Chapter 4
Later that night, I pulled the new clothes out of the bags, tried on a few outfits, and took a mirror selfie.
Then I sent the photo to Cyrus.
After hesitating for a moment, I added a message beneath it.
I love all the clothes Assistant Lewis bought me today. Which outfit do you want me to wear tomorrow, Cyrus?
From that day on, I started reporting my daily life to him.
What I wore.
Where I went.
What I ate.
I sent my location proactively. I even told him when I drank water.
It turned out Stella had been right about one thing.
Cyrus really did have a strong need for control.
And every time I obeyed him, he seemed genuinely pleased.
Assistant Lewis was incredibly efficient. Within a week, my withdrawal paperwork was complete.
When the dorm found out I was leaving school, everyone crowded around me to ask what I planned to do next.
Naturally, I couldn’t tell the truth in front of Stella.
So I lowered my eyes and said softly, “My boyfriend says community college has no future. He told me to go home. He said he can support me.”
The other two girls in my room were horrified.
“Clare, are you insane?” Madison, who slept across from me, widened her eyes. “Even community college is still a degree. You’ll need that when you look for jobs.”
“Exactly,” Tiffany chimed in. “Don’t be stupid. Men can’t be trusted. If you drop out for him now and he dumps you later, what are you going to do?”
The two of them kept talking over each other, practically ready to physically stop me from packing.
Stella laughed from the side.
“You two are doing way too much. Clare is obviously about to live a great life.”
Madison turned sharply. “Stella, how can you say that? She’s doing this because of your online boyfriend.”
“Because of what?” Stella rolled her eyes. “Even if that man is a little stingy, he’s still more generous than most guys. Besides, Clare is willing. Why are you interfering so much? Don’t you know what it means to respect other people’s choices? Mind your own business.”
Madison and Tiffany fell silent, staring at her in disbelief.
I said nothing. I just kept folding my clothes into my suitcase.
Stella was right about one thing.
Respecting other people’s choices mattered.
She just had no idea what choice I was actually making.
When I finally zipped my suitcase shut, the metallic sound cut through the dorm’s heavy silence.
I turned to Madison and Tiffany and gave them a small, sincere smile.
“Thank you. Really. I know what I’m doing. Focus on your finals, okay? I’ll text you.”
Stella leaned against her desk and filed her nails.
“Yeah,” she drawled. “Text us when lover boy dumps you and you’re flipping burgers. Have a nice flight, Clare.”
I didn’t bother responding.
I grabbed my suitcase and walked out the door.
Assistant Lewis was waiting for me at the campus gates.
He wasn’t in the modest sedan from before.
This time, he stood beside a sleek black Maybach.
The moment he saw me, he stepped forward, took my cheap, scuffed suitcase without a trace of judgment, and opened the rear door for me.
As I slid into the soft leather seat, a line of floating text materialized in front of me.
Wait. A Maybach?
Wasn’t Cyrus supposed to send a rusty cab for Stella in the original plot?
Why is Clare getting the VIP treatment?
The plot is glitching.
She’s just a side character. The system will correct this soon.
I swiped my hand through the air, scattering the glowing words.
Let them think whatever they wanted.
I had a plane to catch.