Chapter 7 : Changing His Tune

Rory's POV

Leaving the dean’s office defeated, I walked along the corridor. My disappointment was sharp when I saw Justin walking toward me. He noticed me soon and his smile was instant.

I groaned and turned my head the other way. His voice sounded beside me.

“Hey Rory, wait up!” he called out.

I’d never wanted him to say my name again.

“I'm busy, Justin,” I lied and continued on.

He didn't take the hint and caught up with me. “Listen, can we talk, please?” he asked.

“There is nothing to talk about, Justin,” I said, stopping to glare at him. I couldn't believe I used to think he was cute.

“I was wrong to force you into that. I messed up," Justin said, his voice tinged with guilt. "Lisa is just a friend, nothing more. I was with her to make you jealous, to make you aware of my presence.?

At that moment, the man before me felt utterly unfamiliar.

I wasn’t stupid. Lisa was all over him in class, hugging, cuddling, even kissing him. How could they just be friends?

“Lisa isn't your first female friend, is she?” I asked. “You used to send tons of messages to someone you nicknamed 'sophomore sister,' sharing music, sharing favorite movies. Once, when you were picking me up after class, she asked where you were going, and you said to pick up your girlfriend. She sent you a pouting emoji, and you replied with a hug emoji. I didn't mean to snoop through your phone. It's just that you forgot to lock the screen that day, and I saw all of this."

There had been many similar incidents. I didn’t remember them all, but this one I did. It happened during our time together, how distracted Justin was while texting. I surprisingly recalled it calmly.

Was Lisa really the main reason we broke up?

No, it was because he’d inserted too many pieces of someone else into the cracks of our relationship long before. His heart had already wandered. His emotions, even his love, had already been split in half with someone else. Many times, the person he wanted to share and confide in wasn't me anymore.

We'd had so many years of unspoken rules and boundaries in our relationship, and he quietly erased them, even crossing the line.

"Rory, please forgive me. I swear I won't ever force you to do something you don't want to." Justin grabbed my hand. "Just say the word, and I'll break up with Lisa."

"Rory..." Justin tried to soothe me again, but he saw Lisa approaching. He quickly distanced himself from me. "Lisa."

I paused, and then I saw Lisa too, and everything became clear.

I smiled a cold, self-deprecating smile.

Justin was just trying to have it both ways, and a man like him wasn't worth it.

"Justin, there you are." Lisa walked over with arrogance, naturally and intimately linking her arm with Justin's, subtly provoking me. "Oh, Rory, you're here too. What's up? Need something from my boyfriend?"

I didn't even look at Lisa, just at Justin. The man changed his tune so quickly; one second he was yelling about getting back together with me, and the next he acted like nothing had happened.

Justin dared not look at me in the eye, turning his face away.

"I wish you two all the best," I scoffed.

"Rory, I've said all I can. Think about what I've said. I have things to do. I'm leaving," Justin said, walking away without another word.

I stared at his back, hating myself for ever being attracted to a man like him.

Lisa looked at me, even more smug. She smiled gleefully. "Trying to steal a man from me, Rory? Are you even worthy? I'm from a wealthy family, while you're just a poor girl who has to work for every penny. What makes you think you can compete with me?"

"I won't compare myself to the daughter of a mistress," I retorted.

Lisa was a bastard daughter. Her mother destroyed someone else's marriage to gain her current status. It was her greatest shame, and mentioning it always got under her skin.

"You slut! How dare you try to steal my boyfriend!" Lisa was enraged, and about to hit me.

But before her slap landed, I grabbed her arm.

"Who wants your trash of a boyfriend anyway?" I was fed up. "I've had nothing to do with Justin for a long time. If you ever bother me again, I'll give you a real slap."

Lisa went mad with anger, screaming, "We're not finished!"

"I'll be waiting," I straightened my clothes, standing tall.

Seeing Justin's true colors was actually a relief, despite the anger. It was better to see things clearly now than to prolong the agony.

I really didn't want to deal with these annoying people anymore.

I exhaled, feeling exhausted from the encounter.

I walked along the corridor until the end, then turned down the stairs. The flowers outside the campus were in full bloom. The gentle breeze brushed against my face, and there were a few people sitting on the grass reading.

On such peaceful days, I couldn't help but reminisce about the carefree times, and it made me feel much more at ease.

