Chapter 3

"Your boyfriend?" Erika exaggeratedly gasped and said loudly, "So, the old man who said he'd rent a place for you yesterday isn't your boyfriend?"

At that moment, I suddenly recalled that yesterday, when my dad and I came to check out the school environment, we met a woman at the dormitory entrance.

"It seems that you not only have a boyfriend but also a sugar daddy."

The bustling crowd around us turned their piercing stares toward us, like daggers.

Even Xander, who was holding me, furrowed his brow, "Corrine, is what she's saying true?"

For a moment, I was so angry I couldn't tell if my chest hurt more or my ankle, "You doubt me?"

Realizing I was genuinely angry, Xander immediately apologized softly, "How could I? It's obvious she's talking about your father."

Just as I was about to say something, he swept me up and strode back to the dormitory building, "It pains me to see you hurt. Come, let's go back, and you should rest for a while."

Looking up into his eyes filled with affection, my anger dissipated instantly.

Plus, Erika apologized to me, and I didn't want to start on the wrong foot with everyone on the first day, so I nodded stiffly, suppressing my fury.

But once we returned to the dormitory, as Xander carefully placed me on a lower bunk, Erika immediately threw a pile of my belongings beside me with a loud thud, "You've touched this bed, so now no one else can use it. Don't make others uncomfortable."

She spoke as if I were some virus-ridden germ.

Watching Xander gently rub my foot, she spoke in a harsh tone. "Anyone with decent manners would know this. I'm not targeting you specifically."

Fed up with her sarcastic remarks, I couldn't hold back any longer and stood up abruptly, "Who are you mocking?"

Erika was so scared that she shrank behind Xander, "Did I say something wrong? A bed is a very private personal space. Once you've lain on it, others really can't use it."

"It's not about the bed. I can sleep on any bed," I interrupted her, "But your attitude in speaking, what are you trying to imply?"

Xander tried to mediate, "Alright, she's just reminding you out of kindness."

Erika tugged on Xander's sleeve, "Xander, how come your girlfriend has such a temper? You must have a hard time, right?"

I grabbed her hair and pulled her toward my bed, "Do you think I can't tell who is a bitch? Let me tell you, I can not only spot a bitch, I can also beat the bitch!"

Amidst the chaos, I saw Erika quickly bump her wrist against the bed's edge, and the bracelet she was wearing shattered instantly.

Her eyes turned red, "This was my mom's memento. Corrine, no matter how much you dislike me, this is too much, isn't it?"

When Xander heard it was a memento, his eyes turned red, too. "Have you been without a mother since childhood like me?"

He then spoke in a tone I'd never heard before, "Corrine, you've gone too far this time!"

Without thinking, I slapped Xander hard, "Is that how you see me?"

Xander fell silent.

Because I cried.

Because I also grew up without a mom.

Three knocks sounded at the door, and a short-haired girl poked her head in, "Erika, isn't the bracelet on your wrist the one we bought at the morning market today?"

She spoke while extending her hand, showing off a bracelet identical to Erika's, "Look, we bought them together this morning, twenty dollars each, thirty-five for two."