Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen - Chapter 122: Chapter 122

After the SAT, I didn't go back home. Instead, I followed Verla to Chicago for a summer job.
There, I received calls from a New York number every few days.
I declined every single one.
People don't drift apart because they let go, but they couldn't resist temptation.
The day the exam results were released, my score was highlighted.
I got the official email from Oxford.
Top of my class. Three years of relentless work… and I hadn't let myself down. Every step I had taken had paid off.
Once the exam results came out, my parents suddenly reappeared in my life.
Smiling for the cameras, singing their own praises—talking about how they "raised" a valedictorian daughter.
Verla was furious, hands on her hips as she fumed, "They have some nerve! Like they ever gave a damn about you?"
I silently gazed into the distance.
Later, when the media found me, I maintained a faint smile as I calmly revealed that I had a cheating father, a biased mother and a broken home.
And that I was a fighter who didn't accept my fate.
In an age where things go viral fast, the interview blew up. Many people sympathized with me while admiring my resilience.
Afterward, I simply changed my SIM card. Between the full scholarship and various merit awards, I had more than enough for college expenses.
On the second day after arriving at university, there was a freshman orientation ceremony.
My roommates and I rushed to the field.
It was crowded, and we couldn't find where our department was supposed to gather. I was spinning in circles, totally lost.
Suddenly, a clear male voice came from behind me. "Excuse me."
I froze for a moment. The moment I turned around, I saw a familiar face from my memories. He stood against the light, slightly bowing his head as he said, "Long time no see."
After the ceremony ended, I dragged my roommates to the dining hall.
That evening, Caleb intercepted me outside the dorm. He addressed my curious roommates. "Mind if I borrow her for a sec? Thanks."
I didn't want to talk to him and tried to follow my roommates inside, but he grabbed my hand. "Even death row gets a chance to defend themselves, at least let me explain myself, okay?"
With a stern face, I walked to the side with him.
"I'm sorry I disappeared without saying goodbye," he explained softly. "My home is actually in England. I went to school in New York after a major fight with my family."
"The day I left… my grandmother got really sick. She's the only one in my family who ever really cared about me."
He lowered his head, eyes downcast. "This is gonna sound ridiculous, but… after I returned to England, my phone was stolen. I was busy taking care of my grandmother, and by the time I got a new phone, you had already blocked me."
"I did come back to New York later. But it was your senior year. I didn't want to mess up your focus. So I stayed away."
"I'm not lying, Sophie. I swear. Everything I just said—it's real."
Girls returning to the dorm kept sneaking glances at us, then quickly looking away when I caught their eye.
I stared at our shadows on the ground, my mind racing with thoughts. Finally, I just nodded. "Okay. I understand."
I didn't know how I should feel. Angry? That seemed pointless now. Happy? I didn't feel that either.
I just wanted to escape. "If that's all… I'm gonna go."
As I turned to leave, Caleb suddenly embraced me, his voice muffled against my shoulder. "I like you, Sophie."
"I'm not some reformed player, and I'm not dirty. I've never had a girlfriend before."
"That rumor about me switching girlfriends like T-shirts? That came from some girl who crushed on me forever, and I never said yes."
His arms tightened around my waist, heat radiating through his palms.
In my daze, I heard him ask, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
That day, I didn't answer. Instead, I just ran away.