The grand hall of Morchester University's Faculty of Business Management was buzzing with excitement, and the air itself seemed to vibrate with the sound of clapping, cheering, and camera flashes bouncing off glossy banners.
Rows of students in their navy-blue gowns filled the seats, and their faces were shining with relief, pride, and expectation because today was the day they had all been waiting for—the day of their graduation.
The families of the graduating students leaned forward with their phones raised high as they tried to capture every moment while the polished wooden floor reflected the lights from above, and a faint smell of fresh flowers mixed with perfume drifted through the hall.
Professor Morgana Ryan, the dean, stood on stage holding the list of names of the graduating students, and her voice rang clearly over the speakers as she started to call out the names:
"Ashley Rodriguez, Master of Business Management with Distinction!"
Ashley jumped a little before standing.
She walked to the stage with her steps small but steady, and her smile was soft as she accepted her certificate from the dean and shook the dean's hand as applause broke out.
With a wide grin on her face, she bowed politely and said, "Thank you, ma'am."
Then the cameras clicked rapidly, and the students clapped as Ashley hurried back to her seat with her certificate clutched tightly to her chest.
"John Beckham, Master of Business Management with Distinction in Leadership!"
John stood tall while straightening his shoulders as he walked across the stage with confidence.
He shook the professor's hand, lifted the certificate proudly, and smiled brightly for the cameras while the cheers grew louder, and his friends shouted his name as he returned to his seat.
After Professor Morgana called the names of fifty other graduating students, each of whom had proudly walked across the stage to collect their certificates, her voice swelled with pride as she announced the final recipient, saying: "And now, with a perfect 5.0 CGPA, Summa Cum Laude, our Best Graduating Student of Class 2025, Rachel Shen, Master of Business Management!"
The moment Rachel's name left the professor's lips, the hall erupted, and the applause turned into a roar that echoed through the walls.
Rachel rose slowly from her seat and smoothed the folds of her gown as she stood.
Her gown flowed around her legs, and her strawberry-blonde hair shimmered under the hall lights.
As she walked forward, her blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears, but her heart pounded fiercely in her chest.
To many of the graduating students in the hall, she looked like someone from a painting—poised, beautiful, untouchable.
But inside, Rachel only felt the weight of all her years of struggle, all the long nights, and all the sacrifices.
Arriving at the stage, she smiled brightly as she accepted her certificate from the dean and shook the dean's hand while the cheers and applause grew louder.
At the end of the stage, Professor Wilhelmina Noah, the vice-chancellor, stepped forward with a genuine smile, and then she handed Rachel a fresh flower, its petals trembling in her grip.
"I'm so proud of you," she said warmly.
Rachel's lips curved into a grateful smile. "Thank you," she whispered softly.
They posed for the cameras together.
The flashes lit Rachel's face, capturing her beauty, her pride, and her quiet joy.
The photographs would tell a story of success, but only Rachel knew the pain behind it.
When the photographers were done, the vice-chancellor pressed the microphone into Rachel's hand.
"Why don't you say a few words?" she suggested kindly.
Rachel hesitated, her heart thumping in her chest.
She looked out at the sea of faces. For a second, everything blurred—but then she drew in a breath and spoke:
"I just want to thank God," she began softly, her voice carrying across the hall. "And honestly, I worked so hard because I wanted to make my boyfriend, Liam Paige, proud."
She smiled faintly as she said his name while using her eyes to quickly scan the crowd and search for Liam, but as her gaze moved across the rows of students, families, and professors, her chest tightened because she couldn't see him anywhere.
Her smile faltered, and then the joy in her face dimmed like a candle in the wind.
A sudden uneasiness swept over her, and quickly, she handed the microphone back and bowed slightly before rushing off the stage.
"Rachel!" Professor Morgana called after her, but Rachel didn't stop.
Once she got outside, she moved fast across the pavement with the graduation flower and her certificate trembling in her hand as she waved for a cab.
Her phone was already in her other hand with her thumb flying over the screen as she dialed Liam's number.
"House number 20, Zarx Street," she told the driver breathlessly as she climbed into the cab.
The line rang and rang, but Liam didn't answer.
She tried again ten times, but he didn't answer any of the calls, nor did she get a text message from him.
Her pulse quickened, and with a shaky sigh, she started to type a text message:
"Babe, are you sick? Please tell me you're okay. Today is important to me.
