Good Luck Graduating Without Me

The first day of classes fell on our third anniversary, but my boyfriend Eugene Hale told me he was behind on his lab work and couldn't celebrate with me. Worried he was pushing himself too hard, I made him dinner and brought it to campus. As I passed the athletic field, I spotted him holding a bouquet of flowers and asking my best friend Cassidy Nixon to be his girlfriend. The students crowded around them broke into a chant. "Say yes! Say yes! Our golden couple is finally getting their happily ever after!" Eugene and Cassidy wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. The crowd erupted in cheers, and our faculty advisor stood nearby, grinning from ear to ear. Then someone spotted me. "Seriously? Who was keeping watch? How'd nobody see his jealous girlfriend coming?" The students rushed to block my path. "They've spent three years trying not to act on their feelings. They're finally together, and you're not ruining this!" "Exactly! Cassidy kept quiet for three years just to spare your feelings. Can't you think about her for once?" Even our advisor joined in, trying to convince me to accept it. "Cassidy's dad is a big name in the field. He could do so much for Eugene's research career. Think about his future, not just yourself." As they piled on the accusations, I laughed until tears filled my eyes. They had made themselves clear. I was done with Eugene. And I was done anonymously funding their class projects. Chapter 1 I pulled out my phone to text my dad, but Eugene Hale's best friend Kenny Vaughn smacked it out of my hand. It hit the ground. "Come on, Holly. What are you doing with your phone, trying to post a video and ruin Cassidy's life? "She's loved Eugene in secret for three years. All he did was give her one special moment. "You're still his girlfriend. Do you really have to be so cruel and tear them apart?" Last month, when Kenny's family had an emergency, I lent him 2,000 dollars to help them out. He couldn't thank me enough and kept telling me I was practically family. Now, he was taking the side of the friend who betrayed me. My lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. "If their love is so beautiful, what are you all afraid of?" I bent down to pick up my phone, and several girls immediately closed in around me. "Holly, calm down. Cassidy's a good person. She put you first and kept her feelings to herself for three whole years!" "Eugene just wants to make it up to her a little, and you're making a huge scene over it." "Exactly. You think being his girlfriend means you get to boss everyone around. It's exhausting." "I'd pick Cassidy, too, if I were Eugene. Who could put up with a control freak like you?" A cold ache settled in my chest as I looked around at the classmates I used to laugh and joke with. "Relax. A cheater and a two-faced liar deserve each other. I wouldn't waste my time trying to break them up." I turned and walked away, but Eugene caught up with me just outside my dorm. "Holly, I know I shouldn't have kept this from you. But this has been really hard on Cassidy, loving me and knowing she can't be with me. "She's severely depressed because of it. I can't just turn my back on her. "You're the only one I love. We're still getting married after graduation." I looked at the face I had loved for three years. He felt so much like a stranger that it scared me. "Only you could make cheating sound like you're doing someone a favor." Eugene frowned. "Cheating? Do you have to call it that? She wanted one little thing, and I gave it to her." Then his voice softened, as if he just needed to explain it better. "I'm missing some key data for my thesis. Cassidy's dad can get it for me. Can't you do this one thing for me so I can graduate? Please, stop making a scene." He spoke as if he were being perfectly reasonable, as if his future meant I should simply accept the humiliation. I gave a bitter laugh and met his eyes. "Eugene, we're done. Your problems aren't mine anymore." I turned and headed upstairs. I reached the second-floor landing just as Cassidy Nixon posted an update. [It wasn't the perfect ending, but that one moment was enough. Now I can look back on these years without regrets.] Comments poured in. [You deserve it, princess!] [Don't cry, Cassidy. We're here for you!] [Don't worry. We won't let that skank win!] Even our academic advisor, Gavin Turner, liked the post and left a comment. [Follow your hearts. You have my support.] Their outrage made it sound as if I was the one trying to break up a couple. I scoffed, closed the post, and sent Dad a message. [Dad, stop the anonymous funding for our class projects.] He replied almost immediately, [What happened?] I typed my answer slowly, one word at a time. [Nothing. I just realized some people aren't worth it.] Chapter 2 As I reached my dorm room, I heard voices inside. "Cassidy looked gorgeous today. Eugene couldn't take