He Thought He Could Use Me, But Now I’m the One Playing Him

But later, he broke up with me because Vanessa had found someone else and dumped him.

I thought I had another chance.

Every day, I followed him around.

"Are you kidding me?"

“Elena, has anyone ever told you that you’re like gum stuck to someone’s shoe?"

His annoyed expressions were something I had seen countless times, but he was single now, and that made me think I had a shot.

It was 2 a.m.

A call woke me up. “Sis, Julian’s drunk.”

Sis?

Who the hell is your sister-in-law?

I cursed and hung up, annoyed at the interruption.

But as soon as I put the phone down, something clicked, and I immediately called back. “Where is he? I’m coming to pick up Julian.”

I threw on my coat and ran out of the building.

The wind hit my face, biting, almost painful. But I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

The fact that he called me—didn’t that mean I mattered to him, in some way?

What did he have me saved as in his contacts?

Elena?

First on his list. That had to mean something.

Or maybe…

Dear Vance?

My heart fluttered.

I entered the room to find a woman lying across Julian’s lap.

Julian took a careless sip of his drink. “Oh, you actually came.”

People around us cheered and clapped. “Elena actually showed up, hahaha.”

“Too easy to trick.”

I felt something inside me snap. “What did you save me as?”

Julian looked at me with a playful glint in his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifted, and he mouthed two words:

“Puppy.”

With that, he started kissing the woman in his arms right in front of me.

His bloodshot eyes met mine, daring me to react, while his lips never stopped moving.

I felt numb all over. If he didn’t like me, then fine. But why did he have to humiliate me like this?

Without thinking, I slapped him hard, not even bothering to grab my coat as I ran out of the room.

I cried as I ran.

When I reached the school gates, I couldn’t get in.

I stood there in the cold wind, wearing only a thin jacket.

I spent the rest of the night huddled in the bus shelter.

It was so cold.

But what hurt more was the chill in my heart.

Before graduation, I stood beneath the boys’ dormitory, holding a bouquet of roses.

My roommates sighed repeatedly. “Are you a masochist?”

“Why are you torturing yourself like this? What’s it going to do for you?”

“This guy… he’s done this to you, and you’re still chasing him!”

Their frustrated advice echoed in my ears, but I just wanted to try again.

I couldn’t leave with regrets.

I swore to myself, “If he rejects me this time, then I’m really done.”

Next to me stood a couple, two people tightly wrapped around each other.

More specifically, the girl was on her toes, her arms around the guy’s neck, holding on tightly.

“You can’t accept a long-distance relationship?” The girl cried into his shoulder.

“You’re going to work in Ashford, and I’m going to study in Lunenburg. We’ll just keep drifting further apart,” the guy said, his voice calm and indifferent.

“You don’t love me enough, you can’t even handle this small obstacle,” the girl let go of him, her face drained of color.

She finally said the words, “Let’s break up.”

She walked away.

The guy stood still for a moment, looking up at the sky, as if in sorrow.

The next second, out of nowhere, another girl appeared from the shadows, her voice confident, “You should break up with her, right?”

“Done, done. It’s good that we ended things before graduation. So damn unlucky,” the guy quickly pulled the new girl into his arms, showering her with affection.

I rolled my eyes, my heart sinking even further.

In relationships, only the person who’s loved can be carefree.

The air was thick with tension, the pressure so low it felt hard to breathe.

I waited until 10 p.m., and then, finally, his familiar figure appeared.

Julian was walking with a girl.

I recognized her.

Vanessa.

Julian’s face was bruised, showing signs of anger, but when he turned his head to look at Vanessa, his expression softened.

The woman was holding her mouth, silently sobbing. His face was full of concern.

He whispered into her hair as they passed by me, gently soothing her in his arms.

“There won’t be anyone who’ll hurt you again.”

There won’t be anyone who’ll hurt you again.

It felt like a curse.

My heart was torn apart, piece by piece.

Each wound deeper than the last, tearing me to shreds.

And there wouldn’t be anyone who could hurt me again.

Because my heart was already shattered beyond repair.