The big three campus heartthrobs were currently putting a notorious "cheater" on blast on the student forum—a girl who had supposedly been two-timing all three of them simultaneously. I was sitting in the dining hall, casually sipping my iced latte and enjoying the spectacle, when a stream of glowing, transparent bullet comments suddenly began floating right across my field of vision. [The female lead is so delightfully real! Who else would think to steal her three childhood besties’ forum accounts just to prank her annoying roommate?] [I mean, yeah, the roommate ends up getting expelled later when things blow out of proportion, but it’s not like Ivy did it on purpose!] [Whatever, let Ivy baby have her fun for now! In a few weeks, when she realizes all three of her childhood friends fell in love with the roommate at first sight, she’s going to cry her eyes out.] [Can you blame them? It’s a classic angst-fest novel. The guys are going to suffer so bad during the groveling arc later. At least the roommate didn't give them the time of day, so our girl’s men are still totally pure.] The very "Ivy baby" those comments were crying over was currently standing right in front of me, thrusting her phone directly into my face. "Shirley," Ivy sneered, her voice dripping with artificial outrage. "This shameless slut on the forum... it's you, isn't it?" On her phone screen was a collage: three ridiculously handsome male faces surrounding a single, candid photo of a girl from behind. I blinked, contemplating my options for a brief second. I’d always considered myself a quiet, law-abiding student. But if three literal golden retrievers—or rather, three well-trained attack dogs—were walking right up to my porch, it would be a shame not to break out the leash. 01 Ivy had intentionally raised her voice. It was peak lunch hour, and half the dining hall paused, their eyes swiveling toward our table. Meeting Ivy’s malice-filled glare, I kept my expression entirely placid. "It’s a picture of the back of someone's head, Ivy. What on earth makes you so sure it's me?" I paused, letting a cool smile touch my lips. "Unless, of course, your own conscience is dirty, and you're just trying to frame me first." [Ivy is just young and mischievous, she doesn't actually mean any harm to her roommate!] [Right? She only posted a blurry side-profile photo later on! If people recognized the roommate, it’s only because the girl dresses way too flashily.] [Ivy was so heartbroken when the three male leads scolded her for this the first time... Poor baby.] Ivy offered me a triumphant, nasty little grin. "Oh, so you think the back of your head isn't enough proof? Fine. I’ll just have the three of them post the slut’s full-face photo right now, and we'll see who the real shameless liar is!" Sensing immediate drama, the surrounding crowd started hooting, chanting for her to do it. Under the table, my hands clenched into tight fists. A flash of annoyance washed over me. I shouldn't have let those stupid floating text boxes rile me up into calling Ivy out without a backup plan. If I stood up right now and accidentally "knocked" her phone out of her hand, would it look too deliberate? 02 I had barely shifted my weight to stand when I froze, settling right back into my seat. [Wait, what’s happening?! Why did the guys change all their account passwords? Ivy can't log in!] I leaned back, resting my chin on my palm as I watched her with cool amusement. "Well? What's the hold-up, Ivy? Did the thief get cold feet?" Ivy shot me a furious glare, snapping her head away as she pulled up her contacts. She dialed the first number. Hung up. She swallowed hard, forcing a bright, strained smile toward the crowd. "He's... probably just in a lecture." Second call. Hung up. Third call. Declined instantly. The color slowly drained from her face. She glared at me with pure hatred, her shoulders tense as she turned awkwardly to make a quick exit. Suddenly, a guy at the adjacent table shouted, "Holy crap, who’s got fingers that fast?! Someone just posted a video of this whole cafeteria confrontation on the forum!" Within two minutes, the campus forum exploded. Ivy had spent her entire freshman year broadcasting the fact that she grew up with the university’s top three golden boys—Matt, Denis, and Conrad. Because of that established narrative, the angry pitchforks on the thread immediately swung toward me. Seeing the tide turn, Ivy stopped retreating. She sauntered back, taking her seat with an air of delicate, high-nosed disgust. "Looks like everyone else can see right through you," she said, crossing her arms. "Girls who rely on a pretty face never know how to stay in line. I know you come from some backward, dirt-poor town in the middle of nowhere, Shirley, but being broke doesn't give you an excuse to be a two-timing parasite." She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a faux-sympathetic purr. "If you’re really that desperate for cash, I know plenty of wealthy older gentlemen. Sure, they’re a bit up there in age, but they know how to take care of a young girl." A few gullible bystanders in the cafeteria began snickering, whispering and pointing at me. The commentary grew uglier by the second. Ivy sat back like a prize-winning rooster, her chin tilted high. I glanced down at my phone screen, which had just lit up with a notification. Moments ago, the three private messages I’d dispatched through the forum's back-end system had received their replies. 03 I held my phone up, flashing the screen toward Ivy. "Maybe you should take a look at the forum again," I said softly, "before you start drafting your apology to me." Ivy gave a dismissive scoff, scanning her own screen with casual disdain. In a fraction of a second, her smug expression shattered into pure, unadulterated shock. The screech that tore from her throat nearly cracked the dining hall windows. "That's impossible!" The original thread outing the "cheater" had been wiped clean. In its place were three identical, newly pinned posts from the university’s three most elite accounts: [The previous post was the result of a lost dare. Please do not harass or speculate about innocent students. I offer my sincere apologies to Shirley Walsh for dragging her into this mess.] Ivy’s face turned an ugly shade of bruised purple. She scraped her chair back, desperate to flee. I moved faster. Before she could take a step, my hand came down firmly on her shoulder, pinning her in place. "For the slander you just spewed in front of everyone," I said, my voice quiet and absolute, "I want a public apology. Right now. Otherwise, I’m taking this straight to the board." Ivy shoved my hand off, her voice shrill. "I was making a reasonable assumption! What slander? You think this is primary school where you can run crying to the Dean? Go ahead and snitch! See if anyone actually gives a damn about you!" Our two other roommates, who hadn't uttered a single word during the entire spectacle, crept over only after Ivy had stormed off. They offered me timid, guilty apologies for not backing me up, followed by well-meaning advice. "It's just an apology, Shirley... let it go," one of them whispered softly. "Kids like us, from normal families... we can't afford to mess with people like Ivy." 04 Matt was the first one to corner me. He posted up right at the classroom doorway after my afternoon lecture. Recognizing the high-profile heir to the Harrington Logistics empire, the rest of the students hurriedly scattered like frightened quail. Before I could reach the exit, Ivy pushed past me, throwing herself in front of Matt. Her voice instantly shifted into a sickeningly sweet whine. "Matt... You said you were busy today! How come you had time to come pick me up?" Without waiting for his response, she pouted, tugging at his jacket. "You didn't pick up my calls yesterday and made me look so foolish! Hmph. I’m not talking to you anymore." I reached out, coldly brushing Ivy aside. "Excuse me. You're blocking the door." Ivy flinched as if I’d struck her, instinctively reaching out to wrap her arm around Matt’s to assert her dominance. Matt, however, flicked a glance at me—and stepped back. Ivy’s hand caught empty air. Ignoring the subtle dynamic, I took a step forward to leave. Matt immediately raised an arm, blocking my path, before turning his head toward Ivy. "I need to talk to Shirley about something," Matt said, his voice flat. "Go find Denis." Ivy’s smile completely collapsed. Then, as if realizing something, she cast a triumphant, knowing look in my direction, her tone instantly dripping with theatrical concern. "Oh, Matt... it's totally fine! Just make sure you talk things through with Shirley gently, okay? Don't be too mean and scare her." [Ugh, even though Matt hasn't realized his true feelings yet and still treats Ivy like a little sister, he was ALWAYS the first to jump into the ring whenever anyone made Ivy feel bad!] [Matt might be obsessed with the roommate's face right now, but Ivy is the one who actually holds his heart. The roommate made Ivy lose face—Matt is definitely going to make her pay!] 05 It was almost hilarious how wildly delusional both Ivy and those floating text boxes were. Matt hadn't come to intimidate me. He had come to apologize on Ivy’s behalf. I let out a low, cold laugh. "Don't bother. Whoever commits the crime makes the apology." Before Matt could even respond, the floating text stream exploded in righteous fury. [Matt is literally lowering himself to apologize to her, and she’s still giving him attitude?! Who does this background extra think she is!] [So naive! Ivy literally saved Matt’s life when they were kids! She's his soul savior, not some random stray you can compare her to!] God, reading those comments was giving me an aneurysm. Were the people behind those texts clinically brain-dead? Glaring at Matt with newfound irritation, I stepped around his arm and tried to push past him. His fingers clamped firmly around my wrist. "If you don't want to hear an apology for her," Matt said quietly, his grip firm but careful, "then I won't mention it." He smoothly shifted the topic, his dark eyes searching mine. "What did you mean by that message you sent my forum account yesterday?" The message I’d sent to all three of Ivy's golden boys had been identical: [This