his eyes off her!" "Right? It would've been perfect if that tramp hadn't shown up and killed the mood." They were clearly talking about me. I pushed the door open with a bitter smile, and the chatter stopped. Freya Perry, who liked to act like she ran the place, clicked her tongue. "Some people have no shame. I can't believe she actually came back." My other two roommates jumped right in. "Seriously. Cassidy was having such a great day, and then she showed up and made her feel so guilty she cried." "How can someone be that heartless?" When I didn't react, Freya rolled her eyes. "Hello, Holly? We're talking about you. "You've been bossing Cassidy around for years just because your grades are a little better than hers. "Her family's loaded, and her dad's a big name in the field. She could've been with Eugene all along, but she stepped aside for you for three years. "Now he does this one little thing for her, and you throw a fit." My other two roommates scoffed in agreement. In our first year of grad school, all three were so short on money that they couldn't even afford a washing machine between them. Washing clothes by hand in the dead of winter was miserable, so I bought one for us to use. When summer came, I bought an air conditioner to make the heat bearable. I even offered to cover the electric bill. I thought that if I looked out for them, they would do the same for me. Instead, they took everything I did for granted and still expected more. I no longer saw any point in trying. "If you love Cassidy so much, ask her to move in. I'll find an apartment tomorrow, and I'm taking everything I paid for." For three seconds, no one said a word. Then they all started yelling. "Seriously, Holly? We call you out once, and this is how you react?" "No wonder Eugene wants Cassidy! Who'd want to be with someone this petty?" I didn't argue. I just looked at them. "Think whatever you want." I grabbed my pajamas and went into the bathroom. Almost as soon as I closed the door, the class group chat blew up. Freya posted, [We called the jealous girlfriend out, and now she's threatening to take everything she bought out of the room. Whatever. We're not apologizing for telling her the truth.] A flood of thumbs-up reactions followed. [Good for you. She can't use that stuff to make you take her side.] [She's just mad we're happy for Eugene and Cassidy.] [Don't let her get to you. We've got your back, Cassidy.] As more messages poured in, Cassidy joined the chat. [Please don't be so hard on Holly. None of this would've happened if it weren't for me. I shouldn't have asked Eugene to do that for me. Now Holly's taking it out on you guys. I'm so sorry.] More replies poured in. [Seriously, you're still worried about her after all this?] [You don't need to apologize. She's the one making this everyone's problem.] [Some best friend. She can't let you have one happy moment?] Eugene was online the whole time. For all his insistence that I was the only one he loved, he never said a word in my defense. I stared at the messages, my expression hardening, then left the group chat. There was nothing left between us worth holding on to. I spent three years looking out for these people, and it meant nothing to them. All I could do now was accept it. Chapter 3 Early the next morning, I went apartment hunting. Price wasn't an issue. I just wanted somewhere comfortable to live. Within two hours, I found a luxury apartment and signed the lease. Then I hired movers and headed back to the dorm. The apartment came fully furnished, so I only needed my personal belongings. But I wasn't leaving the appliances I bought for my ungrateful roommates to enjoy. Freya and the others stared at me. "Holly, you're seriously doing this?" I ignored them and told the movers to get started. The noise drew people out of the neighboring rooms. They gathered in the hallway to watch. "Oh my god. Is she really taking everything?" "I thought she was generous. Guess that only lasts as long as you agree with her." "We still have to see each other in class every day. Why make it this awkward?" "No wonder Eugene picked Cassidy. I'd get tired of having every little thing held over my head, too." With everyone taking their side, my roommates grew bolder. "Whatever. Let her take it." "She buys a few appliances and thinks she gets to run our lives. We've put up with it long enough." "Yeah. At least Cassidy can move in now. She's actually nice, and she doesn't hold things over people. Living with her will be a lot easier." The constant comparisons to Cassidy almost made me laugh. For three years, I watched them cut back on food and electricity and looked for excuses to help with their bills. Now, they called that bossing them around. My family had money, but that didn't mean I had to keep letting them take advantage of me. I turned to the movers, keeping my voice even. "Could you pick up the pace a little? I'd like to stay