Chapter 3 Status Photo

Zack let out a long sigh, a gesture of frustration that made Celine's heart sink. "Celine, you know the situation, don't you?" His voice was soft, but each word struck like a heavy blow. "I can't act like this on campus. It's... dangerous."

Celine furrowed her brow. "Dangerous? What do you mean?" Her eyes revealed confusion and a hint of pain. She didn't understand what could be so dangerous about a girlfriend bringing lunch.

"I've told you, don't come see me here," Zack finally turned around, looking at Celine, but it wasn't the longing gaze she had hoped for. It was a hard look-there was even a hint of annoyance. "Do you understand what could happen if someone sees us?" Zack's tone was filled with warning, as if an invisible threat lurked nearby.

"I... I just wanted to bring you lunch," Celine's voice shrank. She felt so small in front of Zack, who had suddenly turned so cold. Was it wrong of her to want to see him? The longing that had swelled in her chest now turned into anguish.

Zack examined the food container again, this time with an unreadable expression. "Keep it. I'm not hungry," he said with a firm refusal. His eyes showed no trace of pity-just emptiness.

"But... I made it especially for you," Celine tried to persuade him, her voice fragile with hope. She thought Zack would accept her food, but instead, he rejected it outright along with her emotions.

"I said, I don't need it." Zack grabbed the container from Celine's hand with a rough motion, as if it were a burdensome, repulsive object. "And don't ever come here again."

Celine flinched, her chest tightening as Zack roughly snatched the container from her. She closed her eyes, hiding the tears that were about to spill.

Celine could only stare blankly at Zack's back as he disappeared behind the building. She didn't know what to feel. Angry? Sad? Disappointed? Everything swirled together into one painful mess. She looked down, her eyes fixed on the spot where Zack had stood, as if wishing he would come back.

Her gaze followed Zack, who grew smaller and smaller at the corner of the hallway. But she could still see him clearly.

Suddenly, from a distance, she saw something. She saw Zack's arm move. A throwing motion. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

After Zack left, Celine rushed forward and ran. No! He threw her food away!

She ran, tears streaming down her cheeks. Celine sobbed brokenly.

Her feet stopped right in front of the green trash bin. There it was-her stir-fried vegetables, complete with the sausage and egg toppings she had arranged with so much love, now lying discarded beside a pile of garbage. As if it were trash. Something worthless. Something repulsive to even touch.

Celine's breath caught. The world around her suddenly spun. She felt a blow far more painful than Zack's direct rejection. Zack... threw away her food?

Celine's body crumpled to the floor. She wept over her meal, which had ended up in the trash. Really, was this the Zack she knew? The man who had always been warm, gentle, and attentive? Why had he become this cold and harsh? Was there something wrong with her? Or had Zack never truly loved her?

---

Her slender fingers reached for the pink Teddy bear, the small stuffed toy Zack had given her on their first date. A gift that once felt so sweet now tasted bitter in her grasp.

She cradled the bear in her arms, imagining it was Zack holding her. The incident earlier kept replaying in her mind-her food container thrown away as if it were rotten trash unfit to eat.

In the early hours of the morning, Celine couldn't sleep. The clock showed 12:17 a.m., yet her eyes remained wide open, staring at the dark ceiling of her room. She checked her phone again. Rows of unsent apologies remained unread, alongside her old messages from three days ago. She was confused. Why was Zack avoiding her?

"Sweetheart, please don't ever hate me, okay?" Celine whispered, her voice trembling. She wanted to cry again. Her index finger traced the wallpaper photo of Zack from their first date, when she had accepted his love. In that photo, Zack was smiling warmly, holding her tight, gazing at her with so much affection.

A sound came from Celine's stomach. She pressed her hand against it-empty. She hadn't eaten anything all day.

Not because there was no food, but because her throat felt tight. Her appetite had vanished along with her shattered heart. She felt hollow, empty, as if there was a gaping hole in her chest. Should she apologize? But for what? She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. Was this a sign that their relationship was on the verge of collapse?

---

Meanwhile, at an internet café, someone had just finished clicking and uploading chat contents that should never have been made public.

"He'll find out who Zack really is. Tch, this despicable man doesn't deserve to be loved," they breathed a sigh of relief after hacking into Zack's phone. Remembering the tears still preserved in their memory, that beautiful face crying over Zack.

---

Celine decided to open social media, hoping to find a distraction. She scrolled through her Instagram feed, looking at her friends' posts. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on a story recently uploaded by Zack's account. Her heart pounded. This was strange-Zack rarely posted stories.

Celine tapped on the story. The screen displayed a screenshot of a chat conversation. The conversation appeared to be from a messaging app, with the sender's name unknown. But the content of the messages made Celine stop breathing.

It was a blatant proposition. An offer from a woman with a very sexy, beautiful profile picture, set against the glittering lights of a nightclub. The words in the chat were so explicit:

*Hi, darling... when can we meet again? Last night was so fun, I want more... There's a special offer for you tonight at The Black Dahlia. Come, I'll be waiting.*

And Zack's reply confirmed it.

*Yes, sweetheart, wait for me tonight. Don't worry, you're the most expensive of all the women I've met.*

A sly smile formed on Celine's lips as she nodded in understanding. "So this is why you've been inactive and rarely texted me," she muttered, her voice steadier now. Her fingers moved, replying to Zack's story.

*So this is your bad behavior behind my back? Cheating on me with another woman?*

And as it happened, Zack was online. On the other side, Zack, receiving Celine's sharp interrogation, was shocked beyond belief.

When Zack read Celine's message, his eyes narrowed as he thought curiously. A chat story? As far as he remembered, he hadn't posted anything like that.

Zack's eyes widened. He immediately hurled his phone violently, shattering it beyond recognition. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, his heart racing. He looked around anxiously.

"Damn it! Who the hell dared to hack my phone?" Zack muttered, running his hands through his hair in frustration. The story had already been viewed by thousands of people.