Chapter 5

Seeing me sit on the edge of the bed without a word, she leaned in, her voice all sugar and spite.

"I'm not the one who exposed you for falsely claiming financial aid, Bridget. So why are you always giving me that attitude? Here—my number-one fan bought me this mille-feuille. I'll cut you a slice."

"No thanks."

My reply came out flat and cold.

"Tch, don't bother pretending you're too good for it. Look at the state of you now. Everyone's dragging your name through the mud, treating you like a rat in the gutter. I'm the only one who still bothers with you."

She rolled her eyes and turned to go.

In that instant, all the rage I'd swallowed over the past few weeks erupted.

I grabbed a fistful of Celeste's shirt.

"Don't think I don't know what you and Ezra have been scheming behind my back."

"The only reason my name's being dragged through the mud is because of you, isn't it?"

Celeste shrieked, spun around, and slapped me hard across the face.

"You're skinny as a skeleton, and the way you eat is enough to make anyone lose their appetite. No wonder Ezra can't stand you!"

"There was only one aid slot to go around, and my mukbang career was worth a hell of a lot more than you!"

I wasn't about to back down, and I slapped her right back.

But as we grappled, a dull pain suddenly twisted through my stomach.

The gastritis had flared up again.

And this time, it was worse than ever.

All at once, my strength drained away.

Celeste shoved me to the floor and started hitting me.

The other roommates couldn't pull her off, so they just called Ezra.

He got there fast, kicked the dorm door open, and forcefully shoved me out of the way.

Celeste quickly teared up.

"Ezra…"

"Don't say a word."

His eyes brimmed with concern for her.

"Ezra…"

Gritting my teeth, I called his name with everything I had left.

"Take me to the hospital… please…"

Hearing my voice, Ezra shot me a look of disgust.

"Bridget, drop the act. Your roommates already told me you swung first. You had this coming."

With that, he scooped Celeste into his arms and walked out with her without another word.

My fingers slowly loosened around the hem of my shirt.

Just before I lost consciousness, a single tear rolled down my cheek.

My last thought before everything went black was simple— Ezra, I hate you.

The sharp stomach pain radiated through my entire body. The world spun, and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw the snow-white ceiling of a hospital.

I was in the cheapest eight-bed ward, with no one at my side.

I pulled out my phone. Ezra's messages came one after another.

I didn't tap into a single one. Instead, I opened the school forum and started a livestream.

The stream was titled: 【I'm the one behind the whole financial-aid scandal. Yeah, I stole it. So what.】