Chapter 85
September came, and I rolled up to the country’s top university with just my suitcase and zero fanfare.
No parents helping me move in, no tearful family goodbyes just me handling my shit solo.
Honestly? I loved it.
Being free from that nightmare household felt like I could finally exist without constantly looking over my shoulder.
The whole valedictorian thing made me kind of famous on campus right away.
But I wasn’t trying to be the popular girl – I turned down every frat party invite and student government pitch, spending most of my time buried in research labs and the library instead.
I knew I had to hustle twice as hard as everyone else to make this opportunity count.
At this academic competition our department was hosting, I met Gabriel.
He was a junior running the whole event – tall, lanky guy who always wore black and had this “don’t talk to me unless you’re discussing theoretical physics” energy.
Most people found him intimidating as hell, but his research was absolutely brilliant.
We ended up on the same project team.
Initially, everyone else was kind of terrified of him – they thought he was this uptight asshole who’d tear apart their ideas.
But working with him, I realized he wasn’t a dick, just really intense and terrible at casual conversation.
Our academic chemistry was instant though. We’d bounce ideas off each other while other teams were still trying to figure out basic concepts.
Gabriel started looking at me differently after a few sessions.
His expression went from “who is this freshman” to genuine intellectual respect.
He definitely hadn’t expected some quiet scholarship kid to actually keep up with him.
One afternoon while we were calibrating equipment in the lab, my phone started buzzing.
Unknown number.
I stepped out into the hallway to take it, and immediately recognized the voice on the other end.
Charlotte.
Her tone was dripping with bitterness and spite. Check latest chapters at.net
“Madison, you must be feeling pretty fucking proud of yourself right now p>
I didn’t respond.
She kept going, her voice getting more shrill by the second.
“If you hadn’t abandoned them, none of this would’ve happened! You destroyed them, and you destroyed me too p>
“You used their futures as stepping stones to get into your fancy college – how do you even sleep at night? ”
Listening to her twisted logic and victim–blaming bullshit, I almost wanted to laugh.
She’d orchestrated that whole setup to destroy my brothers, and while her revenge worked, it completely backfired on her too.
Chapter 6
She never got into college and was apparently working dead end jobs in some random town, living a pretty miserable life.
Now she was trying to blame me for all of it.
Classic deflection from someone who couldn’t handle the consequences of their own actions.
I didn’t waste a single word on her just hung up and blocked the number immediately.
When I walked back into the lab, Gabriel was standing by the doorway.
He’d obviously heard the whole conversation.
I expected him to ask questions or at least look curious about the drama.
But he didn’t.
He just looked at me calmly and said:
“Spam calls aren’t worth your energy p>
His voice was cool and detached, but somehow it felt like a warm hug that instantly settled the irritation bubbling up inside me.
He wasn’t prying into my past – he was just showing me he had my back in his own understated way.
Our team ended up winning first place in that competition.
Thanks to our performance and Gabriel’s recommendation, I scored a spot in a prestigious national research lab.
My future was looking incredibly bright.
All that toxic bullshit from my past, and all those irrelevant people, were finally in my rearview mirror for good.
Chapter
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.