Chapter 3

The next morning, she went to her interview for the school's Honor Student Representative—a presentation she'd spent half a month preparing.

In the waiting room, she opened her laptop and clicked on her speech file. The text was completely different.

Her carefully written competition experience and academic plan had been replaced by large, bold, colorful fonts.

Sophia hurried in holding two cups of coffee.

"Erin, I thought your materials were too boring, so I added some livelier content."

Erin's hand trembled on the mouse as she scrolled down.

The file now contained several screenshots: one of her at age ten, covered in mud after falling into a puddle; one from middle school, when a ball hit her face during a track meet; and one from yesterday on the rooftop, her eyes red and dazed.

At the top was a bold headline:

【Ten Years of Being Healed by Friends—From Elementary to College.】

All her most embarrassing moments, lightly packaged by Sophia as a "healing story."

She turned to Sophia, her face blank. "Who said you could touch my computer?"

Sophia flinched. "Your computer wasn't password-protected. I thought you wouldn't mind."

Kyle walked in, saw the commotion, and quickly went to Sophia's side. "What's wrong?"

Sophia's eyes were red as she pointed at the screen.

Kyle glanced at it and patted Sophia's shoulder.

"Sophia was just trying to help."

Luke strolled in with coffee. "Teachers like authentic students. Don't always put on that stiff overachiever act—it's not a good look."

She closed her laptop and, swallowing the metallic taste in her throat, went onstage using a backup draft on her phone.

Halfway through the interview, the bespectacled professor in the middle put down his pen.

"Erin, was that online prank video posted with your permission?"

She froze. The professor frowned.

"The university takes student mental health seriously. That video's current public reception is very negative."

She walked out of the interview room and opened the campus forum. The top pinned post read:

【After Three Years of Crushing on Her Childhood Friend, the Aloof Scholar Finally Smiled After Our Prank.】

The rooftop footage had been edited beyond recognition, leaving only her red-eyed stare at Kyle and her final retreating back.

There were already over a thousand comments. "This girl is so pretentious. If you can't take a joke, don't play."

"He's her childhood friend—it was just a joke. Why is she making such a face?"

She felt cold all over. For the first time, she realized her pain was just their entertainment.

That afternoon, her academic advisor called her into the office.

He gently informed her that her candidacy for Honor Student Representative had been temporarily revoked.

"Erin, you need to address your public image first. The university needs to maintain a positive reputation."

She walked out of the admin building and went straight to Sophia, demanding she take down the post.

Sophia clutched her phone to her chest. "That video has thirty thousand likes—it's my first viral hit."

Erin stared at her. "Did you get my consent before filming me?"

Sophia's tears fell instantly. "I just wanted people to know you."

Kyle walked over with a tray and handed Sophia a tissue first. "Don't cry."

Erin looked at Kyle. "Did you know I lost my Honor Student Representative status?"

Kyle blinked, then quickly recovered. "There'll be other opportunities."

He pushed the tray toward Sophia. "Sophia's channel is just starting out. This is important to her."

She found it absurd.

Her years of hard work, her opportunity—meant nothing.

Sophia's casually edited, unauthorized video—was too important to delete.

Her voice went cold. "Then I'll call the police."

Luke had just gotten his food and overheard. He slammed his tray on the table.

"Erin, are you insane? You'd ruin Sophia's life over one video?"

That night, her parents called.

Her mom's voice came through the speaker. "Your brother said Sophia didn't mean it."

Her dad added, "You're too introverted. Be glad someone wants to include you. Don't be ungrateful."

She sat on the dorm balcony, staring at the streetlights below, and suddenly laughed.

So she was supposed to thank Sophia for being willing to play with her—even when it meant being bullied?

She hung up and opened the pre-application page for withdrawing from university. She clicked submit.