chapter 1: THE CONFESSION THAT RUINED EVERYTHING

The air smelled of chalk dust and perfume—Zhou Qian's perfume.

Liang Yuxin stood at the edge of the rooftop, her heart pounding louder than the wind rushing past her ears. She clutched a small folded note in her hand, her confession note. Her handwriting was neat, almost trembling on the edges, like her soul had seeped into every stroke.

She had spent days writing it.

Weeks deciding to give it.

Months falling in love with Chen Jiahao—the class monitor with a perfect smile and a cruel streak hidden behind it.

Zhou Qian had encouraged her. Best friends since childhood, they had laughed over late-night texts and argued about lipstick shades and test scores. Zhou Qian promised to support her. "You have nothing to lose, Yuxin. I’ll be right behind you."

So, Yuxin waited behind the old oak tree near the sports hall. Her palms were sweaty. Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest. She’d imagined this moment countless times—confessing under the golden rays of sunset, her words soft but brave.

But reality shattered that day.

Chen Jiahao walked toward her with a half-smile, and Zhou Qian was beside him—not behind Yuxin like she said. In front of her. Holding Jiahao’s hand.

The first slap wasn’t physical. It was his words.

"You like me? Seriously? Was this your idea, Qian?"

"Yeah, she really believed it." Zhou Qian giggled. Giggled. "We dared her to do it. I didn’t think she’d actually write the letter."

Laughter. From their friends, from strangers passing by. Even the trees felt like they were mocking her with every rustling leaf.

Yuxin’s fingers crushed the letter into a crumpled ball.

Her throat went dry. Her eyes burned. She didn’t cry—she couldn’t. Instead, she stood there, watching her whole world collapse like a glass vase hitting concrete.

"Did you really think a guy like me would go out with a girl like you?" Jiahao chuckled. "You're so boring, Yuxin. Pathetic, really."

And Zhou Qian…

She didn’t look guilty. Just… smug. Beautiful and smug, holding onto Jiahao like a trophy.

"It was just a joke," Zhou Qian said, like that would erase the knife she had driven into Yuxin’s back.

That night, Liang Yuxin didn’t sleep.

She stared at the ceiling, the fan blades slicing the silence like they could cut through her thoughts. Her phone buzzed once. A message from Zhou Qian.

[Sorry if it went too far. But now you know he’s not into you, right?]

She didn’t reply.

Instead, she deleted every picture of them together. Every text, every laugh they’d ever shared. And when she looked in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the girl staring back.

She whispered something to her reflection.

"I won’t cry over them. I won’t be the victim."

A slow smile spread across her lips—cold, unreadable.

"I’ll make them pay."

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