is Shirley Walsh. If you don't want your secrets leaked, delete the post.] I raised my eyebrow, holding out my hands. "If I hadn't sent that, would any of you have shown up?" Matt lifted a brow. "Any of us?" To be fair, my interaction with the trio was practically non-existent. Aside from a polite nod when they dropped Ivy off at our dorm on move-in day, we were complete strangers. "You three framed me for two-timing the three of you online," I said smoothly. "All three of you had a hand in it. Naturally, I had to notify the whole set." Matt pressed two fingers to his temple, letting out a heavy sigh. He admitted the whole ordeal was a massive misunderstanding, though he couldn't elaborate on the details. He asked me to withdraw the threats I’d sent to Denis and Conrad, promising he would personally compensate me for any damages. Looking at his deadly serious expression, I tilted my head. Suddenly, I changed my mind. Forcing a public apology out of a girl like Ivy was amateur hour. Watching her precious childhood protectors turn into my personal playthings? Now "that" sounded like a much more exquisite punishment. "Fine," I agreed easily. Matt’s shoulders visibly dropped in relief. "What do you want as compensation?" I raised a finger, crooking it toward him with a playful, dangerous smirk. "Simple. You can be my dog." 06 The floating comment section broke into a storm of question marks. [What is wrong with this NPC roommate?! How dare she insult Matt like that? Does she want to get expelled?!] [Wait... is it an insult? Why does it sound so much like flirty banter?] [Isn't the roommate supposed to be completely indifferent to the male leads?!] [She dares touch Ivy’s man?! I’m going to crawl through the screen and murder her!] [Oh my god, Ivy is watching from around the corner right now... I can't bear to imagine how heartbroken she is!] I flicked a subtle glance toward the stairwell landing. Sure enough, a small shadow was ducking behind the wall. I let out a soft hum, stepping closer to Matt, closing the distance until our clothes almost touched. "What? Unwilling?" Matt froze for a beat. Then, his lips curved into a slow, dazzling grin, showing off a row of straight, bright white teeth. "Deal," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "I’m all yours." After exchanging contacts, a banking notification chimed on my phone. Matt had just transferred an eye-watering sum into my account. I spun the screen toward him. "If this is compensation on Ivy's behalf, I’m sending it back. If it's a voluntary gift to your master... I’ll keep it." Matt hesitated for a second. Then he reached out, his thumb gently pressing the 'Accept' button on my screen. As he walked me back to my residence hall, the reality of those floating comments hit me: Matt really "had" fallen for me at first sight. Or, more accurately, he was entirely entranced by my face. For half the walk, his eyes barely left my profile. Near the dorm entrance, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID, looking back at me with a conflicted expression. "Go ahead," I said, entirely magnanimous. "If it's urgent, don't let me keep you." Once Matt turned and hurried away, I walked over to a nearby stone planter and sat on the concrete ledge. Looking up at the dense oak tree nearby, I called out toward the branches. "If you don't come down right now, I'm going inside." 07 Denis stepped out from behind the trunk of a massive oak. Unbothered by the dirt, he walked over and slid onto the stone ledge right beside me, completely at ease. He looked at me with open curiosity. "How’d you catch me?" I glanced vaguely up at the sky. "Because I have cheat codes, obviously." I turned my head, meeting a pair of bedroom eyes that could make a stray dog feel like the love of his life. Among campus rumors regarding the elite trio, Denis’s were the most colorful. Ivy was insanely possessive of her three childhood friends. Being a year ahead of us, Denis’s playboy reputation had been a frequent topic of gossip among my former roommates. Ivy would always throw icy, passive-aggressive remarks whenever his name came up, forcing the girls to gossip behind her back instead. And Denis was the undisputed star of those rumors. Whether it was his jawline or his trust fund, girls threw themselves at him in waves. Though he rejected them all, he never said a harsh word, leaving a trail of broken hearts convinced they still had a chance. Up close, I had to admit: the guy certainly had the capital to be a menace. [Even if Denis struts around campus like a flashy peacock every day, the roommate hasn't given him a single glance!] [Ivy is still the sweetest girl. She’s always complimenting him, giving him confidence!] I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Ivy? Giving "Denis" confidence? Careful, or his ego might actually burst through the stratosphere. Denis stared at me, his gaze so heavy it practically felt liquid. "I’m guessing Matt came to apologize for Ivy." I gestured for him to continue. "Don't let Matt's dark, brooding act fool you," Denis murmured, leaning in slightly. "Deep down, the guy is indecisive as hell. You can't rely on him to back you up. Next time you and Ivy clash, he's going to swing right back into his conflicted little shell." He flashed a breathtaking, dimpled smile. "So... why not give me a shot instead?" 