After graduation, my arch-nemesis handed me a note with an unnatural expression on her face. Written on it was a simple sentence. Even a slacker like me could understand those few words. "NO ONE LIKES YOU." Heartbroken, I tore up the note and left the country the very next day. Years later, I returned, accomplished. The day I came back, a storm was raging, delaying my flight. And my arch-nemesis stood in the rain, holding an umbrella, waiting for me all night long. 1 Flight delays are annoying enough. What was even more annoying was that as soon as I got off the plane and my phone regained signal, a trending topic popped up. [Shocking! Heiress of the Sterling empire waits in the rain for a mysterious man all night.] Clicking on the news, the photo showed a woman with a perfect profile, long eyelashes slightly lowered, hiding her dark eyes. A sense of melancholy was palpable. I suppressed my anger and scrolled through the comments, all filled with "heartbroken for my queen" sentiments. This attention seeker! Yes, the person in the photo was none other than my childhood nemesis, Bella Sterling, the culprit who caused my breakdown and departure. While I lived a miserable life as an international student, struggling with academics and terrible food, she was sailing smoothly back home. A random photo from a banquet could go viral, making her famous for her beauty and wealth. Comments were full of people calling her "wife," praising her cool goddess vibe. In my eyes, she was just a hypocrite. Doesn't she have a car? Or an assistant? Standing in the rain acting pitiful for whom? Scrolling further down, some people were even cursing the man who made her wait. ? Excuse me? After the note incident years ago, I unilaterally cut ties with Bella Sterling, blocking all her contacts. Feeling ashamed, I didn't tell my family. Given our families' long-standing friendship, when my mom called today saying Bella was picking me up, I could only silently agree. Who knew she would pull this stunt? Luckily, I had foresight. Putting on sunglasses and zipping my jacket to the top, I sneaked into the taxi I had booked in advance. The driver was startled by me, probably thinking I was a terrorist. His voice trembled: "Young man, confirm the last digits of your number." After confirming I was a passenger, he sighed in relief and started chatting cheerfully. "I've been to the airport three or four times today. This girl has been standing here the whole time, don't know who she's waiting for." The driver gestured with his chin for me to look out the window. I looked at Bella Sterling standing in the rain, like a wet bamboo stalk, her calm, deep eyes staring straight at the airport exit. As if finally tired, thinking I wouldn't come, she sighed and turned to leave. Her disappointed look was indeed captivating. I frowned, an unknown emotion pressing on my heart. In a trance, that note appeared before me again. I heard myself say coldly: "Sir, can you drift?" The driver was stunned. "To be honest, that person is my ex. She was abusive before, but always acts affectionate in public." Afraid the driver would be reluctant, I quickly added, "I can give you a tip." The driver was indignant. "Young man, no need for extra money! Bad women like that deserve a lesson!" With a beautiful drift, water from the ground splashed all over Bella's expensive custom suit. Seeing her drenched and wretched appearance, I felt a secret thrill. That's what you get for pretending! You cold, sharp-tongued woman, I will never forgive you! 2 Bella Sterling and I shouldn't have reached this point of incompatibility. Even the title of "arch-nemesis" was unilaterally bestowed by me. Our parents were close friends and business partners. When we were little, at family gatherings, our parents even joked about arranging a marriage for us. I always liked good-looking people since I was a kid. Back then, the expressionless, chubby-cheeked little Bella was even chased and kissed by me a few times. But my parents, smiling on the surface, would start comparing me to her as soon as we got home. Saying I wasn't as good as Bella in this or that. I wanted to escape, but my parents put us in the same class from kindergarten onwards. I lived in Bella's shadow until graduation. A friend whose family was also rich, and a fellow slacker like me, we had a lot in common. He asked me: "Oliver, are you going abroad or to a private college here?" Did he even need to ask? Although going abroad meant attending a subpar school, a domestic private college would be even more embarrassing for my family. But looking at the fresh and pretty back of Bella's head during high school, the words that should have