After our meal at the Michelin restaurant, Chloe went back to her dorm, while Grayson headed into the campus woods and sat there by myself.
"Today was truly the first time I'd ever gotten to show off like that, and it felt amazing—especially sitting with Chloe in that VIP seat. I could feel Sienna's eyes burning into me the whole time, filled with emotions I couldn't quite decipher. Heh, today was only the start, Sienna. Just wait and see what's coming next...."Grayson thought so in his heart
Sienna, meanwhile, trudged back to her own dorm, feeling thoroughly dejected. But the person who was probably even more miserable than her was Sebastian. He'd had such a perfect plan: buy a flashy car, pick Sienna up, treat her to a lavish Michelin dinner, and then whisk her off to a romantic hotel suite afterward. But things had fallen apart at the restaurant. Sienna hadn't been delighted by fine cuisine; in fact, she'd felt humiliated. Sebastian couldn't bring himself to mention the hotel afterwards, so he had to drive Sienna right back to campus.
The first thing Sienna did when she got to her dorm was look for Chloe. Although they weren't roommates, she hung around Chloe's door, feeling awkward. Since the fiasco in class over Grayson, Sienna and Chloe hadn't spoken at all. Finally, Sienna took a breath and knocked.
Inside, Chloe called out, "Girls, come quick—I brought you a midnight snack!" She was holding boxes of leftover Michelin dishes. Grayson had ordered so much that even the two of them couldn't finish it all; many exquisite plates remained untouched, and Chloe dont hated the idea of throwing them away. After all, each dish cost over two hundred dollars. Better to bring them back and share with her dormmates.
"Wow—Michelin food!" Chloe's roommates, a group of self-proclaimed foodies, practically pounced on the boxes, their eyes glowing at the thought of haute cuisine.
Just then, Sienna cleared her throat at the door. "Chloe?"
One of the roommates piped up, "Hey, Sienna—you posted that photo of yourself at Michelin in the class group chat. Looks like Chloe just came back from there, too. Did you two go together?"
Sienna's cheeks flushed. She'd worried Chloe might spill the Michelin story, and if that happened, her embarrassment would be sky-high. Luckily, Chloe wasn't the sort to tattle; she simply nodded and moved on.
"I need to talk to you, Chloe," Sienna said, stepping inside.
Chloe, trying to stay polite but still icy, replied, "If it's nothing serious, just say it here."
"Oh, don't be like that. Come out with me. We're best friends, after all," Sienna coaxed, slipping a conciliatory smile onto her face and gently nudging Chloe's arm. Sienna had been clever: they'd fallen out in class, but now her mood flipped instantly back to friendship.
They walked down the hallway to a quieter spot.
"Chloe—today, you and Grayson went to Michelin. Who paid for it?" Sienna asked sweetly.
"Grayson did," Chloe answered. In her mind, she thought, Of course—Sienna only wanted to know this.
"Oh, Grayson? How did he suddenly become rich?" Sienna leaned forward, hanging on every word Chloe said.
"And why do you care?" Chloe wondered silently, though she kept her voice calm.
"I'm just asking to show that I care. We used to be lovers—though we're broken up, I still have feelings. I'm worried about him." Sienna batted her eyelashes, each word sounding rehearsed.
Chloe rolled her eyes internally. What hypocrisy! Earlier in the classroom, when Sebastian came to pick her up, Sienna had gleefully humiliated Grayson. Now she feigned concern.
"Come on, Chloe—tell me," Sienna pressed, leaning so close that Chloe could feel her breath.
Chloe, who had always been gentle even when Sienna was her friend, felt a twinge of pity. She decided to indulge her.
"Okay," Chloe said quietly. "But don't tell anyone—Grayson won a prize."
"A prize? How much did he win?" Sienna's eyes lit up.
Indeed, Sienna's guess had been right. At the restaurant, she'd suspected that the only way the broke "loser" Grayson could have afforded Michelin was if he'd suddenly come into money.
"One hundred thousand dollars," Chloe said. "But please don't bother him. It's been so hard for him—he comes from a poor family. He scrapes by on bare essentials. That money is just enough to help with his living expenses."
"Of course, Chloe—I won't pester him," Sienna said with a flower-like smile. "I'm just concerned—after all, I'm his ex."
But though she said that out loud, inside she was giddy with excitement. A hundred thousand dollars? That was cold, hard cash. He'd spent twenty thousand on the Michelin meal, so he had eighty thousand left. If only she had known he would win—maybe she should have delayed breaking up with him!
Sienna understood Grayson's personality: if they'd still been a couple, ninety percent of that prize money would have gone straight into her pocket. She remembered well all those times he'd taken care of her: sneaking into the hospital at night with his jacket, staying by her side. Of course, he'd spent twenty thousand to take Chloe to that restaurant—he would have happily spent eighty thousand on her.
After all, he had loved her once so deeply. Maybe he still loved her that way. No—she wasn't doubting it; she was sure.
A smug smile curved Sienna's lips, her gaze drifting into the distance with scheming eyes.
The next day was light on classes. After lunch in the cafeteria, Grayson followed the stream of students out into the corridor. Just then, a voice called from behind.
"Grayson!"
Grayson turned, and in the crowd, he saw Sienna. It was rare to see her alone. Ever since their breakup, she and Sebastian had been inseparable—always together, side by side. Yet here she was, completely solo. He was genuinely surprised.
Sienna wove through the throng and soon stood before him. "Oh, what a coincidence!" she said, sounding charmingly familiar.
"Is there something you need?" Grayson asked cautiously, unsure what her motive was. Since the breakup, she'd treated him with disdain—almost like an enemy. Now she seemed strangely friendly.
"Why do I need a reason?" Sienna pouted. "If there's no reason, can't I just talk to you? We used to be a couple, you know."
"Okay. I have to go." Grayson turned to leave, no longer falling for her act.
Sienna's face changed in an instant. She stomped her foot. "Look at you—getting cocky now!" she thought.
She'd expected that by approaching Grayson, batting her eyelashes, flattering Grayson, he'd roll right over, a pet on a leash. But instead, Grayson tried to walk away.
She called after Grayson in a higher volume, startling passing students at the busy lunch hour. Heads swiveled.
"Grayson! You heartless man! Don't you have any decency? Back then, I didn't care that you were poor or had no money—so many guys were after me, but I chose you! I showered you with care, I took care of you in every way. When rich boys drove up in their fancy cars, I turned them all away to be with you. We had to stay in a hundred‐dollar motel when we wanted to go away overnight—but I didn't mind. I even got pregnant for you and went through that abortion alone—never once did I blame you! But now? What happened? You broke up with me and won't even give me a glance! Grayson, are you even a man? I loved you so much—now you just toss me away like a rag!"
Sienna's speech grew louder and more frantic, her voice trembling with tears. By the time the final words left her lips, her eyes glistened with red‐rimmed tears and her cheeks were streaked with them, her lament echoing through the air like a scene from a melodramatic TV drama.
Her confession left a hush in the air, classmates casting sympathetic—and uneasy—glances her way as they watched her pour out the hurt of a love she once believed unbreakable.