Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen - Chapter 130: Chapter 130

Travis stood at the summit of Lovers' Peak, surveying his handiwork with satisfaction.
He'd gone all out—white tent, string lights, bouquets of roses, heart-shaped balloon arrangements, pink ribbons tied to every tree branch. He'd even convinced his roommate Marcus to haul a guitar up the mountain for the perfect musical backdrop.
His friends gathered around him, shaking their heads in amazement.
"Dude, Travis, this is some next-level romantic shit. Your childhood girlfriend's gonna lose her mind when she sees this."
Travis grinned, already imagining my reaction. He'd promised me a proper confession when I started college—it was the fantasy that had gotten me through senior year, though he had no idea I'd already given up on him.
"She's been giving me the cold shoulder lately over some stupid fight. Had to pull out all the stops to make it up to her."
His roommate Jake whistled appreciatively. "Man, you're living the dream. I mean, sure, she can be a little dramatic, but damn if that girl isn't gorgeous."
"For real! You never told us the campus queen was your childhood sweetheart! You should've introduced us ages ago."
Travis's eyes gleamed with pride.
Ever since the welcome show, I'd become Brown's unofficial princess. The campus confession board was flooded with my photos, and I was winning every "campus beauty" poll by a landslide. Guys were constantly asking around for my contact info.
Which was exactly why Travis had been getting nervous. I'd been ignoring him lately, and with his lab rotation keeping him busy, he was paranoid someone might swoop in while he was gone.
This grand gesture would solve everything—he'd record the whole thing and post it online to mark his territory. He'd even had his father reach out to my parents about an official engagement.
He was absolutely certain I'd show up.
But six o'clock came and went with no sign of me, and anxiety started creeping in.
"She's here! She's coming up the trail!"
Travis exhaled in relief.
He signaled Marcus to start playing, straightened his shirt, and grabbed the bouquet, plastering on his most charming smile.
A girl in a blindfold and a familiar blue dress was being led toward him by one of his friends.
But as she got closer, Travis froze.
His friend, assuming he was just nervous, gave the girl a gentle push into Travis's arms while everyone started cheering and catcalling.
Travis snapped back to reality and tried to shove her away. "What the hell—why is it you?!"
But Camila clung to him desperately, whispering, "Travis, don't push me away! Gabby said she hates you and she's never coming. But you still have me—I really, truly love you. Please, can't we be together?"
Travis pushed her off so hard she stumbled. "That's impossible! You're lying!"
"Stop the music! Everyone stop!"
The panic he'd been suppressing came flooding back. His Gabby could never hate him—it was impossible.
Camila hit the ground, her blindfold falling away. The crowd went silent, realizing something was very wrong.
Travis frantically pulled out his phone and saw my message:
I'm at the base of the mountain. Where are you?
Followed by fifteen missed calls.
The terror really set in then. He called me back over and over—straight to a dead line every time.
His hands started shaking uncontrollably.
Suddenly he grabbed Camila by the shoulders, his voice dark and threatening. "Talk! What happened? I told you to bring her up here! Why isn't she here? Why are you wearing her dress?!"
Camila's eyes darted around nervously before she covered her face and started crying.
"She really didn't want to come. She slapped me and told me to get lost. I couldn't bear to see you heartbroken, so I... I pretended to be her..."
There was indeed a faint handprint on Camila's cheek, and murmurs started rippling through the crowd.
Travis didn't buy it for a second. He dropped the roses and bolted down the mountain trail.
No matter how much his friends shouted after him, he didn't slow down.
Fifteen missed calls. Even someone as clueless as Travis could tell something was seriously wrong.
He ran straight to my dorm building and begged the resident advisor to find me.
The middle-aged woman took pity on his panicked state. "What's the student's name? What's her major? Which room?"
Travis spoke rapidly: "Gabriella Rodriguez, pre-med freshman, she lives in..." He stopped dead.
The horrible realization hit him—he'd helped Camila move into her dorm on orientation day, but he'd never actually seen where I lived.
The RA looked at him suspiciously. "You don't know her room number? What about her class schedule?"
Travis went blank.
Something cold gripped his heart. How did he not know any of this?
He felt something fundamental slipping away from his control.
Travis eventually got someone to look up my class and room information.
But the RA checked her records and shook her head. "There's no student by that name in this building."
He completely lost it, trying to rush past security. "That's impossible! My Gabby has to be in there! I need to find her!"
The RA called campus security, and Travis was escorted off the premises.
His parents called him later that night and told him something that made his blood run cold.
The next day, Travis reluctantly reported to his advisor's lab for his research rotation.