slipped out lingered on the tip of my tongue. "...I haven't decided yet." Maybe because it was time to part ways, and the burden of exams was finally lifted, everyone became active. Confession scenes were everywhere on campus. A pile of notes appeared on Bella's desk. Every now and then, a boy would shyly drop one and run. I sorted through the few confession letters in my desk, feeling uninterested. In high school, grades were the real halo; looks were just bonus points. Thanks to my parents for giving me a good face. This time I still lost to Bella, but at least not with a zero score. I was ready to leave when the surroundings suddenly quieted down. Looking up, Bella's face always dazed me. Her expression was a bit strange, at least I had never seen it before. A small note was handed to me. Classmates started cheering. My head spun even more, my face numb from shock. With trembling hands, I opened the note. It was a sentence in English. Short, simple. Even a slacker like me could understand. [NO ONE LIKES YOU.] 3 A bone-chilling cold invaded me. I woke up from the dark dream. The AC had been on at 60 degrees all night, and I had kicked off the quilt. Checking my phone, a message from a pinned contact. [Got over the jet lag?] I sneezed and typed slowly: [Jet lag is mostly gone, but caught a cold...] The sender was an online seller recommended by a friend, who occasionally helped students buy things abroad. Back then, I swore not to return until I achieved something. In my miserable life, this seller lady helped me a lot. Plus, we had many common topics, and unknowingly became good online friends. [Take some medicine first, and drink plenty of hot water.] The seller lady had a great personality, just very straightforward. Wonder how she does sales with that. I secretly roasted her. But precisely because of her straightforwardness, I told her many troubles. [Last night I dreamed of that day again...] The other side showed "typing" for a while. [Did you meet her? The one who made you feel bad.] I felt a bit guilty. Being told no one liked me was shameful, so I was vague about the note's content. I only told her that seeing that note made me feel like the sky had collapsed. Seeing my long silence, she sent another message. [If you want to completely walk out of the nightmare, escaping blindly is useless.] I hesitated and typed: [But... meeting her makes me feel ashamed.] Instant reply. [She made you feel uncomfortable; she should be the one ashamed.] Like fog clearing, I suddenly saw the light. Right, I may not be smart, but I'm good-looking. Why say no one likes me? A smile appeared on my face. This is why I like chatting with the seller lady. I don't need mere comfort and "hugs." I'm truly happy someone can tell me how to solve problems. 4 Since returning home, my family kept urging me to meet Bella. Their filter on my "friendship" with Bella was too thick. Finally, my mom spoke again. "Ollie, your uncle opened a new restaurant on the top floor next to our company. Go support it with Bella." I looked calm: "Sure, I'll go tonight." My mom beamed. I rummaged through boxes to find those confession letters from high school. Plus the crooked Chinese notes written by foreign girls when I was studying in the UK. Ever since Bella humiliated me saying no one liked me, I accepted every confession seriously, then politely declined with a return gift. This time, I was going to throw these letters in Bella's face. I, Oliver Vance, am not disliked by everyone! With this ambition, I straightened my back, lifted my chin, and walked elegantly into the restaurant. Bella was already waiting at the reserved seat. Seeing me, her eyes lit up. She stood to pull out a chair for me, speaking gently. "Long time no see." Wait, there's a waiter right here, why do you need to do that? I hummed lightly, curling my lip in disdain. Pretentious. Bella was beautiful today, a different kind of beauty from high school. I even smelled the faint perfume on her. Future female CEO vibe is different. I thought sourly. Looked kinda impressive. I ignored her. She didn't get angry, good-naturedly handing me the menu to order. Opening it, the names of the dishes killed my enthusiasm. Damn, can't escape the torture of British food even back home. I schemingly picked many dishes I thought were the worst. Closing the menu, I put on a fake smile. "Bella Sterling, let's talk." She looked me in the eye: "Go ahead." Beauty trap? I won't fall for it. My eyes drifted up, tactical throat clearing. "About the note you gave me back then." I pulled out that thick stack of letters and notes from my clutch. "This is my response."
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