The unforgettable "first love" who went to study abroad is finally coming back. Bad news: I came back too late. The elite social circle had already been completely won over by the so-called "Cinderella protagonist." Everyone was on high alert, preparing to tear me—the impending "first love"—to shreds. Even worse news: rumor had it that I was a beautiful but brainless, self-sacrificing fool who only cared about a man. So, when the "Cinderella" put on her pitiful, teary-eyed act in front of me, I just smiled: "You don't need to try so hard. I know exactly what you're doing. I used to be a fake-innocent manipulator, too." 01 When I paused outside the VIP lounge of the country club, the mocking voices inside drifted clearly into my ears. "Serena Sterling is coming back today. Want to make a bet?" "Let's bet on when she'll come crawling back, begging for Carter's attention." "Hahaha, I can't wait. If she finds out Carter is getting engaged to Mia, she'll probably turn green with envy." The waiter standing next to me gave me a cautious look. He was about to speak up, but I waved my hand, gesturing for him to stay quiet. The next second, a timid voice came from inside: "Does Serena... still love Carter?" "Mia, don't worry. Serena is just a brainless Barbie doll with nothing but a pretty face. We will always support you." "You're so sweet and kind. She's not even a tenth of the woman you are." Listening to this, the smirk on my lips grew wider. "Put everything they ordered in that room on my tab." The waiter froze. "Miss..." "If they ask, tell them the 'brainless Barbie doll' paid for it." I carelessly brushed my hair over my shoulder. The Sterling family was at the absolute top of the social food chain in Manhattan. The trust-fund kids sitting in that lounge all belonged to families that relied heavily on our business connections. If they found out I caught them talking trash about me red-handed... Let me guess, how stiffly would they bow their heads when they came to apologize? 02 I, Serena Sterling, had left for Paris five years ago. Back then, I was heartbroken and depressed after a massive fight with my ex, Carter Hayes. But on my private jet heading overseas, I had a very long dream. In the dream, I realized I was just a cannon-fodder "first love" in a cliché romance novel. I was nothing but a plot device used to stimulate the relationship between the male lead, Carter, and the female lead, Mia Jenkins. When I woke up and realized this, I finally understood how stupid my desperate clinging to Carter had been over the past few years, all dictated by some invisible plot. What a joke! The Sterling family was a top-tier billionaire dynasty. Carter was just the illegitimate son of a secondary branch in his family. Why would I ever lower myself for him? Not to mention, this so-called "female lead" was simply the daughter of our family's housekeeper. Thinking about this, I frowned in annoyance. I unlocked my phone, sat back in the driver's seat of my newly delivered Bugatti, and snapped a selfie. In the photo, my hair fell casually over my shoulders. I stared coldly into the camera, my features striking and flawless. I tapped the screen a few times and posted it to my Instagram story. It was time to let them know. Forget being a tragic "first love"—I was a villainess who was going to tear them all to shreds. 03 When I returned to my familiar Upper East Side penthouse, my parents had already prepared a massive welcome-home feast for me. I greeted them warmly and said I needed to go upstairs to unpack first. I've always hated people invading my personal space, and my family knew it. Aside from the professional cleaning staff, no one was allowed in my suite. So, with just a quick glance, I immediately noticed— My jewelry vanity had been touched. I have countless designer bags and jewels filling several walk-in closets. Whoever took it probably thought I wouldn't remember. But I knew exactly which diamond necklace was missing. I lowered my eyes and let out a cold laugh. My Instagram story already had tons of likes and comments, but the usual loudmouths from the lounge were dead silent. I knew the waiter had successfully delivered my message. As I scrolled casually, my eyes suddenly stopped. They had all posted group photos of Mia and Carter. In the picture, Mia was wearing a pure white dress, smiling sweetly in front of a cake. Carter stood next to her, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips. At first glance, they really did look like a perfect couple. Their captions were incredibly pointed: [I've never met a girl as pure and kind as Mia. She pulled Carter out of a toxic past.] [I used to say a lot of fake things to flatter a certain someone, but now, I truly hope Mia and Carter are happy.] My gaze fell on the necklace resting against the girl's collarbone in the photo. Did these idiots really think flaunting my ex's new romance would make me stomp my feet in anger? Or was it because, lacking the looks and family background to challenge me directly, they had to parade a man I discarded around like some kind of grand prize? I locked my phone, slowly walked downstairs, and approached my parents, instantly putting on a teary-eyed, deeply wronged expression. "Daddy... they're all bullying me..." Like I said, I understand the game perfectly. I used to be the ultimate manipulator. 