After sending the text, she stared at the screen of her smartphone for a while, but no reply came from Liam.
The thirty-minute ride stretched painfully long.
As the cab ran down the road, the city moved past her as she looked through the window and saw the busy sidewalks, the flashing shop signs, and the traffic buzzing like angry bees.
As the cab driver made a right turn and drove into a street, Rachel leaned back on the seat and pressed the flower to her lap, and after a while, her knuckles became white from holding it too tightly.
To Rachel, every red light felt like a punishment, and every ticking second seemed to whisper to her that something wasn't right.
Finally, the cab pulled up outside Liam's house.
Her stomach clenched as she handed the driver some bills and got out of the cab quickly.
The house she bought for Liam looked the same as always—it was neat and familiar with the little garden in front.
For years, it had felt like another home to her, but today, it looked strangely cold.
She straightened her blouse, took a deep breath, and pressed the doorbell with a smile on her face, but the door didn't open as no one came to unlock the door.
She pressed the doorbell again, again, and again, but the door didn't open.
Then she rang it again and made sure it was harder this time, but the door still didn't open.
Rachel's hand started trembling as she reached into her purse and pulled out her spare key.
Slowly, she turned it in the lock, then the click echoed loudly in the silent atmosphere.
As she stepped inside the house, she felt the air was heavy, too heavy.
The first thing she noticed was the pair of light-brown Gucci heels on the floor, which didn't belong to her.
"I don't own these," she whispered to herself, frowning.
Her breath suddenly became faster as she started to climb up the staircase with her slow footsteps that were loud in her own ears.
"Liam!" She called but got no answer... Only silence, which was pressing against her.
After ascending the staircase and walking down the hallway, she heard the sound of a woman's giggle, which was soft and playful.
The sound shot through her ears and registered at her brain and heart like ice.
As she got closer to her and Liam's bedroom, she heard Liam's voice, which was low but clear, mixing with the laughter of the woman.
Rachel's heart sank as she started to play a scenario in her head because of what she was hearing.
As she placed her hand on the doorknob of the bedroom, her hand shook as she pushed the bedroom door open and walked in.
As soon as her blue eyes showed her and Liam's bedroom, her world broke when she saw Liam in bed with sheets tangled around him—and beside him was Charlotte.
For a moment, Rachel's mind refused to believe it. Charlotte? She wasn't just some random woman.
Rachel knew her face well. Charlotte had always been a close friend of Rita, Liam's younger sister.
She had seen them together many times, laughing in cafes, walking around campus, and even stopping by Liam's house.
That was how Rachel knew her—not as a rival, not as a threat, but as Rita's close friend. Someone safe. Someone within the circle.
Now, that same woman was in bed with the man she loved.
Rachel's raw and broken voice came out of her mouth as she screamed, "Oh my God! Liam!!"
As she blinked her eyes, hot tears that blurred her vision started to rush down her cheeks.
"Rachel? Why… Why are you back so soon?" Liam stammered.
"Back so soon? That's all you have to say to me? No explanation of what I just saw? Liam, I just caught you in bed with another woman!! How long have you been cheating on me with Charlotte?!"
Liam, who suddenly became angry after hearing the question Rachel asked him, got up from the bed, walked up to Rachel, and slapped her before saying, "Since when do I answer to you? This is Charlotte, my new girlfriend.... Treat her with respect."
"Your new girlfriend?!" Rachel asked in shock.
"Yes... And you have no right to glare at her the way you did earlier." Liam replied to her with an icy voice.
Rachel slowly fell to her knees while shaking her head in disbelief as she said, "No… no… this can't be real."
Liam took the hand of the woman—Charlotte—and tried to walk out of the bedroom with her, but Rachel blocked the door and glared at Charlotte.
With her anger flaring up, Charlotte grabbed a vase and smashed it against Rachel's head.
Rachel winced in pain but stood her ground.
"I'm not done talking to my boyfriend," she told Charlotte.
She turned to Liam and said, "Did I do something wrong? Tell me so I can fix it."
"You yelled at Charlotte... And I don't want you anymore. You're like an old shoe I'm tired of." Liam snapped at her with his voice laced with coldness and disgust.
Rachel's eyes became filled with pain as she said, "Liam, we've known each other for eight years and have been together for five years. I've done everything I can think of to prove my love for you.... Why are you?"