08 I shifted an inch away, creating some space as I looked at him with exaggerated suspicion. "Aren't you and Ivy childhood sweethearts too? What makes you think you're any different from Matt?" Denis looked as if I’d just told the funniest joke in the world, leaning back and throwing his head back in laughter. When he finally sobered up, his eyes darkened. "I only gave a damn about Ivy in the beginning because Matt gave a damn about her." Matt had been the golden standard pushed onto their peer group since childhood. Deep down, Denis carried a petty, competitive itch he could never quite scratch. Whatever Matt wanted, Denis wanted to steal. "Later on," Denis added casually, "taking care of her just became a habit." I hit him with a sharp question. "Are you sure this isn't just your pathetic rivalry with Matt acting up again?" Denis reached out, framing my jaw with his warm fingers to force me to look directly into his eyes. "Even if it started with falling for a pretty face," he purred, "I was the one who walked into your dorm room first that day. And today, I beat Matt to you." I remained noncommittal. Panicking slightly at my cold response, Denis added hastily, "At least there's one thing I have over Matt." I stopped shaking my head against his grip, posing as an attentive listener. "Oh?" "Between a girlfriend and a childhood friend," he whispered, his eyes gleaming, "the girlfriend comes first. Every single time." Words were cheap, of course. "If you can get Ivy to publicly apologize to me," I murmured, "I'll think about it." Denis looked like he’d just won the lottery. Meanwhile, the floating text comments were losing their collective minds. [The plot has derailed so hard I can't even watch this anymore! I'm dropping this book!] [If Denis actually forces Ivy to apologize, he is officially REVOKED from the male lead lineup! He can forget about ever winning her back in the groveling arc!] [Ivy was right all along! This roommate is nothing but a calculating, manipulative snake!] [Can a bolt of lightning just strike this woman dead already?!] Denis asked for three days. Naturally, I agreed. It wasn't that I lacked the means to make Ivy apologize myself. But watching her beloved, precious childhood "brother" force her onto her knees to apologize to me? That sounded infinitely more entertaining. 09 The moment I stepped through my dormitory door, my instincts screamed danger. I ducked instinctively, covering my head. A heavy glass mug slammed into the doorframe behind me, shattering violently. Sharp shards rained down, slicing across my exposed calves. Thin lines of bright red blood welled up instantly. Having missed her target, Ivy grabbed a heavy hardback textbook from her desk, ready to hurl it at my head. In two quick strides, I closed the gap and grabbed her wrist, twisting it sharply upward. Ivy let out a shrill scream of pain. Tears spilled from her red-rimmed eyes as she glared at me with wild hatred. "You bitch! You shameless whore! How dare you try to seduce Matt?!" [Ugh! My heart breaks for Ivy! Seeing both Matt and Denis getting close to the roommate made her realize she actually loves them!] [She called both of them crying, but in her desperation, when she confessed... Matt told her he only ever saw her as a little sister, and Denis literally told her she was delusional!] Ivy was burning with rage, so naturally, I decided to pour gasoline on the fire. "You really ought to thank yourself, Ivy," I purred, leaning down to her ear. "If you hadn't pulled that stunt on the forum, I wouldn't have had the chance to get so close to them." Ivy bit her lip until it almost bled. "Matt’s life belongs to me! One word from me, and he'll see you for the trash you really are!" "Go ahead then," I smiled coldly. "I'll be waiting." I pulled out my chair and sat down, completely ignoring her meltdown. Our two roommates hurried over with a broom, intending to clean up the shattered glass around my feet. I immediately reached out, blocking them. "Whoever broke it cleans it up," I said firmly. Ivy crossed her arms, finally finding a point of leverage to sneer at me. "I’m not a dirt-poor peasant like you, Shirley. Money solves everything. I'll pay you two two hundred dollars each to sweep this up." Though the two roommates were usually terrified of crossing Ivy, everyone has a breaking point. Faced with such blatant, arrogant humiliation, both girls set their brooms down and walked away. In the end, a girl from down the hall filed a noise complaint with the resident advisor. Ivy was forced to bend her precious, spoiled waist and clean up every single piece of glass under the RA's stern supervision. I kicked my legs up, enjoying the view of the "heiress" doing manual labor, while taking a crisp, high-res photo of the blood dripping down my calf. I posted it to my close-friends story on social media. Targeted audience: Conrad—and Conrad only.
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