Chapter 6

On the day of her discharge, Elizabeth's roommates paid her a visit and took her to a class gathering. The venue was a popular restaurant that was trending on social media. As soon as Elizabeth entered, she felt the weight of every hostile gaze. "Well, if it isn't our department's top student. Didn't you move off-campus and cut ties with everyone? Why are you free to join us today? Is your kept man too busy to keep you company today?" "Maybe she got dumped. Some women look all sweet and innocent, but who knows what kind of mess their private lives are? She would probably have snuggled up to a man in his 50s if the price was right." "This kind of gold-digging ambition. Ugh! We could never." A group of young women who had always despised Elizabeth surrounded her with thinly veiled mockery. Her roommates, no longer able to hold onto their anger, bristled in response, "What kind of bullshit are you even spouting? Elizabeth moved out to live with her boyfriend! He's not some 50-year-old man!" "Boyfriend? Don't be ridiculous! I've seen her getting into a luxury car late at night on more than one occasion. If that's not being a kept woman, then what is? "Instead of lying for her, maybe you should convince her to stop selling herself for money. She's ruining the reputation of Solarys College!" Such shameless insults only further ignited a burning fury in her roommates. Just as they turned around to confront the women, one of them caught sight of something outside the window and cried out in excitement, "You meddling bitches better wake up and take a good look. That's Elizabeth's boyfriend!" Almost immediately, the entire room turned to look. When they recognized who it was, each face froze in disbelief. "Spencer? Are you kidding me? There's no way! That guy's a whole different league! Elizabeth isn't even worthy of polishing his shoes! " "Whether she's worthy or not is none of your business. Come on. Let's prove it!" With renewed confidence upon Spencer's sudden appearance, Elizabeth's roommates tugged her forward to confront him. In the stunned silence that followed, Spencer walked to the passenger seat and personally assisted a woman out of the car. Their closeness left no doubt—they were more than friends. A young woman nearby who had been observing the scene suddenly recognized the woman. "Isn't that Spencer's ex-girlfriend, Courtney? They were seniors at my brother's school. Everyone knew about their relationship. The photo of them with their scholarship awards is still up in the school's hall of fame." "No wonder. How could someone as loyal as Spencer ever be with Elizabeth? Some people are just desperate to cling to him when some creepy old man is clearly keeping them. And yet, they still refuse to admit it." The atmosphere changed the moment those words were said, and Elizabeth found herself on the receiving end of everyone's scornful stares. Amid the sudden chaos, Spener lifted his gaze to the restaurant, then spoke a few words to Peter. Moments later, Peter strode toward them. As he approached with purpose, Elizabeth’s roommates began to think there was still hope. They clutched her hands nervously, hoping he had come for her. Peter did in fact walk up to the four of them, but he never once stopped in his tracks. Instead, he went straight to the restaurant owner and said, "Mr. Cooper and Ms. Gallagher would like to dine here today. Please clear out the restaurant. Mr. Cooper prefers a quiet environment." Hearing that a high-profile guest had chosen his restaurant, the owner beamed with excitement. He immediately instructed the waiters to offer a free meal as compensation and began clearing out the restaurant. Naturally, Elizabeth's table was among those asked to leave. Just as the crowd filed out in a noisy procession, Spencer happened to enter with Courtney. Elizabeth never wanted to cross paths with them, hence she lowered her head to avoid being seen. However, the young women quickly seized the moment and raised their voices. "Mr. Cooper! We're from Solarys College's Fashion Design Department. Do you know a student in our class named Elizabeth Farley?" At the mention of Elizabeth's name, Spencer stopped in his tracks and scanned his surroundings. However, Courtney was the first to spot her, her eyes glinting in a flash. Before Spencer had a chance to respond, Courtney interjected, "Why do you ask?" "Oh, nothing. It's just that she's been going around telling people she's involved with you. It's damaging your reputation, so we thought we should confirm the truth." With that, Courtney loosened her hold on Spencer's hand and looked at him steadily. "Spencer, is there anything going on between you and Elizabeth?" she asked gently, but loud enough for everyone else to hear it just as clearly. Spencer slightly lifted his gaze. He knew that Courtney was aware of his relationship with Elizabeth. He also understood that the people in front of him were there to humiliate the latter. Yet, Courtney still chose to ask him a question they both already knew the answer to. Spencer thought that Courtney might be testing just how much Elizabeth truly meant to him. If he admitted his relationship with Elizabeth now, he would only complicate things between himself and Courtney. So he chose to deny it calmly. "I don't know her." The lightness in Spencer's tone caused the group to erupt in a fit of laughter. Their eyes brimmed with mockery as they turned to look at Elizabeth. Faced with such undisguised malice, the best thing Elizabeth could do for herself was to shut her eyes. Amid the sneers and jeers, her phone buzzed a few times. When she unlocked it, she noticed that she had received a long message from Courtney. It read, "Spencer never loved you. That's why he'll never acknowledge you or care about your feelings. Your four years of companionship meant nothing to him. No matter how well a kept woman is treated, she's still someone a man can discard easily. Women like you don't deserve to step into the light." Elizabeth stared at the message in silence. Her thoughts drifted back to two years ago, when a few of her roommates had caught her and Spencer kissing outside the college gates. She remembered how they went wild with excitement, bombarding her with endless questions about who Spencer was to her. Before she could answer, Spencer pulled her into his arms and slowly uttered the words, "We're boyfriend and girlfriend." Ever since then, Elizabeth had believed that they were lovers. It was only now that she finally understood that the entire relationship had been a delusion of her own making. Spencer had always been waiting for Courtney to return. That place beside him had always been reserved for her and no one else. Elizabeth was nothing more than a distraction he used to dull his pain. She was just a convenient stand-in while he waited for someone else. She was someone destined to be a momentary shadow in his life.