He Threw Away My Acceptance Letter

After crying my eyes out, I wiped away my tears and switched my phone to silent mode, desperate to shut out every notification. Before long, Phoenix and Lia showed up at my doorstep.

The second Lia saw me, she rushed over. "Emmeline, why didn't you reply to any of my texts last night? I was worried sick!"

"Don't pay attention to that group chat post, okay? We were just messing around with a stupid game of Truth or Dare after that. It was all nonsense. I already gave everyone who talked shit about you a piece of my mind. So don't be upset, alright?"

Then she shot a glare at Phoenix. "This is all your fault! Who suggested playing that silly game? Now Emmeline's upset. Are you happy?"

Phoenix leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, totally unbothered. "Not like I told them to say those things."

"Stop with the excuses! Apologize!" Lia insisted.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry," he finally said, shooting me a glance that held zero remorse before turning back to Lia with a faint smile. "How about I make it up to you both by taking you out to dinner?"

Lia's face lit up with approval. She turned to me. "Emmeline, come on. Let's make him pay."

I tried to say it really wasn't necessary, but Lia was already dragging me out the door.

At the restaurant, Phoenix handed the menu straight to Lia. She flipped through it, gushing over how amazing one dish looked and how ridiculously pricey another was. Phoenix traded jokes with her, but he ordered everything she mentioned—including a mango smoothie, completely forgetting that I'm allergic to mango.

Nobody asked what I wanted. Once again, I was the outsider. Invisible. I couldn't take the atmosphere anymore. I was about to leave when I heard someone call out Phoenix's name.

"Phoenix? Is that you?"

It was his parents.

The moment his mom laid eyes on Lia, her eyes sparkled. "Oh, is this the girl you're always talking about? She's beautiful! I knew my son had excellent taste."

Phoenix hesitated, but said nothing. Lia blushed and didn't deny it either.

His mom assumed they were both shy and patted Lia's hand warmly. "Don't be nervous, sweetheart. I'm not one of those strict parents. Dating at your age is completely normal."

His dad chuckled. "Alright, we'll let you two enjoy your evening. Phoenix, treat her well. If you need extra money, just ask. Don't hold back."

They left, cheerful and approving, without a single hint of disapproval.

And right then, everything became crystal clear. Phoenix wasn't worried about his parents being strict about high school dating—he was just embarrassed to be seen with me in public. I wasn't as pretty as Lia. Not as accomplished. Not anyone's idea of the perfect girlfriend.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Lia broke the silence. "So Emmeline, have you decided which college you're going to? Phoenix and I are probably heading to New York."

"If you want to come with us, you could always take a gap year to boost your scores and reapply, but it's okay. We'll be waiting for you there."

Her words sounded caring, but they were just another reminder of how far beneath her I was. Maybe she'd gotten so used to looking down on me that it was second nature.

I shook my head. "No. I won't be going to the same college as you."

Phoenix paused, his eyes fixed on me, a shadow flickering across his face.

Not long after, he texted me: "Don't let your anger make decisions for you. Is this because I didn't introduce you to my parents?"

"They assumed Lia was my girlfriend. If I suddenly denied it, it would've been awkward. Be reasonable and wait until school starts."

Once again, he asked me to wait. But I no longer wanted to play a supporting role in their story. Without replying, I simply stood and said, "I've had enough. I'm leaving."

Lia called after me as I walked away, but I didn't look back.

That afternoon, Lia suddenly sent me a flood of messages.

"Emmeline, on the way home, Phoenix basically confessed to me. He said he's finally glad we can be together openly."

"I actually knew you were secretly seeing him before, but you can't force feelings."

"So, Emmeline... I'm sorry."

So she'd known all along. She knew I liked Phoenix. She knew about us. Yet she still used me as a stepping stone to get closer to him.

Right then, I truly felt like a fool. Why would the two people I cared about most do this to me?

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. After all, I was leaving soon. Nothing left to hold me back.

In the days that followed, I kept my distance from everyone. The class group stayed active—someone posted a photo of Phoenix and Lia sharing a milkshake. The comments were all about how "adorable" and "perfect" they looked together.

I scrolled past, feeling nothing.

The day the SAT scores came out, I was at home packing up my things. I'd done remarkably well—scoring in the 99th percentile, landing me in the top five of our graduating class rankings. Even though I'd already gotten an early acceptance, I still felt a rush of pride.

That's when Phoenix showed up at my door holding a bouquet of white lilies, smiling as he offered them to me. "Emmeline, congratulations. So all those harsh words were just that, right? You did so well—it proves you want to be with me, doesn't it?"

I couldn't stand his condescending tone. I refused the flowers. "Phoenix, we're nothing to each other now. Aren't you worried Lia might get the wrong idea if you come looking for me?"

His expression darkened. "Quit talking nonsense. There's nothing between me and Lia. It's all fake. Emmeline, since when did you become so difficult?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "You said you were glad to finally be with her openly. Didn't you feel ecstatic to get what you wanted?"

A shocked look crossed Phoenix's face. "How do you know about that? No, I can explain—"

"No need!" I cut him off, shouting with every ounce of strength I had left. "I'm done being part of your games!"