Feeling pissed, Liam interrupted Rachel and sneered at her as he said, "I never asked you to do what you did! Rachel, I never once loved you... I only dated you because you founded a company and gave my parents all the shares of the company you founded; in fact, dating you was all their idea, as I've never for a day had a fleeting feeling for you... Stop deluding yourself, thinking I love you because I don't! Let me tell you in case you didn't know before: "What I have for you is 'HATE.' I HATE YOU, RACHEL..."
Rachel shook her head and said, "You're lying."
"I'm not. I never loved you. Not now, not ever." Liam replied to her coldly.
As soon as Liam dropped the bomb in the form of words on Rachel, Charlotte, who was behind him, smirked at Rachel and gave her a smug and pitiful look.
Rachel pleaded and said, "What about your promises? You said you'd propose to me after my graduation."
"I was acting," Liam said coldly. "I was just playing around with your heart and your feelings... Did you think I was being serious the day I said that to you? Rachel, you have to know that a man says a lot of things when he's on top of a woman, having fantastic sex with her... I was just being a man that day."
"You bastard!" Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs.
Liam laughed. "You look so pathetic right now... You should look at the mirror and see how you look."
"Well, at least I'm prettier than that slut you call a girlfriend!! Can you say otherwise?" Rachel shot back.
Liam slapped her again and said, "Don't insult her. She's better than you in every way. You're just an orphan with nothing. Charlotte is a rich heiress. With her, I can become powerful."
"So you're leaving me simply because she's rich?" Rachel asked in disbelief.
Liam whispered in her ear and said, "Exactly. You can't give me what I want, but Charlotte can."
As soon as she heard what Liam said, Rachel's tears started to flow harder.
"I can't believe you've sunk this low." She said bitterly as she glared at him.
Liam leaned back, lips curved into a wide grin that didn't reach his eyes.
His voice carried an arrogance that was as sharp as the smirk on his face as he said, "Well, you have to believe that I've sunk this slow…" He paused and looked straight at Rachel like he had already won some unspoken battle before he continued and said, "You have yourself to blame for introducing me to wealth."
Rachel's chest rose and fell hard, but before she could even speak, Liam's tone dropped, smooth and cruel, as he said, "Rachel, I wanted to find a good way and day to break up with you and let you know that I'm tired of this relationship I have with you, a relationship that can't even make my heart beat or flutter no matter how hard I tried to make it do so. Now, I don't think there's any need for that since you ran into me and Charlotte... Bear in mind that you didn't catch me cheating.... You just walked into me with my new girlfriend, which I wasn't really happy or comfortable with, so let's end things here cleanly... Let's say goodbye to each other with no hard feelings, okay?"
His eyes narrowed when he caught her glare, which made him yell at her and say, "Don't you glare at me like that, Rachel!! I only dated you because my parents forced me to after they saw your efforts in pursuing me, okay? They just pitied you because you looked pathetic and miserable, like a child desperate for her father's love and attention, and told me to accept your feelings that you kept showing and parading in front of them and my friends..."
Then with his words dripping with disdain, he continued, saying, "In all my twenty-three years of existing on earth as a human being, I've never seen girls as dumb and foolish as you all because of love. Like, who the hell can you tell me now that spends every day of their time working at construction sites and working numerous part-time jobs and doing all kinds of hard labor jobs that many would run away from because of what it requires and takes to do such kinds of jobs... just because they need to make some money, which I completely understand, as I can relate to it since I was like that when I was still a kid...," He paused briefly while looking at Rachel with disgust and disdain.
Taking a deep exasperated breath, he continued again, saying, "But then, they keep on working and working and working and barely even have the time to come to school to attend classes... They keep on working their ass of while depending on studying with borrowed notes from course mates because they don't even have a little bit of time for themselves at all then after working so hard to earn and save so much money, they start a company which is very applaudable but after working so hard to build the company they founded from scratch, after working so hard and sacrificing a lot and so much to build the company they founded from the very ground up all the way to the top and finally, after all the hard work and sacrifices they had to put into the company paid off, after they successfully turn the company into a multi-million dollar company which is no easy feat to do, a feat which a lot of people were happy with them for and celebrated with them for, then after a while, the next thing they heard is that the company owner, who they were rooting for and cheering for, the company owner, without holding or looking back just takes the entire company that took them two long and hard years to build up into a successful company and hands it over easily and free of charge to someone else just like that! Tell me! Who does that? Who the hell does that?! Because I've tried so hard to find another person who could be like that, but I'm yet to find one! Maybe I'm the one who is not looking hard enough."
Liam turned his head toward Charlotte while curling his lips as he said, "Charlotte, have you, perhaps, seen or heard of anyone that stupid to hand over their hard work to others for free? Because I've been looking for someone like that to add to the person we both know of, but I haven't been able to find them yet... Have you?"
Charlotte laughed, and her laugh was sharp and laced with mockery.
She flicked her hair back and answered without hesitation, saying, "No, I haven't! What kind of question is that? In fact, that isn't even the kind of question to ask because no one on earth is that charitable.... Not even in the face of love... Everyone living in this world is selfish."
She paused briefly and looked at Rachel mockingly before continuing with her speech, saying, "Rachel, you really live up to a very ancient word from an ancient high Norpondian language spoken only by nobles and highborn thousands of years ago... there's a word in the language that sounds just like your name, 'Rachel.' I think the word was 'Racheldixipixiria,' which is translated in English as 'A Divine Bright Light that shines in darkness.' Hahaha! Wow! Oh my God!! Rachel? Are you sure your name wasn't taken from that language? I know 'Rachel' is a Hebrew word that's used as a modern English name for females because of the meaning of it, but I can't stop myself from thinking your name was taken from 'Racheldixipixiria.' Why? The answer is simple: you were the divine light that shined into Liam's parents' lives...."
After she finished her speech, Charlotte's eyes sparkled with cruel delight as she started to laugh at Rachel.
After laughing at Rachel for a short while, she paused and said,"Wow, I can still remember Liam's mom working as a kitchen maid for my dad back in Ocean City in our Dylan Family Mansion... Even Liam's father worked as a carwasher, and then he became a driver for my dad for years without daring to raise his head to look at me, my parents, my older sister, or any of my brothers.... Then all of a sudden... Like Boom!!! You came with your holy divine light and shone it at them.... You didn't only shine your light on them; you even made them bask in your divine light by transferring your stakes and shares to Liam's parents free of charge... A move that turned the Paige family into millionaires and made a lot of people start seeing them in a new light—your divine light!! Hahaha! Recalling the news headline that was written about them that read, 'From Grass to Grace, From Peasants to Merchants, From Work Finders to Work Givers,' is making me laugh in Spanish. Hahahahaha. Please, Rachel, can you also start a company to dash me too after turning it into a multi-million dollar company? I'm stuck running an art gallery, and I'd like to run an actual company for a change."
As soon as she finished saying that, her sarcastic laughter cut into Rachel like a blade.
"See?" Liam sneered, and then with a low and mocking chuckle, he said, "Rachel, you can now see that you are the odd one among all humans, right?"
Rachel's hands balled into fists at her sides. Her head snapped up, and her raw voice came out of her mouth, and it was filled with all the emotion she had been holding back as she yelled at him and said, "Shut your dirty wide mouth, Liam!!"
After saying that, her chest heaved as she shot Liam a glare that was as sharp as blades of ice.
She forced herself to breathe, to hold down the riot of emotions threatening to break free from the cage of her heart.
After a while, her voice steadied, but though it was shaking with pain, she locked her gaze on Liam's gaze and said, "Liam, I know you despise me now, but don't treat my gratitude to your parents for raising you as 'stupid' or 'foolish,' because I'm not stupid or foolish... Yes, I know I'm many things, but those two words aren't among the things I am, so stop it!! Now is no longer a good time to talk about us, as our emotions are already riled up to talk about anything good... If you want or need time and space to think and sort out your feelings about me and about our relationship, I can give you all the time and space that you need, but don't say, 'We are done.' My fragile heart can't bear the brunt and weight of those words."
Liam's jaw tightened, and his eyes turned frosty as frustration burned hot in his chest.
Staring at her angrily, he snapped at her and said, "Rachel, I don't care about your fragile heart!! Okay?!! Look, Rachel, I'm being honest with you right now, but why aren't you taking it seriously?! Huh?! Do you want me to keep being your boyfriend while keeping up with my acting of being a good boyfriend to you despite the fact that I loathe, hate, despise, and am disgusted by you? Tell me, Rachel, do you?!! Huh?!! Do you want to keep having me pretend to be a good boyfriend to you in front of others despite knowing fully well that I feel nothing but hate and disgust for you?"
Rachel's lips parted and started to tremble as she tried to say something but couldn't because she couldn't make a sound, as her words were stuck and strangled in her throat.
Liam, who suddenly thought of something, leaned closer to Rachel, and with his voice cutting deeper, he said, "Or wait, are you being clingy to me like this because of Paige Corporation, the company you gave to my parents? If that is it, then you can stop clinging to me now because during the past five years we've been dating, I've spent a lot of effort to save some money up and invest it in stocks, some small startups, and some other projects I can't tell you about... But anyway, I earned a lot of cash last week... 300 million Gilead dollars, to be exact... and without wasting time, I immediately sent the money into your bank account because I've long been preparing for our breakup.... You ought to have gotten a bank alert from your bank. Oh, wait! I forgot! Silly me, how can I forget that you barely even have time to eat or sleep properly because of the numerous multiple part-time jobs you engage yourself in?"
He sighed and mocked her exhaustion before he continued and said,
"Perhaps the alert came, but you didn't even have the time to check your phone.... Anyways, I've already sent you the money, okay? I sent the whole 300 million Gilead dollars to you without taking a cent because that was what Richel Corporation was worth then before you handed it to my parents, who went ahead to rebrand it to Paige Corporation... So with this, I and my family don't owe you anything anymore, and just so you know, this is the last time I'm going to see or let you show up in front of me again.... We are done, Rachel! Register that in your brain!! Don't let my eyes see you in front of me or anywhere around me next time because if I do... I'm already beginning to pity you because you won't like the things I will do to you, nor would you be able to believe that I had such cruelty in me...."
After he finished talking, he slid his arm around Charlotte's waist, and with his tone shifting to a soft and sweet one, he made a performance just for Rachel to see and said, "Babe, I'm really sorry you had to see and witness all this... And I'm sorry for ruining our plans for today, but don't worry, okay? Because I'm going to make it up to you.... You know what? Let's get out of here! Let's go on a date!! Hmm, as for the location, let's just go out to your favorite spot downtown and spend some cash and then have some good time and real fun there...."
Charlotte's nod was small, and her reply was soft as she said, "Okay."
Liam's eyes widened, then lit up with joy as he said, "You agree?! Like, you really agree to go on a date with me after what just happened?!"
When her hazel eyes confirmed it, he pulled her into his arms and spun her around before planting a kiss on her lips with a wide grin on his face as he said, "That's great, Babe! Thanks for agreeing to go on a date with me despite seeing an eyesore today at my place... Wait, what are we still doing and waiting here for? Let's move out already! And, Babe, don't even think about limiting your alcohol intake today because you need to drive yourself home because I'm going to be your chauffeur today."
Charlotte's cheeks turned red and her ears glowed as she whispered, "Okay."
Then she tiptoed to Liam and pressed her lips against Liam's lips in a deep, passionate kiss—right in front of Rachel, who sat frozen on the floor with her eyes wide as if she were watching a horror movie.
Hand in hand and smiling at each other, Liam and Charlotte walked out of the bedroom with their bodies almost glued together.
After a while, Rachel blinked and snapped out of her daze just in time to see the door closing behind them, which made her heart cave in as she clawed her nails into her palms and forced herself to her feet and ran out of the bedroom, down the staircase, and out of the house.
Rachel's voice cracked as she desperately screamed, "Liam, wait! Come back!! Please wait!! Liam!!!"
She chased them through the dark alley they entered, with her footsteps echoing in the silent atmosphere.
When she finally stumbled out of the dark alley, feeling breathless, she caught sight of Liam and Charlotte climbing into the white BMW—a car that was his twentieth birthday gift from her.
The engine roared to life, and in the blink of an eye, the white BMW shot forward like a bullet and came straight at her.
Rachel's body froze in shock for a short while, which made it too late for her to move out of the way when she came back to her senses and saw the white BMW right in front of her, which hit her and sent her flying and crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
As her blood was spilling across the pavement, her blurred gaze followed the white BMW as it vanished into the distance before her lips trembled as she whispered, "Liam…"
Then her eyes fluttered shut, enveloping her world with darkness.