04 After coming back, it was only natural for me to return to the most elite private university in the city. This university was co-founded by the top families in our circle. Unlike regular colleges, it operated on a fixed-cohort system for the elite. When I got the class roster, I unsurprisingly saw a few familiar names. I pushed my gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of my nose. I hadn't seen Mia around for the past few days. I wondered if it was because my father had thrown a massive fit over my "bullying," making her feel too guilty to show her face. But it didn't matter. I stared at the bold name Mia Jenkins on the roster. Though I was highly confused as to when our housekeeper's salary became high enough to afford this tuition, I was still looking forward to campus life. After all... my necklace was still with Miss Jenkins. 05 When I walked into the classroom, no one seemed surprised. It made sense. Their parents had practically tripped over themselves rushing to my house with expensive gifts to apologize. When those kids went home, their parents definitely read them the riot act, warning them to take good care of me at school. During the break, I was lazily leaning back in my chair, spinning a pen and scrolling through my phone. Suddenly, a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see a highly anxious Mia. Mia's features weren't breathtaking, but put together, they gave off an aura of innocent vulnerability. She looked soft and obedient. "Hi, Serena..." She bit her lip, looking incredibly conflicted. "About what happened a few days ago, I'm so sorry... Are you still mad at us?" I tilted my head. "Mad? Why would I be mad?" She froze, her eyes instantly turning red. "You don't have to pretend. I know everything... It's all my fault. If you're angry, take it out on me, but please don't blame Blair and the others..." Blair Kensington. Before I left the country, she used to follow me around everywhere, sweetly calling my name. I lifted my chin slightly. "Oh? What did I do?" "It's just that you lost control of your emotions when you saw your parents, and it caused a huge misunderstanding..." I blinked, a harmless smile spreading across my lips. Blair couldn't sit still anymore. "Serena Sterling, stop acting! If it wasn't because you were jealous of Carter and Mia and went crying to your daddy, why would..." Perhaps realizing that her parents having to apologize was too humiliating, her voice cut off abruptly. My smile widened. "Why would... what?" "Are you talking about your parents coming to my house with gifts to apologize?" I crossed my arms. "And what does that have to do with Mia? It's just normal networking between high-society families. Have I been out of the country so long that a new 'Jenkins Dynasty' suddenly popped up?" Mia was visibly shaken by the malicious humiliation in my words. She instinctively took a step back, tears welling in her eyes. "How could you be so mean?!" "Right." As if suddenly remembering something, I placed my phone softly on the desk and slowly stood up. "There is one thing... you actually do need to apologize to me for." 06 The moment I spoke, Blair angrily interjected: "Mia is a wonderful person! It makes perfect sense for Carter to like her. They love each other! Why should she apologize to you?!" "Do you think Carter is obligated to only like you for the rest of his life? When he was with you, it was just a dark mistake in his life!" I didn't get mad. I just narrowed my eyes and smiled. "Blair, didn't you use to say that Carter was madly in love with me? That I was beautiful and kind, and we were a match made in heaven?" Seeing her choke on her words, I shifted gears, feigning confusion. "And why do you guys assume Mia owes me an apology because of some romantic drama?" I took a step closer to Mia, my smile never wavering, but my hand shot out and violently grabbed the necklace around her neck. She lost her balance and almost crashed to the floor, her eyes wide with shock. "Miss Jenkins. Why is my necklace around your neck?" Mia's eyes darted around in a panic, but she kept up the lie. "Don't falsely accuse me! This is my necklace! My mom gave it to me for my birthday!" At that, my smile finally cooled into something mocking. I didn't loosen my grip. "My necklace sits in your house for a few days, and suddenly it belongs to you?" I pulled harder, and large teardrops began spilling from her eyes. The entire classroom fell dead silent. After a long moment, someone tried to step forward, but I stopped them dead in their tracks with an icy glare. "My family is cleaning up a thieving servant. Does this involve any of you?" My tone was freezing. I turned my attention back to the sobbing girl in front of me. "Miss Jenkins, are you going to take it off yourself, or do you need my help?" 07 Mia cried until her face was flushed red. I didn't lessen my grip. My dark eyes stared right through her. "Serena, is this really necessary?! Even if Mia accidentally took it, you have so much jewelry! Do you really care about one necklace?!" Blair didn't dare step closer, but she couldn't resist running her mouth. "What a joke. She dirties my belongings, and I'm supposed to be the bigger person? Where is the logic in that?" I scoffed disdainfully, looking lazily at Mia. "Do I need to pull the security