Declan posted a video of me, fresh from the shower in just a towel, to a group chat. It was a chat filled with all the rich kids who’d ever tried to hit on me. And Declan, of course, was the prettiest of them all. [Damn, Dec. What’s the Ice Queen really like? Give us a taste.] [He’s taking one for the team. Seducing the valedictorian to get revenge for Chloe.] [Cold-blooded, man. Telling her he has cancer right before finals. I saw her in the hall, her eyes were all red.] [Break up with her right after the exams.] I heard Declan send a voice memo. His tone was lazy, bored—nothing like the weak, pitiful act he used with me. I’d been skipping class, running to the hospital, my grades plummeting. He’d be lying there, looking pale and perfect, holding a faked hospital report. "Elara," he’d whisper, his eyes full of "love," "I’m so sorry. I’m dragging you down. Stop spending money on me." He knew I was broke. He was waiting for me to give up. Instead, I pulled out another $30,000 for his "treatment." A new message popped up in the chat. [That bastard! He's just a pretty face! Why would Elara fall for him?!] [She sold her condo for him! It was the only thing her mom left her!] [Liam, did you ever tell her the truth?!] [OH MY GOD, YOU IDIOT! DECLAN IS IN THIS CHAT! DELETE THAT! DELETE IT!] The messages vanished, one by one. On the hospital bed, Declan’s face went as white as the sheets. 1. School was never hard. I’ve been top of my class my whole life. I also got my mother’s looks. Aside from being broke, I was the perfect package. When I was in middle school, my mother married a tech mogul. She left me a debit card and a forwarding address. "Don’t contact me," she said. "I’ll send money once a year." She was telling her new world she was single, and I was a loose end. I just took the card. I told everyone I was an orphan. I was born with a low emotional frequency. My mother didn’t like me. She wanted a daughter who would call her "Mommy," even if it was a stepdaughter. Her Instagram was soon full of a girl named Chloe—the mogul’s daughter. In every picture, Mom was hugging her, and Chloe was forcing a pouty, miserable smile. It was the first time someone else's fake smile had ever bothered me. My life was boring. My only hobby was finding people who could make me feel something. So I cashed in some bonds my grandmother left me, bought a small condo in the district for Greenwood High, and enrolled. 2. Just as I suspected, Chloe hated me on sight. She and her little clique made my life hell. I ignored it. Then, the week before district midterms, I stopped going to school. Greenwood High has been living in the shadow of Northwood High for years. My test scores were their only hope of winning. When my homeroom teacher called, I put a tremor in my voice. "Ms. Allen? I was wondering… could I transfer classes?" "Transfer?" She heard the "problem" immediately. "Elara, is someone bothering you? You can tell me." "No," I whispered. "It's just... I don't think I fit in." I hung up, my face smoothing back to its usual calm. I've never been a good person. I just believe in payback. Two days later, I was called back to the school. Ms. Allen had spent a whole day reviewing security footage. She found two months' worth of Chloe pushing, tripping, and harassing me. It went straight to the principal. Chloe had to give a tearful, sobbing apology during the morning announcements. She was humiliated. And she hated me for it. "It's all her fault!" I heard her screeching to a guy outside a coffee shop. "If she wasn't some stupid genius, the teachers wouldn't protect her!" "Liam! Are you going to help me or not?!" The guy, tall and handsome, pulled her into a hug. "Shh, stop crying. Declan and I will take care of it." "How?" "We'll get someone to rough her up, take some pictures, and post them. Let's see how 'high and mighty' she is then." The guy, Liam, laughed. "She’s just some poor-kid overachiever. Don't worry, Chloe. We'll teach her a lesson. We'll have her on her knees, licking your shoes." 3. Suddenly, my boring life was fascinating. A lot of very rich, very good-looking guys started trying to be my "friend." "Elara, I know this great Michelin-star spot. Let me take you," Liam said, leaning against my locker. He was tall, maybe 6'1", with the easy charm of a professional player. He was Chloe's cousin. He was very public about his "crush." Since he was the only guy I ever bothered to reply to, the whole school thought we were dating. My teacher, Ms. Allen, called us both into her office. Liam’s homeroom teacher was there, looking furious. "Liam, you need to focus on your own work," he snapped. "Your grades are terrible. Stop distracting other students. And your father and I agree, this 'art' thing isn't a career. Your portfolio is a mess." Liam’s hands clenched. His teacher kept going. "Just leave Elara alone. You're dragging her down." "He's not," I said. The room went silent. "He's not a distraction," I said, my voice flat. "I'll still be number one." 4. Liam's pursuit was... basic. He sent bags I didn't want and offered money. If he'd been after my mother, it would've worked. I'd seen her fall for it a dozen times. I finally told him, "Your grades are too low." "Ouch," he said. "Not all of us are geniuses, Elara." "But your art is good," I said. He froze. The lazy smile dropped. "You... you think so? My teachers say I'm just messing around." "I don't." He started complaining, telling me his family wanted to send him abroad, that they hated his painting. I cut him off. "I have to go home." A real player would know: never show your weakness to a girl who isn't in love with you. "Elara, wait. Do you... want me to teach you?" Liam's eyes were his best feature—dark, heavy-lidded, a professional heartbreaker's eyes. I like beautiful things. "Your eyes are beautiful," I said, smiling. "Teach me to draw your eyes." He blushed. His hand actually trembled. He was still just a teenager. I looked at his drawing, then at my own pathetic attempt. "I guess I have no talent." "You're... really cute, Elara," he stammered. I put the brush down. "It's dirty. I don't like things that are dirty. Men included." His face paled. He looked at my eyes, then at his new drawing. He had sketched my eyes. Calm, empty, and totally devoid of love. He left in a hurry. I saw Chloe watching from the end of the hall, her eyes full of venom. Liam's "precious" paintbrush was on the floor. I picked it up and dropped it in the trash. Time for the next one.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "385887", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel