Emma wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.
"Josh, you bastard… we're done. I want to break up!"
Josh sneered, not even flinching.
"Break up? Fine. I've had enough fun anyway. College girls aren't all they're cracked up to be. Honestly? Not even as good as a one-night stand. Why are you still sitting in my car? Get out. Or do you expect me to chauffeur you back to campus after breaking up?"
Emma froze, stunned at his cruelty. She had expected him to argue, maybe try to smooth things over—but this?
Her eyes widened. "Josh, this is a main road. There aren't even taxis here, and it looks like it's about to rain. You really want me to get out here?"
Josh smirked with disdain.
"What, you think I should still treat you nicely after a breakup? Don't flatter yourself. Now hurry up and hand back the necklace and bracelet I gave you."
Emma's face flushed red with both anger and disbelief. She reached up and clutched the jewelry protectively.
"How could you even say that? Gifts are gifts—you don't just take them back. Jason didn't have much money before, and he never once asked for the things he gave me."
Josh barked out a cold laugh.
"Jason's a fool. Just because he let you walk all over him doesn't mean I will. You think every guy's gonna worship you like that? Hand it over."
Before Emma could react, Josh grabbed her wrist with brute force, yanking her hand away. Pain shot through her arm as he tore the necklace and bracelet off, his roughness making her cry out. In the struggle, her hair tumbled into a messy snarl, sticking to her damp cheeks.
"Josh—you bastard! You absolute bastard!" Emma screamed, half from pain, half from the overwhelming wave of humiliation.
But Josh didn't show an ounce of pity. He leaned over, popped open the passenger door, and shoved her out onto the curb.
"Get out of my car, slut."
Then he slammed the door, hit the gas, and sped away—leaving Emma standing there, hair tangled, mascara streaking down her cheeks, rain clouds darkening overhead.
Her legs gave out, and she sank into a crouch on the side of the road. For a moment, she couldn't even breathe.
Her grandparents had always treated her like a precious jewel growing up. Even during college, Jason—gentle, patient, had carried her in the palm of his hand. She had never been treated like this, discarded like trash in the middle of nowhere.
The sky broke open, and fat raindrops splattered against her shoulders. Within seconds, the drizzle became a downpour.
Emma fumbled out her phone, shivering, trying to book an Uber. The app told her there were no cars nearby. She stared at the screen, rain blurring her vision, her panic growing heavier with every second.
Her thumb hovered over Jason's name. Her heart surged painfully.
She pressed the call button. Please pick up… Jason… please…
But instead of his voice, a notification popped up:
"You are not friends with this contact."
Emma froze. He had… deleted her?
Her chest tightened. No, it can't be. He wouldn't… He can't really want to cut me off completely… right?
Memories of his kindness, his quiet patience, his unwavering loyalty—all of it flashed in her mind, stabbing into her heart like knives.
Her tears mixed with the rain until she couldn't tell which was which. She stood there helplessly, hair plastered to her face, body shivering.
Finally, after five agonizing minutes, her Uber arrived. She scrambled in, soaked through to the skin.
The driver, a middle-aged man with graying hair, glanced at her in the rearview mirror. His brow furrowed, but instead of scolding her for getting the seat wet, he reached back and handed her a blanket.
"Here, kiddo. Dry yourself off before you catch a cold."
His voice was gentle, understanding. "What happened? You're crying your eyes out. Breakup?"
Emma's lips trembled. She could only nod.
The driver sighed, shaking his head. "Your boyfriend's got no heart. Even if you break up, you don't just throw a girl out in the pouring rain. That's just cruel."
Emma buried her face in the blanket, and for the first time that night, she felt the tears pour out freely.
Emma cried even harder, her voice trembling with grievance. The driver sighed, not wanting to pry further, and simply focused on the road.
When they finally arrived atUniversity, Emma stepped out of the car and hurried back to her dorm in the pouring rain.
As she ran across the quad, soaked to the skin, a painful thought pierced her chest.
—How many times had she forgotten her umbrella, and Jason would always appear with one, no matter where he was?
Emma: Favorability +3.
By the time she reached the dorm, her roommates gasped at the sight of her. Her clothes were drenched, her hair tangled, and her eyes swollen from crying.
"Emma! What happened? Weren't you out on a date with Josh?" asked Lily, her closest roommate, rushing to grab her a towel.
Emma's lips quivered as tears streamed again. "Josh… Josh threw me out of the car… in the middle of the storm. He's not even human!"
"What?!" Lily was furious, wrapping the towel around Emma's shoulders. "How could he do that? That's beyond cruel."
The other two roommates, Samantha and Hailey, exchanged glances but stayed quiet. To be honest, Emma's choices had always rubbed them the wrong way.
They had seen firsthand how much Jason had cared for her. If she wasn't interested in him, fine—but stringing him along for three years only to run into Josh's arms the second he flashed some wealth? That was on her.
If she was truly someone who just needed time to warm up to love, then why had she hooked up with Josh after only a few days of knowing him, just because he looked like he had money?
Still, seeing her break down like this, Samantha finally hesitated before speaking up:
"I didn't want to say this yesterday, but my boyfriend did some digging… Josh isn't as rich as he makes himself out to be. In fact, he's barely holding on."
Emma blinked through her tears, stunned. "What… what do you mean?"
"His family only owns a small construction company. They made decent money a few years ago, sure, but lately? With the housing market the way it is, they've been struggling. He's nowhere near as wealthy as he wants people to believe."
"And get this—he's not even from the main branch of the family. He's the son of his dad's third wife, so his inheritance is practically nothing. His spending is tightly controlled, and honestly? The designer clothes and watches he shows off? My boyfriend says half of them are probably knock-offs."
Emma's breath caught. Pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.
"No wonder… no wonder he's been so impatient with me lately. He probably couldn't afford the gifts anymore. And when he saw Jason's new Mercedes and that Patek Philippe on his wrist today… it must have crushed him. He couldn't compete."
Lily's face burned with anger. "And you didn't tell us earlier?! You just let Emma get played like this?"
Samantha frowned. "Hold up. Don't pin this on me. I told her yesterday not to get too deep with Josh until she actually understood his character. She ignored me. It was you who kept pushing her to see the good in him just because he bought her stuff. And now you want to blame me?"
Lily snapped back. "Your boyfriend was the one who brought Josh around in the first place! If not for that, Emma would never have met him."
Samantha's patience broke. "That's bullshit, Lily. My boyfriend didn't introduce Josh to anyone. We all went to that party because you insisted, remember? And my boyfriend even warned us—those kinds of people aren't like us students, and we should be careful. But you didn't listen."
Hailey finally chimed in, siding with Samantha. "She's right, Lily. Nobody introduced Josh. Emma was the one who approached him at the party."
Emma sat there, numb, listening to them argue. Her chest felt tight.
She had walked away from Jason, who had treated her with nothing but patience and kindness for years—just to chase after Josh's empty glamour. And now… Jason had deleted her from his contacts.
Not angry. Not bitter. Just… gone.
The weight of that reality hit her like a truck. Her tears spilled harder as she curled into herself, whispering with regret she could barely voice:
"I… I was so stupid…"