiss her feet.

But now? She was just another exhausted office drone. No one wanted to waste their breath on her.

Watching the scene unfold, a heavy sigh escaped my lips.

The visceral memory of what Lily had done to me for Jaxon's sake still echoed in the back of my mind. Yet it was wild to realize that one tiny decision of mine to deliver those letters had fundamentally rewritten her entire existence.

But honestly? Who cares.

I had my own brilliant life and a future to build. I didn't have to live in her shadow anymore, nor did I have to look over my shoulder constantly, fearing she would murder me.

I was untouchable now.

To me, Lily Mercer was nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust in the grand scheme of my life.