Chapter 5
The dinner was held at an upscale restaurant near campus. The private dining room was large, easily seating over twenty people.
By the time I arrived, almost everyone was already there.
Julian was sitting next to Higgins, and Chloe was glued to his side.
She was wearing a white lace top, her hair in a delicate braid, looking pure and radiant.
The room fell silent for a fraction of a second when I pushed the door open.
All eyes turned to me.
Julian's eyes flickered with a trace of unease when he saw me.
Chloe smiled warmly at me. "Sera! You're here! Come, sit!"
She pointed to the empty seat directly across from Julian.
I walked over and sat down.
Next to me was Leo Brooks, a second-year student who had always been on good terms with me.
He lowered his voice and whispered, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I heard about the paper..." he hesitated, looking sympathetic. "That's messed up."
"Let's just eat," I said, picking up my fork.
As the food was served, the atmosphere warmed up.
Higgins stood up, raising his wine glass. "Two announcements tonight. First, let's welcome our newest member, Chloe Evans. Even though she's only been with us for two months, she's incredibly hardworking and has made rapid progress. Let's support her."
Applause filled the room. Chloe stood up, blushed, and bowed.
"Second," Higgins smiled at Julian. "Julian and Chloe have recently made things official. As their advisor, I'm thrilled to see love blossom in our lab. Let's congratulate them!"
The applause grew louder.
Someone yelled, "Julian, aren't you going to do something special?"
Julian stood up, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small velvet box.
He opened it to reveal a silver ring.
It was delicate. It was thin.
It was the exact replica of the one on my finger.
He slid the ring onto Chloe's finger, took her hand, and addressed the room: "Thank you, everyone. Chloe is an amazing girl, and I promise to cherish her."
Chloe's eyes welled with tears. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Higgins... and thank you, Julian."
Her eyes swept across the room, lingering on me for a second before shifting away.
Julian didn't look at me once.
Not even a glance.
Under the table, my thumb gently traced the silver band on my own ring finger.
He didn't dare look at me because he knew exactly where that ring came from.
For his birthday last year, I spent half my food budget to buy those matching rings. He dismissed them as childish, asking, "What's the point of these cheap things?"
Apparently, they had a point now.
Because the girl receiving it was Chloe.
Beside me, Leo muttered under his breath, "Wait, why does that ring look so familiar..."
I said nothing, quietly savoring my appetizer.
Halfway through the dinner, Chloe walked over to my side of the table, holding a glass of wine.
"Sera, let me toast to you."
I looked up and raised my glass.
"Thank you so much for helping me with the data and the model lately. You've been so good to me," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Can I still come to you if I run into any more trouble in the future?"
"Sure," I said.
She smiled and downed her wine.
I did the same.
As she turned to leave, her eyes suddenly locked onto my hand resting on the table.
"Oh, your ring is so pretty!"
I raised my hand, letting the light catch the silver band so she could see it clearly.
"Really? It looks quite similar to yours."
Her face froze for a fraction of a second before her sweet smile returned.
"It does look similar. But mine was a gift from Julian, so the meaning is completely different."
"Mine was a gift from someone too," I replied calmly. "Given to me last year."
The smile on her face completely vanished.
Julian, who was clearly listening from across the table, stood up and marched over.
"Chloe, go back and sit down. Your food is getting cold."
"Okay," Chloe said softly. She took a couple of steps back, giving me one last suspicious look before walking away.
Julian stood right in front of me, barely hiding his fury. "Sera, what the hell are you doing? Why did you wear that ring today?"