Chapter 3

I bought a new SIM card.

I went on a secondhand website and purchased the bracelet.

The seller made a point of emphasizing that it was just an ordinary bracelet from a small shop.

No returns or exchanges allowed.

And that "no returns or exchanges" clause was exactly what I wanted.

I requested same-day shipping.

The seller agreed readily.

This way I could receive it tomorrow.

The next day when I got the package and saw the bracelet with my own eyes, I finally confirmed it was the exact one I had given away.

The sapphire embedded at the end of the bracelet was something I had specially prepared.

The entire bracelet was worth a million dollars.

But in Vivienne's eyes, it was just cheap junk.

I wanted to see how she would pay me back.

Someone had posted about yesterday's incident in the cafeteria on the campus forum.

Everyone was talking about it.

As I walked down the street, people who recognized me pointed and whispered.

In contrast, many people approved of Vivienne and Alec being together.

Saying they were a perfect match.

A new set of photos uploaded added fuel to the fire.

Alec standing in front of his car, Vivienne smiling shyly.

The photos were being updated in real-time.

They had already been tracked to a restaurant.

An insider revealed that Alec was going to confess his feelings to Vivienne.

The news spread quickly.

Countless people flooded the forum, eagerly waiting for updates.Finally, the long-awaited update has arrived.

Alec prepared 99 roses and a newly released designer bracelet.

Someone compared my confession to Alec's.

Their words were dripping with sarcasm.

Not long after, their relationship announcement was posted on social media.

Apparently, a real couple would make it official online.

I took note of that.

I estimated when they would return.

I steeled myself.

It was time for me to make my move.

I waited for Vivienne outside her dorm building.

I watched as the two of them approached, hand in hand.

"Well, Vivienne, did you accept Alec's confession?"

Vivienne's expression changed slightly. Alec whispered something to her before stepping forward.

"Elliot, what are you trying to say?"

"Alec, I'm just asking on your behalf. Wouldn't want Vivienne to wake up tomorrow saying she never agreed, crushing your hopes."

Alec looked at me with pity. "I'm not like you."

Vivienne also stepped forward. "I considered accepting you, but we're not compatible in many ways."

She tightened her grip on Alec's hand, exchanging a smile with him. "You can't force feelings."A true spectacle of unwavering loyalty.

I felt so nauseated, it was as if I was being cast as the villain trying to tear apart star-crossed lovers.

At that moment, a voice rose from the crowd, "Vivienne's family is loaded. Wouldn't being with Elliot just be charity work?"

Someone chimed in, "Know your place. And know Alec's."

Others directly asked if Alec was the young master of the Winters Family.

Alec vehemently denied it.

But his demeanor convinced everyone he was.

Meanwhile, Vivienne's expression held a hint of pride and showing off.

Watching their behavior,

I realized how blind I had been before.

To think I once saw Vivienne as an aloof goddess.

All that talk about wanting an ambitious, sincere boyfriend - in the end, it's all about the money.

And I was worried Alec might get played.

When in fact, he's the con artist.

They're two peas in a pod, a perfect match.

"You waited here just to ask about this?"

Hearing the praise from her classmates, Vivienne's mood improved, and she asked me cordially.

Seeing more and more people gathering to watch the drama unfold,

I revealed my true intentions."Vivienne, since you won't accept my confession, please return the bracelet I gave you. That bracelet is worth $100,000, and I can't just give it away to a stranger who has no connection to me."

Knowing she wouldn't believe me.

I handed her the photocopied appraisal report along with it.

"This is the appraisal report for the sapphire on top."

Vivienne took it skeptically, her expression worsening as she read.

"How is this possible? Such a cheap bracelet using sapphire, isn't it just plastic?"

Though her voice was low, I heard her clearly.

Mistaking sapphire for plastic.

Sometimes I really wonder if Vivienne truly comes from a good family.

I sneered, "Cheap? If you despise it so much, why did you accept it?"

I spoke at a normal volume, audible to those nearby.

Some students who had experienced similar situations related to it personally.

This led to differing opinions emerging.

Vivienne's girlfriends stepped up to support her.

"I've seen that bracelet, it looked worthless. Vivienne didn't say anything just to spare your feelings. Talk about no good deed going unpunished."Inez snatched the report from Vivienne's hands and tore it to shreds. "You think you can fool us with some random report claiming it's worth a million bucks? That's fraud, and we can call the cops on you for that."

I remained unfazed by the threat of police involvement. "You've said your piece, but you're being awfully ungrateful considering the deal you're getting. Anyway, that's not important now. All I want is for Vivienne to return my bracelet. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Inez agreed immediately, completely disregarding Vivienne's opinion on the matter.

"We'll give you back that piece of junk bracelet in no time. Just stay away from Vivienne after this."

But no matter what, Vivienne couldn't possibly return the bracelet.

I looked at Vivienne with a wry smile. "Are you going to fetch it now, or tomorrow? Or do you need more time?"

"How long does it take to grab a bracelet? Vivienne, let's just—"

Midsentence, Inez finally noticed the unnatural expression on Vivienne's face.

Vivienne glanced at the time displayed on her phone. "It's pretty late today. How about in three days?"

"Fine," I agreed, ready to wait for the next three days.

The following morning, I logged onto a secondhand marketplace website.

The seller had sent me several messages.It seems Vivienne didn't sleep well that night.

Every message was asking me to return the bracelet to her.

The refund offer increased from the original price to $500.

Even though I said I didn't believe it, deep down I was worried what if it was true.

I replied with "No returns, no exchanges" and then logged off.

No matter how much she bombarded me, I remained unmoved.

Three days passed quickly.

It was well past our agreed time when Vivienne finally came running, dripping with sweat.

Alec was quick to offer her tissues to wipe her sweat and hand her a bottle of water.

After Vivienne caught her breath, she took out a jewelry box from her bag and gave it to me.

"Here you go."

Her gaze darted nervously, avoiding my eyes, her voice tinged with tension and a hint of hope.

I opened the jewelry box.

I had to admit, she was pretty good.

She must have scoured countless stores to find one so similar.

I chuckled softly.

"While it's very close, it's not the same one."

Vivienne started to protest.

I continued, "I have photos on my phone. We can compare."

Her anticipation crumbled.

After a long pause, Vivienne hesitantly spoke up, "Elliot, I'm sorry. The reason I didn't return it right away was because I lost the bracelet. I've been searching for days but couldn't find it. I had no choice but to buy a similar one from the mall."

She finished with a deep 90-degree bow.

"If you won't accept this, just send me the real price of the bracelet. I'll reimburse you in full."

Her words were cleverly chosen.

Her attitude seemed genuinely sincere.

"The original price was one million dollars. How would you like to pay?"