Upon arriving home, I smiled and addressed, "Mom, Dad—" only to find an unexpected guest seated beside my mother.
Feeling apprehensive, I exclaimed, "Connor?!"
Connor greeted me with a grin, "Long time no see. ... Why the expression? Don't want to see me?" As he said this,he lowered his head with a touch of self-pity in his demeanor. I froze.
My mother patted Connor's hand and reassured, "Connor, why wouldn't Mia want to see you?" Her gaze turned stern as she glanced at me. Connor, with his fair complexion, was naturally the type parents adored.
Shaking his head, he remarked, "She doesn't want to see me. I'll leave then, Mr. Foster. I won't join you for dinner, let Mia ..."
My mom's increasingly hostile look fueled my resentment, and I couldn't bear it any longer. I approached Connor, grabbed his collar, and dragged him upstairs to my room. As I pulled him along, I reassured my mom, "Mom, just catching up with him. Don't worry!"
I shut the door behind us and pushed him against it. "What are you pretending for?!"
At that moment, Connor's earlier grievances vanished. He leisurely inserted his hands into his pockets, lowered his head, lips slightly curved, and eyes filled with delight. "What am I pretending?"
I seethed, "Hypocrite!" He shrugged, "Oh." I fumed, "Don't play victim in front of my parents!" Connor squinted, "Are you begging me?" "I'm warning you!"
He chuckled, "Hmm. What if I don't agree?" I clenched my fists.
He twirled a lock of hair near my ear with his pinky finger, "You didn't even bid farewell when you left." I sneered inwardly, he still saw me within a day I returned, whether I notice him or not.
"Mia."
"What?" I instinctively responded. Connor bent down slightly, a faint smile flickering in his dark eyes, "Give me a kiss, and I'll agree."
I was stunned. I opened my mouth, "Are you falling for me after being bullied by me?"
Connor: "..."
"Do you miss me?" he asked again.
I shook my head honestly.
He said, "Then why think about Jordan?" Suddenly, I understood Jordan's actions before I left.
Continuing honestly, I admitted, "Actually, I lied to him."
"Huh?"
"After all, he's the client, you know." Connor visibly brightened.
Three seconds later, my phone was bombarded with messages. Connor suddenly laughed. I suspiciously glanced at him and opened my phone.
A stranger was sending me messages:
[Lying to me?]
[Great]
[Just because I'm the client?]
[...You lied to me and even said it out loud.]
[...]
I swallowed hard and said slowly, "Taylor, Connor!" Connor innocently looked at me, "What's wrong?"
I gritted my teeth.
He suddenly sniffed the air, his expression turning cold, "Did you see Logan?"
I furrowed my brows, "Huh?"
It suddenly dawned on me—is it the scent from Logan's car?
Connor pinched my cheek, his eyes slightly reddening at the corners, "Meeting Jordan again and meeting Logan, too... Even though I spent the most time with you in the past." I finally understood: "Do you like me?"
Connor was taken aback, his lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a word. I rolled my eyes and planned to push the door open and leave.
But my wrist was grabbed, and Connor's voice lowered, "Like." I sneered, "I remember you once said that nobody will like someone like me?"
Connor suddenly hugged me, his chin resting on my shoulder.
"I do."
I expressionlessly tried to push him away but couldn't.
"Ignore them, okay?" he said weakly. "Hypocrite," I retorted coldly. "I'm your master in hypocrisy. Do you think you can graduate after learning from me for a few days? I can't even see that you're a black-hearted person?" Seeing my indifference, Connor reluctantly let go of me, "Feeling sad. You still don't want to see me. I'll go say goodbye to your parents and leave..."
I angrily pulled him back, "Connor!" Just as my brain was rapidly devising ways to deal with this upstart of hypocrisy, my mom shouted from downstairs, "Mia! Jordan and Logan are here to see you!"
Me: ?
Connor smirked, "Don't go down."
I felt hopeless, "I don't want to go down either." I sighed and leaned against the balcony, basking in the moonlight.
So, even as the villainess, I still get my just deserts. Wasn't the female lead supposed to come and save the male leads? Now that the male leads like me, why does the female lead disappear? The plot is all messed up!
Another unknown number sent me a message.It was Logan,who probably got my number from my mom. The message was short and to the point, with only a screenshot and a sentence:
[Brought you a gift.]
There's a gift? I clicked on the screenshot, froze in place, and felt my heart sink. It was a belt!
Damn it, it's almost identical to the one I used to threaten Logan into writing my essays back then! I inwardly screamed, "System! System!" The system appeared promptly: "Got carried away?You are the female lead now. Good luck."
I was furious. No, this won't do. "You told me to be the female lead, right? Now they all like me, haven't I honorably completed the task you gave me?" The system fell silent for a moment. After a while, it replied, "I didn't expect that. Maybe you're too good at bullying people."
"Right? So hurry up and rescue me from this damn situation!" I was overwhelmed by my own wisdom.
"No, I'm leaving."
"You're leaving what?"
"You told me to leave before."
Me: … What's this? Is this what they call reaping what you sow?
I was seething, "Don't leave yet…"
System: "?"
"Why were they circling around that female lead before, but now they're all attracted to me? What kind of magic trick did you play?" I voiced the question that had been lingering in my mind for so long.
"Oh, they just wanted to irritate you and get back at you. After all, you've been too much of a bully in the past."
Me: …
It suddenly dawned on me. "So, when did they start liking me? How can I be so charming?Well, I don't know, and the system can't explain it either."
Connor was still on the phone arguing with the other side, "I'm having a private moment with Mia. Please be polite and don't disturb us." I propped my head up to look at the moon, which was indeed bright and round. ... But it's so noisy.
It wasn't until my mom called me downstairs for dinner, "Mia, Connor, come down for dinner!" that I dashed downstairs. Midway, I turned to Connor with a smile, "Since all three of you like me, you all could have a fair competition to win my favor."
Connor nodded and proceeded to open his e-reader in front of me, "I've been studying." I silently watched his bookshelf:
"Dominant CEO's Forced Love on me," "108 Techniques of Forced Love," "On Forced Love"…
"Are you threatening me?" I clenched my fists. Connor smiled obediently, "Not at all." Downstairs, my mom handed me a beautifully wrapped blue gift box. I was pleasantly surprised, "What's this, Mom?"
"A gift from Logan for you." I trembled. My mom frowned, "Hurry, take it. You silly girl, this is carefully prepared by Logan for you." I turned to the figure sitting on the side, the epitome of refined betrayal—Logan. He smirked.
I ground my teeth and swallowed my anger, then accepted the gift box. Jordan tilted his head, watching me. Obviously, he couldn't forget the incident when I lied to him... I collapsed onto the sofa, torn between cathartic scream and punching these people.
Connor went to help my dad serve the dishes. Logan chatted with my mom, making her beam with joy. Jordan occasionally chimed in, but most of the time, he bombarded me with messages, even though we were in the same house.
I massaged my temples. Damn it, I actually found this scene somewhat heartwarming. I thought of the moon I had seen just now, warm and gentle, a perfect match for this scene. I sighed in my heart, paused for a moment, and then smiled again.
This will be a long-term competition. Very long indeed. Let's see who will outplay whom.
