The Campus Idol

My name's Sabrina Shaw, and I'm the heiress to the Shaw Family in City A. The Shaw Family's standing in City A? Honestly, they're top-tier elite—no exaggeration. But I ended up with a gambling addiction, so my parents had no choice but to send me off to City S, saying it was to make me reflect and kick the habit. When I first got to City S, I was totally resistant on the inside. A new city, unfamiliar surroundings, and this tiny apartment my parents set me up with that I had to handle alone—all of it made me feel so out of place. It wasn't until I got to university in City S that I met Harvey Lancaster. Harvey was the campus heartthrob—handsome and upright, and when he smiled, his eyes looked like they were filled with starlight, totally charming. His clothes looked pretty ordinary, but they were always clean and neat. At first, I thought his family wasn't well-off since he was so frugal, rarely even buying a milk tea that cost over ten bucks. But I was completely drawn to that clean, slightly innocent vibe he gave off. I was the one who made the first move on him, and with that spoiled confidence I've had since I was a kid, I managed to win him over in just a few days. At the start of our relationship, things were really sweet between us. Every morning, he'd bring me breakfast — the cheapest soy milk and fried dough sticks from the school cafeteria — but to me, they tasted even better than the fancy breakfasts at City A's high-end restaurants. Whenever I was feeling down, he'd hold my hand and take me for walks around campus, listening to me vent about all the stuff that was bothering me. He remembered the little things I'd casually mentioned liking. On my birthday, he used the money he'd been saving up for a long time to buy me a delicate silver necklace. It wasn't expensive, but I was so touched that I just held onto him and cried for a long time. Back then, I thought that even if I left City A, even if I had to quit my gambling addiction, having him by my side would somehow make it not so hard to get through. But those sweet days didn't last long. About a month after we started dating, Harvey Lancaster began frequently not coming home. At first, he said he had club activities at school; later, he claimed he needed to do part-time jobs to earn money to buy me better things. I was naive enough to believe him, thinking he was an ambitious and caring boyfriend. I even secretly transferred quite a bit of money into his bank account, worried that his part-time jobs were too tough. But he never once mentioned getting any money; he'd just sometimes buy me small gifts, like really cheap accessories. Looking back now, I was so stupid, it's almost laughable. That night, I had planned to have dinner with Harvey Lancaster, but he said there was an emergency at the club and couldn't come. I was feeling a bit down, so I just drove around aimlessly by myself, and before I knew it, I was outside the most famous clubhouse in City S. When I was in City A, I often came to places like this with friends, thinking since I had nothing better to do, I might as well go in for a drink. Just as I reached the second-floor private room area, I heard a familiar voice coming from one of the rooms. It was Harvey Lancaster's voice. My heart skipped a beat. Didn't he say there was an emergency with the club? So why is he here? I quietly tiptoed to the door and peeked inside through the crack. The room was thick with smoke, and several guys and girls were sitting there, all looking pretty well-off. Harvey sat in the middle, holding a cigarette—completely different from the clean, innocent campus heartthrob he usually was. Sitting next to him was a girl dressed provocatively, holding his arm closely. I heard Harvey laughing as he said to the guy beside him: "You guys haven't seen how clueless Sabrina Shaw is. I just toss out a few sweet words, and she's totally hooked on me." The guy beside him laughed and teased, "Harvey, you really pulled it off—caught her already? I heard the Shaw Family is a big deal in City A. Looks like you've landed a golden opportunity?" Harvey flicked his cigarette ash, his tone dripping with disdain: "So what if they're powerful? They're all wrapped around me. Does she really think I care about her?" "I'm just after her money, that's all. Didn't you see how generous she is every time she spends on me? Like some sucker." Another girl laughed and asked, "So when are you planning to come clean with her? If she finds out, you're really screwed."