After Bryan's act of bravery, Carolline found his status in her heart had involuntarily risen. She'd always known that the man she liked couldn't be that bad.
At least he was willing to help catch the thief – a behavior that surpassed many others.
After the incident, she was openly praised by the school and awarded academic credits. Everyone regarded her as a little hero. But when she returned to the dormitory, Megan Clifton scolded her for being reckless.
Especially her ghastly face, which took half a month to regain its normal color.
"By the way, did you confess your feelings to Bryan?" Megan, after scolding, started caring for her friend again.
"No, what do you mean?" Carolline's alarm bells immediately went off. Was it possible that Megan had betrayed her?
"If you haven't, then why are you overreacting? You think I'd sell you out? Carolline, let me tell you, since I've promised not to tell, I absolutely won't say anything. Don't underestimate me." Megan was immediately infuriated.
With a furious huff and glaring eyes, Megan stared at Carolline. Was she trying to push Megan's limits?
"Well, it's because you asked like that, that I misunderstood." Carolline explained, feeling a little scared when Megan was genuinely angry.
"I was just kindly reminding you, because recently Matilda Ferguson has been really annoying— she inexplicably told me to tell you not to pay attention to Bryan. I was baffled and didn't want to ask her about it."
Megan shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't like talking to Matilda Ferguson, so she could only come back and remind Carolline.
"…" Carolline naturally believed Megan's words, but she couldn't understand why Matilda Ferguson would say such a thing.
While Carolline continued to live her unenlightened life, she encountered Matilda Ferguson on her way home one weekend. It was a rather awkward meeting.
It wasn't because of Carolline secretly liking Bryan that made her embarrassed, but the fact that the man hugging Matilda Ferguson was not Bryan. Although Matilda Ferguson was struggling, the sight still made Carolline uncomfortable.
In her view, since Matilda Ferguson had Bryan, she shouldn't have this kind of hugging scene with another man.
Upon this thought, Carolline was still quite upset.
It was at this moment that Matilda Ferguson saw her, and especially when she noticed the disapproving look on Carolline's face. Matilda was even more upset, considering that Bryan had repeatedly mentioned this girl in front of her recently.
She never expected that this girl, who looked no different from a middle schooler, could have such a cunning charm. After meeting her, Bryan had no memory of any other girl's names except for Carolline's.
Matilda Ferguson said something to the man, who finally let go of her. The now-free Matilda Ferguson went straight towards Carolline.
Despite her larger strides than usual, due to her dancing background, she still maintained an elegant posture and was visually pleasing.
Carolline stood her ground, waiting for Matilda Ferguson to approach.
"You little girl, you're quite capable, huh? I didn't see it coming. When did you set your sights on him?" Matilda sounded rather hostile, and by "him," she naturally meant Bryan.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Also, what Megan told me, I think you might have misunderstood something?" Carolline didn't admit anything, seeing as she wasn't sure about Matilda Ferguson's situation.
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, I'm warning you not to have any delusions about him, got it?" Matilda Ferguson, naturally, didn't believe Bryan would be attracted to Carolline after having her.
However, even the most confident woman felt the need to eliminate the ticking time bomb lurking by her side. Besides, the way Bryan had mentioned this girl seemed rather strange in her eyes.
"I understand. Don't worry, neither I nor your boyfriend are that kind of person." Carolline nodded and unconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes. "No more issues? Then I'll be going."
After walking a few steps, Carolline turned around as if remembering something. Matilda Ferguson, who was about to leave, continued to stand there and watch her.
She probably guessed what Carolline was about to say.
As expected—
"By the way, since you have a boyfriend, my personal advice is to behave more decently in the future. In public, couples shouldn't act so indecently, let alone…"
Carolline couldn't say the rest. In her mind, she saw that man holding Matilda Ferguson with his arm around her, even kissing her hair. She felt heartbroken for Bryan.
"Let alone we're not yet, right?" Matilda Ferguson stood there, looking haughty. At 5'7" with her tall figure, while Carolline was only 5'5", Matilda seemed to have a more imposing presence.
"…" Carolline didn't say anything. As long as they both understood, there was no need to make things too obvious.
"Let me tell you, mind your own business. If he knew about this today, I guarantee that your life wouldn't be too easy." Matilda threatened and turned away. The man, who had not moved, immediately put his arm around her waist and walked away with her.
They looked so intimate, the man's hand becoming more unruly, resting on the woman's most sensitive area. Carolline watched, feeling a sour feeling in her chest. The sensation expanded, moving up her body and eventually reaching her eyes, causing them to swell with the heat of tears.