Chapter 3

The Instagram post quickly caused a stir.

The next day, as soon as I got to school, my wrist was violently grabbed.

Julian dragged me into a deserted corner behind the science building. His face was dark enough to kill.

"I don't like other people touching things I gave you. Do you understand?" He pinned me against the wall, his eyes predatory.

I immediately played the terrified victim, tears pooling in my eyes.

"No, it's not what you think!" I sobbed, explaining that the jacket had just been washed and left out, and my sister had taken it without asking. I said she was just young and loved to show off, begging him not to be angry.

My submission and terror deeply satisfied Julian's sick need for control.

His expression softened slightly, and he ran a hand through my hair.

"Keep an eye on your sister next time."

I nodded quickly. Taking the opportunity, I "carelessly" dropped a hint.

"Chloe... she's just spoiled by our parents. She’s loved stealing my things since we were kids."

"Yesterday she even asked me if you were really that nice to me. She said she’d never met a guy as handsome and classy as you."

I watched Julian's expression closely as I spoke.

As expected, a flash of smug satisfaction crossed his eyes.

No man can resist the adoration of a beautiful girl, especially an arrogant psychopath like Julian.

And Chloe was gorgeous, popular, and always surrounded by guys at school.

Conquering her would satisfy his vanity far more than conquering a plain "Cinderella" like me.

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Your sister... has good taste."

From that day on, Chloe began her move.

She always managed to "coincidentally" cross paths with Julian.

Sometimes she was buying coffee at the campus cafe, other times she was checking out books in the library.

She would hold up my photo and ask passing students: "Have you guys seen my sister? Her boyfriend is looking for her."

Every time, she was dressed to perfection—innocent yet alluring.

And I would always "coincidentally" show up right during these encounters.

Then, I would play the jealous, angry girlfriend.

"Chloe! What are you doing here again?!" I would yell, drawing a crowd.

"Elena, I was just trying to help you find Julian," she would blink innocently. "Why are you so petty? You get mad just because I say a word to him."

Our public arguments made this "love triangle" look incredibly real.

On the school forum, threads about the three of us spread like wildfire.

[Drama! Golden boy Julian Vance caught in a sister showdown!]

[Honestly, Chloe is a much better match. Elena is so dramatic and always looks miserable.]

[Agreed! Chloe is hot and fun. Who wouldn't prefer her?]

Public opinion completely sided with Chloe.

And my parents' attitude began to change too. They stopped yelling at me and switched to a more disgusting form of emotional manipulation.

"Chloe is so sweet, trying to help you keep your relationship. And look at you, always throwing tantrums," Mom said at dinner, deliberately avoiding putting food on my plate.

"Julian’s family is so wealthy. You better cherish him and stop acting like a spoiled brat before you drive him away."

"Exactly. Don't think you're special just because you have a boyfriend," Dad set his fork down, his voice stern. "He has great prospects. You should be more open-minded and let your sister hang out with you guys to see the world."

Their words became more and more shameless, constantly hinting that I wasn't good enough for Julian and should step aside.

On the outside, I wept as if my heart was breaking, but inside, I was laughing.

Everything was going exactly according to my script.

A week later, my greedy mother finally couldn't sit still anymore.

She suggested hosting a dinner party at our house over the weekend to "officially" meet Julian.

She said, "You can't keep hiding your boyfriend. Your family needs to check him out for you."

I knew very well that the star of this "evaluation" wouldn't be me.

It would be Chloe.

Oh, I had been looking forward to this dinner for a very long time.