I turn to continue toward my dorm. I hadn't gone far when I saw the Maserati parked on the side of the road.

It was Scott.

When I looked back up at him, I gasped and froze. It was quick, I was sure, but to me, the look lasted forever. His gaze fell on me like I was a deer in headlights.

I couldn't look away.

My life was just too full of drama. I took a deep breath.

As Scott lowered the car window, revealing his handsome face, all the women in the vicinity began to gather and swoon... but Scott only had eyes for me.

“Why didn't you come to class today?”Scott asked, his slender fingers lightly resting on the steering wheel, which caused other women to whisper among themselves.

“Who is she?” I heard one woman whisper.

“I don't know,” another replied. “She's Justin's ex-girlfriend who got dumped, Lisa's rival.”

I furrowed my brow. Just hearing Lisa's name made me feel sick.

“Hmm?” Scott's voice brought me back to reality.

“Sorry, I had something come up last minute, had to take the day off,” I replied.

The other women were surprised that I could talk to Scott alone, and there were more whispers. Even more women approached, feeling honored to be able to talk to Scott.

"You are the best professor I ever had."

"I added this class just for you. I saw you at the film festival. You're even more handsome in person than on screen. I heard your classes are already full. Can I apply to join and listen to your lectures?"

"Professor, how come you have children at such a young age? I heard you got divorced. Are you still single now? Are you considering finding a girlfriend?"

The group of pretty women crowded in and pushed me aside.

He was a predator, and he had only his eyes on me. Disappointment slapped me across the face as he stared at me. Men like Scott surely would have a lot of excellent women around them, and I wouldn't arrogantly assume that he was completely infatuated with me just because of that one-night stand.

I reminded myself that the longing in his eyes might just be my imagination. I didn't want to put myself in an awkward position again.

I turned and walked away.

I would have given in to the eyes, and I knew I could do that.

As I reached the shuttle, I heard Needy shouting behind me. I turned to see her running and waving her arms.

She seemed really excited.

She was carrying several shopping bags, including Chanel and Hermès, and a few other brands I didn't recognize.

She was wearing a long, fitted red dress, and her hair was curled and draped over her chest, like a blooming rose.

"I skipped class today. The teacher didn't notice I was absent, right?" She linked arms with me, her eyelashes fluttering softly.

"Of course not. I took notes for the class, so you can check out what we covered today."

I handed Needy the notes from our common class. This was something we had been doing for years.

"I knew you were the best." She gave me a quick hug and then tucked the notebook into her bag. "The new boutique in the mall just got a bunch of new clothes. Want to go shopping together?"

"I can't. You know I have a shift at the restaurant tonight."

"I've been telling you to quit your restaurant job,” she said. “With your talent, you could find something easier. How about I get you a modeling gig?"

I knew Needy meant well, but she had already helped me a lot, and I didn't want to trouble her any further.

Besides, I didn't mind working at the restaurant. It was straightforward, didn't require much brainpower, and earned me some extra pocket money.

After my dad passed away, my mom had remarried. My grandparents used to take care of me, but now they were getting old, so I needed to take on the responsibility of caring for them without expecting my grandma to pay for my tuition.

"Thanks,” I said. “I don't think I'd make a good model, but with your figure, it would be a waste not to."

"Ha ha, you're such a flatterer." Needy had always dreamed of being a model, so she was pleased to hear my compliment. "I know I can't convince you. You’ll have to spend extra time with me outside of class! Go ahead, but call me if you need anything."

"Will do, bye!"

When I got to work, I went into the back and pulled my hair back, then changed into my uniform; a retro style blue waitress dress with a white apron and white sneakers.

I'd been working at this restaurant for a while now. The owner, a man in his forties or fifties, was genuinely kind to me, but he was really stingy. Though working was exhausting, I enjoyed the feeling of being self-reliant.

These simple jobs were are also challenging. Besides the physical labor, what gave me a headache was the rudeness of some male customers. I didn't dress up to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Once I was ready and satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my notepad and got to work.

It was a slow night, which wasn’t unusual for Mondays. We had a few travelers here and there—truck drivers passing through mostly—as well as a couple of regulars and some students who chatted and studied at their table.

I spent most of my shift standing behind the counter and pouring fresh coffee for whoever needed it.

I only had an hour left on my shift, and the night had gone well so far… until the person I wanted to see walked in.