Chapter 4

The news of Serena and me getting together spread even faster and wider than my breakup with Chloe.

The entire campus was buzzing.

"Oh my god, did Alex lose his mind? Dumping Chloe just to mess with Serena?"

"Does he think Serena is some sweet-tempered girl like Chloe? Just wait, he'll be driven to a mental breakdown in less than three days."

"I bet a week, he'll come crawling back to Chloe, looking completely defeated."

I became the talk of the campus, everyone waiting to see the spectacle of my downfall.

And Chloe, whom I had so cruelly dumped, finally broke down after hearing the news.

She rushed into my classroom, her eyes red and swollen, and confronted me in front of everyone.

"Alex! What exactly do you think you're doing?!"

She pointed at me, her voice filled with the pain and fury of betrayal.

"You broke up with me just to be with her? Don't you know what kind of person Serena is? Why are you degrading yourself like this?!"

Before I could reply, Ryan immediately stepped forward, looking deeply distressed.

"Chloe, don't get so worked up." He stood in front of Chloe, but turned to me with fake concern. "Alex, how could you be so foolish!"

"You're throwing away a perfectly good Chloe for some Serena. That kind of woman, what makes her worth it?!"

"As your friend, even if you think I'm meddling, I have to knock some sense into you!"

He stood on his moral high horse, lecturing me righteously, as if he genuinely cared.

The surrounding students also started to whisper.

"Ryan's right, Alex, wake up!"

"Chloe was so good to you, don't be an idiot."

I watched the ridiculous drama unfolding before me, finding it laughable.

"Chloe, you're old news. Why can't I start a new life?"

Then I turned to Ryan, my eyes filled with scorn. "And you, Ryan, aren't you being a bit too nosy?"

Ryan's face went completely pale. He probably hadn't expected me to publicly disrespect him like that.

Chloe was trembling with anger, tears welling in her eyes, biting her lip, unable to utter a single word.

Suddenly, a female voice cut through the tension.

"Since when did you all get to lecture my boyfriend?"

Serena leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a knowing, almost taunting smirk playing on her lips as she looked at everyone.

She slowly walked over to me, casually linked her arm through mine, her fingertips squeezing slightly.

Her gaze landed on Chloe, and her words were a sweetly venomous taunt.

"Chloe, there's no shame in losing to me."

"After all, whether it's family background, looks, or..." She paused, her eyes sweeping over me. "Your taste in men, you're far behind. Maybe you should go look in a mirror and ask yourself why you got dumped."

Chloe's face turned ashen with humiliation. She shot me a furious glare, then turned and ran out.

At that moment, I noticed Ryan's gaze glued to Serena. The greed and burning desire in his eyes were even more blatant than when he used to look at Chloe.

A cold smile touched my lips. The fish had taken the bait.

From that day on, he stopped trying to get Chloe and me back together. Instead, he started actively trying to push Serena and me together.

He practically leaked all my preferences, habits, and even my weaknesses to Serena.

The unbelievable thing was, Serena actually listened to Ryan and pretended to be the perfect girlfriend.

Until one night at a friend's dinner, Ryan deliberately led a drunk Serena and me to the same lounge, and then "accidentally" locked the door.

As he closed the door, he turned back to me, flashing a meaningful, encouraging smirk.

He believed that after tonight, Serena's love for me would reach its peak.

Then he could sit back and reap the rewards, stealing all that intense, dangerous love for himself.

He wasn't wrong.

He just didn't know that I was also waiting for this exact moment.