footage from my estate?" Looking as if she had suffered the ultimate humiliation, Mia clenched her fists. Her snow-white neck bore a red mark from where I had pulled the chain. "I'll take it off! But Miss Sterling, humiliating me like this is going too far!" I released my grip. She yanked the necklace off and shoved it toward me. Hiding deep resentment and indignation beneath her teary eyes, she wiped her face and quickly ran back to Blair's side. Blair patted her back, comforting her in a low voice. "It's okay, we all believe you. When Carter gets back, he'll definitely help you." They thought they were whispering, but they deliberately made sure I heard. I let out a light snort. "Great. I can't wait to see how he helps." Did she really think I wouldn't crush him? With that, I casually tossed the necklace to my quiet deskmate, who was watching me with starry eyes. "It's yours. It's a bit dirty, so throw it away if you don't want it." Then, under the gaze of the entire class, I turned and walked out of that toxic room. 08 A few days later, I finally realized something. My little deskmate wasn't a stranger either. Audrey Collins. Carter's first love. I clicked my tongue. Wow, this class really collected Carter's first love, his ex, and his current girlfriend. While I was still brainwashed by the plot, I had known Audrey's name. Combining that with the memories of the novel, I knew a fair bit about her. She used to be Blair's friend. Coming from an ordinary background, she was only admitted to this elite school because of her top-tier grades. She had secretly harbored a crush on Carter for a long time. When Carter happened to want a distraction, he dated her. But after they got together, Carter acted aloof and emotionally abusive, literally driving an innocent girl to the brink of insanity. When Carter finally dumped her, she begged him for a long time, becoming a laughingstock for Blair and the others. As for her current situation in the class... well, I didn't even need to guess. When Carter was with me, Blair used to whisper poison in my ear, saying Audrey was just a gold digger who wouldn't stop harassing Carter. She always made sure to add: Serena, Carter truly loves you so much! When he was with Audrey, he barely even looked at her. Thinking about it now... I laughed out of sheer anger. I slammed my pen onto the desk, startling Audrey, who was quietly doing practice problems. "What a piece of trash." If you don't like someone, why date them? And then bite them back at the end. I frowned, deeply questioning the plot. How did a classless man like that end up being the male lead? 09 The class was in chaos, but the source of the drama, Carter Hayes, was conveniently absent, attending a National Rowing Championship out of state. This annoyed me immensely. When he returned, Blair couldn't wait to run to him and tattle. Hearing this, Carter raised an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth even twitched upward in a subtle smirk. Knowing the original plot, I knew exactly what he was thinking at a single glance. Carter getting together with Mia was just a ploy to stimulate my return. To him, my hostility toward Mia was just a jealous tactic to win back his affection. It actually inflated his ego. Fine. Let him be arrogant for a minute. I couldn't wait to show him how I was going to ruin him. Ex. Boyfriend. 10 To encourage well-rounded development, the university regularly held talent showcases. In the original plot, this was a minor turning point. According to the story, I would choose to perform my strongest skill: the piano. Coincidentally, Mia also chose the piano. But since I was trained by world-class maestros from a young age, she naturally couldn't compare. During rehearsals, Mia would run away crying after hearing me play. After being chased down by Carter and the others, she would tearfully confess her insecurities. At that time, Carter hadn't realized his feelings for Mia yet, but he felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest. So, he set out to hire my former maestro to teach her. In the end, Mia would stun the audience with her drastically improved skills. She would lose to me by a narrow margin, but win the hearts and support of everyone else. Blair would even throw shade publicly: "A strong, resilient girl like Mia deserves everyone's love. She is sincere and brave. Some people win the competition but lose their integrity, while Mia did the exact opposite." Recalling this, I signed my name on the registration form without hesitation. A narrow margin? What a joke. 11 Everything proceeded exactly as the plot predicted. Except when Carter tried to hire my maestro for Mia, he was flat-out rejected. The reason the maestro gave was: "I said it years ago. Serena will be my very last student." In the original plot, the maestro rejected him the same way, but was somehow moved by Mia's determination later. But naturally, that wouldn't happen this time... The reason? Before all of this, I paid a visit to my beloved mentor. During our casual conversation, I intentionally dropped a few facts. Just the detail about Mia stealing my necklace was enough for the maestro to blacklist her completely. But... I didn't expect this: Carter actually had the audacity to come confront me about it.
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