"Fucking bitch is enjoying my suffering, huh? Don't worry, I'll show you soon who'll be the one suffering."
Hate. That was all Lloyd felt as he stared at Rhea. An unimaginable, burning hatred that threatened to consume him from the inside. Every time he saw her face, it ignited something dark within him. And now, as she flaunted her little act in front of him, he finally understood.
He had never been anything more than a toy to her—a fleeting distraction she played with until she got bored. Once she was done, she had thrown him aside without a second thought, moving on as if he had never mattered.
At first, he wanted revenge. He wanted to make her pay, to wipe that smug smirk off her face. But at the same time, a part of him questioned whether revenge was even necessary. He should've known better from the start. She was never in his league. She never truly loved him. To her, he was just an amusement, a temporary plaything.
'Huh? What the fuck?! Since when did they get so close?!'
His eyes widened as he noticed something that made his blood boil—his former friends, the same ones who once stood by his side, were now all chummy with Rhea.
They laughed together, talked animatedly, as if they had been best friends all along. He had no idea what was so damn funny, but whatever it was, they seemed to be having the time of their lives.
And then he saw *him.*
Ron.
Lloyd's hands clenched into tight fists. His nails dug into his palms, but he barely felt the pain.
'Ron?! What the fuck, man?! Didn't you used to hate her?! Why the fuck are you holding her by the waist?!'
Rage shot through him like a lightning bolt. Ron, out of all people.
Ron had been his closest friend. He had been the only one who stuck around when everyone else left. The only one who had warned him about Rhea from the very beginning.
'I don't know, man… Something about her feels off. Be careful.'
Ron's words echoed in his head like a cruel joke.
Even after the breakup, Ron had been there for him, trying to pull him out of the pit he had fallen into. He had tried to help, tried to get Lloyd to move on. And yet… even he had abandoned him in the end.
'Are you fucking serious, Ron? Or are you just that weak-willed? Did you fall for her charm too, huh? After all that talk about how she wasn't worth it, you caved the moment she turned her attention to you?'
Lloyd gritted his teeth, keeping his head down to avoid making direct eye contact. If he looked any longer, he might lose control.
Rhea must have noticed his reaction because, out of the corner of his eye, he caught her glancing at him—her lips curled into a teasing, knowing smile. She was doing this on purpose.
Everything—the laughter, the flirtation, the way she clung to Ron—it was all deliberate.
She wanted him to see.
She wanted him to suffer.
'Fuck it! I had lost myself, and everything has changed…'
Lloyd forced himself to breathe, to push his emotions aside and think logically.
Why?
Why was Rhea doing this? What the hell was she trying to accomplish?
It wasn't like he mattered anymore. He had made peace with the fact that he was forgettable, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. So why was she still bothering with him?
But then, he realized something.
Ever since their breakup, Rhea had been doing this—slowly surrounding herself with people who had once been close to him. One by one, she pulled them into her circle, making sure he had no one left.
He had noticed it before, during his late-night social media stalking, but he had brushed it off as paranoia. Now, seeing it unfold in front of him, there was no denying it.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Rhea wasn't just moving on.
She was erasing him.
At first, she had taken his acquaintances. Then his friends. And now, at the finale, she had taken *Ron.*
Lloyd watched as the last piece of his past life was ripped away right in front of him.
Maybe he had played right into her hands—maybe that was what she wanted all along. But even if that were true, he didn't feel as angry as he thought he would. He had already made peace with the fact that his so-called "friends" had left him. After all, he had ignored them first, and people move on.
Still… why was she so persistent?
At this point, it didn't even make sense. There were far more important things she could be focusing on—yet she was still here, still trying to chip away at whatever was left of his social life. A social life he no longer cared about.
'You bitch… just wait. Let's see who gets the last laugh when I'm back at my peak.'
Rhea's games didn't break him. If anything, they motivated him.
All she was doing was fueling his drive to improve himself, to become the best version of himself. He wouldn't waste another second dwelling on people who weren't worth his time.
As he watched them laugh with her, he had a moment of clarity.
None of them were real.
The people he once called friends—they had never been real friends to begin with.
And now, he knew better. He would never repeat this mistake again. He would rather be alone than surround himself with people who held knives behind their backs, waiting for the right moment to strike.
At least they had some dignity. They hadn't spread strange rumors about him.
'Hmph. At least they weren't that pathetic.'
Lloyd let out a slow breath, pushing his thoughts aside. His grip on his bag tightened, but he didn't let the frustration consume him.
It didn't matter.
Friends, no friends—it didn't matter.
Because if there was one thing he had learned… the only person he could truly trust was himself.
'Fucking fake friends…' He clenched his teeth, shoving those emotions deep down.
---
The college hours passed quickly.
Just like every other day, he was alone.
But today, for the first time, he didn't care.
There were more important things to focus on. His semester exams were coming up, and he needed to go to the library to gather the books he needed.
Once his bag was packed with the necessary study material, he slung it over his shoulder and let out a satisfied breath.
"That's it. Let's head back home."
---
As Lloyd exited the library, a rough voice suddenly called out to him.
"Hey, you fat fuck, where the fuck do you think you're going?"
Lloyd stopped in his tracks.
A tall, delinquent-looking guy stood before him, arms crossed, a twisted smirk on his face.
For a moment, Lloyd was stunned.
"Sorry? Are you talking to me?"
His brows furrowed. He had no idea who this guy was.
And yet, the hostility in the air was unmistakable.
******
Okay, if anyone's wondering why am I focusing on his normal life the reason behind that is because this novel travels between earth and the martial world. I hope you finally understand why I am writing so much about this world.