on schedule." I paid for the appliances, and I still had every receipt. They stood around watching, but no one tried to stop the movers. As the crew carried the appliances downstairs, Cassidy stepped into their path, her eyes red. "Holly, please don't do this. It's my fault. Don't take it out on them. They can't afford to replace all this. What are they supposed to do? Please, just leave it here. I'll find a way to pay you back. Whatever you want, okay?" She was offering them my appliances and making herself look generous in the process. Before I could answer, Eugene shot me a disapproving look. "Holly, come on. How long are you going to drag this out? I told you, it was just for show. Do you have to make everyone else miserable over it?" I laughed in disbelief and looked him in the eye. "What's wrong with taking things I paid for?" Eugene hesitated. "Nothing's wrong with that, but…" "Then get out of my way." Cassidy started to speak, but Freya caught her arm. "Cassidy, don't beg her. We'll be fine without them. She can keep her stupid appliances. I'm not taking anything from a homewrecker. Who knows where she got the money?" Then she turned to the movers. "You guys better be careful. She goes after other people's boyfriends. You think she'll have a problem stiffing you? You could end up doing all this for free." I paid the movers in full before we arrived and told them they could keep the appliances once they carried them downstairs. They ignored Freya, said goodbye to me, and loaded everything into their truck. As they drove away, her expression soured. I scoffed, looking from her to Eugene and Cassidy. "You all know who cheated on whom." I walked past them and headed straight to class. Chapter 4 Our first class that morning was a lecture in our department. I barely made it through the door before Gavin called out. "Holly, hold on. I hear you brought in movers and cleared out your dorm room? "What's gotten into you? First the drama with your boyfriend, now this with your roommates. After all these years in school, I'd expect you to handle yourself better. "If this is how you're going to behave, don't bother coming to my class. And you're not coming into the lab this afternoon, either." Just then, Dad texted. [I told accounting to stop all future payments. I left this month's funding in place. I don't want this affecting the data you need for your thesis. [But if anyone gives you trouble, tell me. I'll build you a new lab if that's what it takes.] I glanced up from my phone, faintly amused. "Are you sure you want to keep me out of the lab this afternoon?" My calm response seemed to throw Gavin for a moment. Then he brushed it off, apparently convinced that an ordinary student posed no threat to him. He cleared his throat and returned to his stern, authoritative tone. "You want to join us in the lab? Then apologize to Eugene and Cassidy, right here, and explain to the class why you were out of line. Show me you mean it, and we can put this behind us." I looked at him with a faint smile. "Professor Turner, what's Cassidy done for you that you're willing to defend her cheating with my boyfriend?" Gavin clearly didn't expect me to challenge him. He jabbed a finger at me, his hand trembling with anger. "You..." My classmates immediately closed in around me. "You can't talk to Professor Turner like that!" "She goes after someone else's boyfriend, and now she's mouthing off to her professor. What did you expect?" "He's giving you a chance to fix this. You could at least appreciate it!" Sitting through his lecture, surrounded by these people, no longer seemed worth my time. I turned and walked out without another word. I wasn't worried about finishing my degree. Dad sat on the university's board of trustees, and a word from him would be enough to get me a new advisor. Less than ten minutes later, Dad told me it was taken care of. I arrived at the lab on time that afternoon. My new advisor wasn't there yet, and Eugene looked at me as though he knew all along I would come crawling back. "We're about to start. Just apologize so we can get on with it." Cassidy bit her lower lip, putting on a concerned expression. "Holly, if it's too hard to say it yourself, I could...apologize for you. I don't mind if it means they'll let you stay." Before I could answer, my classmates gathered around us. "Cassidy, you're not the one who insulted Professor Turner. Why should you apologize?" "Seriously, you're being way too nice to her." Freya stepped forward and shoved me. "You're apologizing yourself, Holly, or you're not coming in." The shove caught me off guard, and I hit the floor. As I tried to get up, Gavin pushed a ruler against my back, forcing me down. "You have no respect for anyone, do you? This is your last chance. Apologize to everyone here, right now. Or I'll make sure the university expels you." A deep, commanding voice came from the doorway. "Let's see you try."