Ficorpio
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
After the national college entrance exam, while ranking your college choices, you tore up the draft form.
Every line on it had been filled with majors at Southridge University Adrian Sterling had picked for you.
He always said, “Claire, you can’t live without me.”
What he didn’t know was that you’d already decided to go as far from him as possible—to study physics at Kingston University.
A thirteen-year history as childhood sweethearts deserved an ending written by your own hand.
The ceiling fan in the classroom squeaked overhead, chopping Adrian’s voice into the heavy June air.
“All this because I helped Lily Warren estimate her score first?” He leaned against the teacher’s podium, blazer hanging loose over one shoulder, that careless smile still sitting in his eyes. “Princess, how many days is this one supposed to last?”
You met his gaze straight on, sunlight blazing through the windows behind him.
“I’m not throwing a fit. I’m really breaking up with you.”
“The thirteenth time.”
He lifted a hand and caught your wrist. His grip wasn’t painful, but it carried the same familiar sense of control it always had.
“Need me to remind you? Last time you deleted me, I still climbed your wall in the middle of the night to bring you fever medicine. Claire, you can’t live without me.”
You pulled your hand free and shook your head.
“There’s no such thing. Anyone can live without anyone.”
“Oh.” He gave a small laugh. “Fine. Just don’t regret it.”
That was when Lily walked in holding a few sheets of paper, her voice syrup-soft.
“Adrian, there’s still some stuff about ranking my college choices I don’t understand. Could you take a look for me…?”
His eyes stayed locked on your face. He didn’t answer her.
Once, you would’ve snapped back immediately.
But after so many fights, so much pulling and tearing, you were exhausted.
You turned to leave, but Lily suddenly reached out and grabbed your wrist.
“Claire, please don’t misunderstand. Adrian and I are just friends.” She bit her lip, voice small and delicate. “Nobody at home understands any of this, so I had to ask him. College decides my whole future. Which school I choose really matters. You shouldn’t keep fighting with Adrian over little things like this. A few days ago he stayed up late helping me estimate my score and caught a cold because of it. He’s only just gotten better…”
Something in you finally snapped.
“Oh? Just friends?” Your voice went sharp enough to cut. “Do just friends go into his room every night to ask questions? Do just friends make him take them to the hospital over and over? Do just friends buy new clothes and run to show him first? Do just friends call him on purpose in the middle of my dates with him?”
You took a step closer, your anger no longer containable.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“What, do you not have parents? Since you know you’re the daughter of his housekeeper and not his girlfriend, then maybe learn some basic boundaries between men and women instead of acting like they don’t apply to you.”
Lily froze.
Her eyes reddened instantly. She lowered her head, shoulders trembling like she was trying desperately not to cry.
“Claire.” Adrian stood, pulled a packet of tissues from his desk, and handed it to her. Then he sighed softly. “I know you’ve got a sharp mouth, but do you really have to keep picking on the same person?”
A tear hit the tissue with a faint pat.
In the quiet classroom, the sound of Lily’s restrained sobbing seemed painfully loud.
And in that moment, you suddenly felt tired down to your bones.
Without another word, you turned and walked out of the classroom.
Back home, you collapsed into bed and slept like the dead.
When you woke up, the sky outside was completely dark. Your phone read 7:00 p.m.
You opened your messages, and the first thing you saw was Lily’s social media post.
Bad mood tonight. First time someone’s taken me out to play games. I’m terrible at it, but thank you for staying with me and not laughing at me. As a poor girl who’s spent her whole life doing nothing but studying, I finally understand that games aren’t the opposite of hard work. They’re what youth is supposed to feel like.
The attached photo showed a game victory screen.
On one side was Lily’s profile, flashing a peace sign with one hand. On the other was a boy’s hand on a game controller.
On that wrist was the lucky red bracelet you had gotten for Adrian last year.
Your phone buzzed.
A message from Adrian.
Send me how you think you did on each section. I’ll estimate your score.
Five hours.
It took him five hours after spending the afternoon gaming with another girl to remember he still had a “girlfriend.”
You stared at his profile picture for a long time.
You’d picked it for him yourself—a little drawing of two stick figures holding hands. He’d never changed it.
Your finger moved.
Without hesitation, you blocked him.
Twenty minutes later, you went downstairs for dinner.
Grandpa Sutton took one look at you and frowned with concern.
“Why are your eyes so swollen?”
You answered thickly, “Slept too much. Puffy eyes.”
“Well, you finally finished the exam. Extra sleep’s good.” He smiled gently, then sighed. “Still, that Sterling boy really has it easy. He got direct university recommendation into Southridge early, so he’s been relaxed for ages. You stayed up until midnight every night just to get into the same school as him. It hurt me just watching you.”
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
You set down your utensils and looked up at him seriously.
“Grandpa, I estimated my score myself. It should be well above Southridge’s cutoff. Based on previous years, I should be able to get into Kingston.”
He blinked, then his whole face lit up with surprise—followed by worry.
“But Kingston’s in Kingsford City. Southridge is right here. You and Adrian…”
“I can tell the difference between my future and love,” you cut in. “Grandpa, Kingston has always been my dream. If my actual score matches my estimate, I’m going there.”
Grandpa Sutton had always supported your decisions.
He nodded with a smile.
“Good. Then Grandpa supports you.”
Just then, your phone buzzed again.
A message from Mia Parker, asking you to come to karaoke and unwind.
“Go on,” Grandpa said cheerfully. “Have Mr. Wang drive you. You’ve worked hard long enough. It’s time you had some fun.”
Twenty minutes later, you arrived at the karaoke place Mia had named.
She sent you to the self-serve snack bar first to grab something free to eat. You were piling fries onto a plate when you heard two familiar voices nearby.
“I’m serious, Sterling—weren’t we supposed to be out having fun? Why are you checking your phone all night?”
“I got blocked.” Adrian’s tone was careless, but there was a thread of helplessness underneath.
“Blocked? By who? Who the hell would block you?”
“Who else?” He laughed softly. “My little princess.”
“Oh. Claire Sutton.” The other guy sounded amused. “Honestly, that temper of hers? Other than you, no one could handle it.”
Adrian chuckled, fondness woven right into his voice.
“I spoiled her myself. What am I supposed to do? I’ll put up with it.”
“So what is it this time?”
“I helped Lily estimate her score.”
“That’s it?” The guy sounded baffled. “Claire gets mad way too easily.”
“Still, if we’re being honest, a few of us talked about it before. If we were picking girlfriends, we’d all go for someone like Lily. She’s so gentle. Soft-spoken. Always thinking of other people…”
You didn’t stay to hear the rest.
You turned and walked away, fast, heading straight back to your room.
The moment you sat down, you saw Mia glaring at a girl in a server uniform.
When you looked more closely, it was Lily.
Of course it was.
Talk about bad luck.
“We ordered watermelon juice,” Mia said, frowning. “You brought mango juice. Everyone in class knows Claire’s allergic to mango. How is she supposed to drink that?”
Lily’s face flushed red. Her hands clutched tightly at the hem of her uniform.
“It’s just… really busy tonight, so I mixed it up…”
“If you mixed it up, then replace it,” Mia shot back. “What do you mean you can’t?”
The second Lily saw you, her eyes lit up like she’d found a savior.
“Claire, I put the wrong order in for your room. But I’ve already made two mistakes tonight. If I make one more, I’ll lose my pay for the whole shift…”
She bit her lip, looking helpless.