Chapter 1

I took a campus dining hall job just to save up for the brand-new iPhone 16 my first boyfriend had been begging for.

On my twenty-eighth day on the job, I caught him dropping thousands on his "childhood best friend."

Heartbroken, I trudged back to my dorm, only to be startled by my roommate’s ear-splitting shriek.

"What the hell?! Someone on the campus forum is actually thirsting after the dining hall lady’s Snapchat? That's insane!"

I glanced at her screen, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

The person in the photo—bundled up in a ball cap, dark sunglasses, and a giant mask—

Wasn't that literally me?

"Why is this worker dressed like a walking hazmat suit? Is she hiding from the police or just that hideous?"

Hearing my roommate’s confusion, I forced a bitter, hollow smile.

It all started on my third day working the lunch shift, when my boyfriend, Austin, walked up to the counter.

Right beside him was Chloe, his precious "girl best friend."

The second her eyes met mine, she waved with exaggerated sweetness. "Scarlett!"

She dragged Austin straight to my food station.

"Scarlett, Austin and I grab lunch together all the time, so please don't take it the wrong way."

"Can you pile on extra beef for me? Austin says I'm too skinny and don't feel soft enough when he pinches my cheeks."

Her voice dripped with honey, but every word felt like a poisoned needle aimed straight at my chest.

Just as I was about to snap, Austin shot me a glare so icy it froze the air in my lungs.

He pulled Chloe behind him and chuckled dismissively.

"You've got the wrong person, Chloe. Scarlett would never stoop to working in a dining hall. Besides, look at her..."

"She looks like a total slob."

The pure disgust on his face hit me like a bucket of ice water. I stood there, utterly paralyzed.

Chloe shot me a knowing smirk.

She looped her arm through Austin’s and playfully stuck her tongue out.

"Oops, my bad! Scarlett has way too much class to look like a dirty lunch lady."

Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, I choked out, "If you're not ordering, move aside. There’s a line."

My voice shook uncontrollably.

Chloe rolled her eyes at me. "God, you're so dramatic. Why are you crying over two words?"

"Total mood killer. Austin, let's just eat off-campus!"

Watching their retreating backs, I felt like a vital piece of my heart had been torn right out of my chest.

When my shift finally ended, Austin cornered me by the dark walkway near the dorms.

The moment he opened his mouth, his face was twisted with irritation.

"Can't you at least put on some makeup before stepping outside? You never looked this homeless before we started dating!"

"It's embarrassing having people know you're my girlfriend!"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice cracked.

"Austin, you were the one who chased me! You told me you fell for my soul, not just my looks..."

He stared at me like I was an alien, then let out a scoff. "I was just saying what you wanted to hear. Did you actually buy that?"

"Honestly? I liked you way better when the semester first started."

The boy standing in front of me felt like a complete stranger.

He used to be so different.

During Freshman Orientation Week, wanting to leave a good impression for future scholarship opportunities, I made sure to dress nicely and do my makeup every single morning.

A week later, Austin managed to get my number.

He started bombarding me with sweet texts, showing up after my classes with iced lattes and pastries.

Having zero dating experience, his overwhelming pursuit threw me into complete panic.

To avoid awkwardness, I kept my distance and turned him down repeatedly.

Until the evening I ran into him near the campus alley where I regularly fed stray cats.

He was gently lifting a small kitten with a splint tied to its hind leg out of a pet carrier, placing it tenderly on the grass.

Having rescued strays for years, I could tell in an instant that the poor creature had been abused.

Instinctively, I rushed over. "Did you save him?"

He turned around, momentarily startled, his cheeks turning red as he ruffled his hair nervously.

"I just patched him up at the clinic, but... I don't have enough money for his actual surgery."

Seeing the spark fade from his eyes struck a deep chord inside me.