Chapter 8
#288 Vouchers
That interview quickly went viral.
The drama and plot twists had everyone hooked.
Eventually, with all the pressure, my dear mom showed up.
She dressed up and brought a bunch of reporters with her.
The moment she saw me, she burst into tears, hugged me tight, and wouldn’t let go. “Emma, my poor girl, you’ve suf- fered so much all these years.”
She didn’t mention a word about how I ended up suffering.
I hugged her back and said softly, “Mom.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
She wiped her tears. Her flawless makeup was still perfectly in place with no smudges.
“I’m so proud of you. What do you want as a reward?
“How about a trip together?”
I shook my head and asked timidly, “Can I wish for anything?”
She nodded at the cameras, looking every bit the loving mother.
“Of course, anything you want.”
So I said, “I want to intern at your company.
“Mom, I want to start helping you early.”
If you wouldn’t give me what was mine…
I would just take it myself.
I thought that would be the end of it.
Unexpectedly, another group of girls noticed Marcus in the interview.
The handsome Alpha was standing off to the side, eyes locked on me the whole time.
With all the slow edits and dramatic music, it almost looked romantic.
Then our classmates started showing up.
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“Confirmed! They were a thing. The whole school knew about it!”
“He’s the future Alpha, the top student. They got close through studying; he even tutored Emma after they got togeth- er. Her grades wouldn’t have improved without him.”
“Oh my god, is this what academic love looks like? I’m obsessed.”
“But here’s the tea. He dumped her the day before the SAT. If Emma hadn’t been so mentally strong, her score would’ve tanked.”
“Why would he break up right before the SAT? That’s too much.”
“Kinda sus. You guys ever hear about that blind–box dating game among the noble Alphas?”
***
There are no secrets under the sun.
That cruel game, messing with people’s lives like it was nothing, was finally exposed by someone sharp enough to no-
tice.
But I didn’t have time to follow the fallout.
The internship kept me swamped. Jumping from school to the corporate world meant starting from scratch.
Two months flew by in a blink.
On my last day of internship, I rushed to school for registration.
I saw Marcus among the new students.
He had gone back to being that aloof, untouchable guy.
Standing tall and proud, like a tree that didn’t belong in the forest around it.
When he saw me, it was like his whole act fell apart. He was back in the real world.
He came over, clearly not as confident as before.
He was a bit tense.
“Well, what a coincidence. Same university.”
I smiled.
“Mr. Powell, that pickup line was worse than your old ones.
“Did you forget to write a script this time?”
His eyes narrowed, pursing his lips.
“You knew all along.”
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I shrugged.
“Of course, I’m not dumb. I never believed I had a magic charm that made Alphas line up for me.”
“So, the reason you were with me was-”
“That’s right,” I interrupted, saying what he thought.
“Because of your grades. None of those other guys could help me with my studies.”
He swayed a little, then steadied himself.
“That’s good, I’m glad I helped.
“I… I like you. Will you go out with me?”
I refused. “No.”
He rushed to explain, “This time it’s real. I really fell for you.
“Once someone’s had you, it’s impossible to just let go.
“You’re amazing. Anyone who gets close to you falls for you without even realizing it, just like I did.”
Good looks really are unfair.
Marcus’s face was so captivating that when he focused on someone, they couldn’t help but get lost in his deep, loving
gaze.
But after a year of seeing that face, I was immune.
“I believe you like me. I mean, I’ve got a strong spirit. Anyone with good taste would be attracted to me.
“But I don’t want you.
“Marcus, you’re not worth it, so I don’t want you.”
As we brushed past each other, Marcus said with a bitter smile, “Emma, your heart’s as cold as stone.”
I didn’t respond and just walked away.
Diamonds are as hard as stone, too.
If you’d come to me with all your heart, unclouded by shade or spite-
where would we be now?
Without that shade of pride, that stain of malice-
You’ll find that what’s shining beneath the sun isn’t just a stone-
It’s a diamond.
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