“Vanessa, you really are shameless. It’s one thing to be a side piece, but you were Professor Adams‘ husband’s mistress? No wonder she resigned! And those project credits she worked so hard for? They’ve all been reassigned–to you!”
“People online are tearing you apart, questioning your so–called talent and calling you out for stealing her work. The
school confirmed it too. Turns out, it was your fault. Your grad school offer’s been revoked. Honestly, this is the justice
we’ve all been waiting for. What a relief”
“You didn’t work for it. You had no real ability. Who gave you the right to steal someone else’s project just to land a spot in
grad school? You totally deserved to lose everything!”
More students gathered, some just to watch the train wreck. “So that’s her? The homewrecker who stole the research
project? Wow, she’s not even that pretty. No wonder the school’s kicking her out.”
The words hit Vanessa like a blow to the gut. Her world cracked.
All her belongings had been thrown out of the dorm and were now scattered across the ground.
Furious, Vanessa grabbed a student nearby. “Who the hell threw out my stuff?! Say it!”
Before the student could even speak, a janitor nearby snapped impatiently, “Why don’t you grab your crap and leave already? You’ve been expelled. What, you thought you’d just stick around like nothing happened?”
“We posted the notice days ago. You were off doing who knows what, not even bothering to show your face–and now
you’re mad I cleared out your things? If you don’t pack it up right now, I’m tossing it all in the dumpster.”
Panic flared through Vanessa’s chest. She still had expensive designer pieces in there–ones she hadn’t even used yet.
There was no way she could let them be tossed out.
She scrambled to collect everything, messily wrapping it all in a bedsheet and dragging it along with her.
Everyone watched her with contempt. The whispers and sneers followed her down the hall like shadows.
Face burning with shame, Vanessa struggled to get downstairs, but the bundle was too heavy, she lost her balance
halfway.
Her body tumbled down the steps, crashing and rolling until she slammed hard into the wall below. The impact nearly made her cough up blood.
Her head struck the edge–skin split open, blood pouring down in streams.
To make it worse, the bedsheet unraveled. Her things scattered everywhere, some crashing down right on top of her.
By the time she made it out the school gates, barely keeping herself upright, a guy on a motorcycle came flying by–and didn’t see her until it was too late. He hit her.
She collapsed, sprawled in a pool of her own blood. Her vision blurred, the edges darkening. Through the fog, she saw the biker climb off his motorcycle–not to check on her–but to snatch up the designer goods still bundled in the sheet.
All the valuables were gone–taken one by one, not a single thing spared.
“Ugh…” Vanessa couldn’t hold on anymore. A mouthful of blood gushed from her lips as she finally blacked out.
Meanwhile in the car, Lucian just gave her a brief, indifferent glance–then told the driver to pull away.
Chapter 18
18.56%
The driver hesitated. “Sir, she looks… seriously hurt. Are you sure we shouldn’t take her to a hospital?”
“There are plenty of people around. Someone will take her. Besides… she had it coming.”
His voice was ice.
The driver said nothing more and pulled away from the curb.
A short while later, Lucian stepped out from the car at the mouth of an alley. He could hear the dull thuds of fists meeting flesh coming from inside, but his expression didn’t flicker as he stepped forward.
A few bodyguards had pinned down the group of thugs. “Mr. Sullivan,” one of them asked, “what should we do with the designer stuff?”
“Sell it.. Split the cash as a bonus. And from now on–don’t report anything else about Vanessa to me. Let her rot.”
He turned and went home.
When he got back, the house was full of framed photos of him and Celeste–ones he’d dug up from his old phone.
Even the flowers on the table were her favorites.
He’d made everything look exactly like it used to be, back when Celeste lived there.
But now, all of it just felt hollow. Quiet. Cold.
Back then, when she was always around, he thought her presence didn’t matter that much.
Now that she was gone, he finally realized–he couldn’t live without her.
Not until he found Celeste again… not a single night would he sleep in peace.
