The Years of Revenge and Growth

"I'm with Matt now."

Lucy Norris's words hit me like a bucket of ice water, drenching me from head to toe.

I froze mid-stretch, stunned for a moment, then forced a weak smile.

"That was... sudden."

Matt Blake had only been back for five days, and it was just three days ago that I introduced Lucy to him.

Of course, I should've seen it coming. The woman beside me was known as the dance academy's heartbreaker.

It turned out, even the guy I'd liked for five years wasn't immune to her charm.

1

"He's picking me up for dinner this afternoon. Want to join us?" she asked.

"No, you two are on a date. I don't want to intrude," I declined without hesitation.

"He said he wants to thank you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have met. So you have to come," she insisted, clinging to my arm playfully.

I gave in and agreed. "Alright."

Lucy had once seen a photo in my phone album-a picture of Matt and me at our high school graduation.

"Do you like him?" she had asked bluntly.

Her directness made me blush. "We're just good friends," I stammered.

I wasn't sure if she believed me, but from that moment, she showed an unusual interest in Matt, constantly asking me about him. A few days ago, Matt returned and invited me to dinner. Lucy saw the message, and what was supposed to be a solo dinner turned into a trio gathering.

I never expected that a simple meeting would lead me to hand over the person I had liked for five years.

In the afternoon, Lucy and I walked out of the school gate and saw Matt leaning against the car door, waving at us. Lucy immediately ran over to him with a beaming smile, and he embraced her warmly, his smile indulgent.

I stood there, watching, feeling a sting in my eyes.

After a couple of minutes, they finally remembered me.

"Amy, come on," Matt called out, holding Lucy's hand as they stood not far away.

I nodded, walked over, and took the back seat. A huge bouquet of roses on the front seat caught my eye. Lucy, true to his expectations, was delighted, hugging the flowers with playful affection. "Sweetheart, I love you so much."

So, he really knew how to woo someone.

He drove us to the best restaurant in the city. Lucy's eyes sparkled as she subtly surveyed the surroundings.

Although she hid it well, I could see the longing in her eyes.

"Amy, thank you for introducing me to Lucy. This is a gift we picked for you, " Matt said, handing me a beautifully wrapped box.

"Amy, take it. It's the perfume you like, " Lucy said, holding his arm, like a queen bestowing gifts upon her subjects.

I suddenly felt a surreal sense of role reversal. Three days ago, I was the one standing next to Matt, introducing, "This is my roommate, Lucy."

How did the roles reverse so quickly, leaving me feeling like an awkward clown between them?

Despite the exquisite and expensive food before me, I found it hard to swallow.

2

After that meal, I never saw Matt alone again.

Since Lucy started dating him, she began skipping classes frequently and rarely returned to the dorm.

Whenever she did, she would come back with bags from luxury brands, excitedly telling us about the places Matt had taken her.

Our roommate Katy Butcher expressed her envy, and Lucy, with a proud wave, pulled a bag from her haul. "This is for you."

Katy happily accepted it. "Lucy, you're so generous!"

Then she looked at me. "Amy, why don't you pick something too?"

I shook my head, declining, "No need."

After a moment's thought, I reminded her, "You haven't been to the dance studio in a while. The competition is coming up. Aren't you going to practice?"

She patted her head. "Amy, you're the best. I've been having so much fun lately that I almost forgot. I'll go with you tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement.

The next day, as soon as we entered the rehearsal room, the teacher's face fell upon seeing her. "Lucy, come with me."

Although they went outside, from the fragmented sounds and expressions, I could guess what was said.

Lucy's academic performance had always been top-notch in the academy, and the teacher had been grooming her for the theater's lead role. Next week's competition was a ticket to the national theater if she won.

At such a crucial time, she was skipping classes and missing practice. It was no wonder the teacher was angry.

About half an hour later, she returned, sitting next to me with a slightly pale face.

"What happened?"

She sighed, "Ms. Jenkins sternly warned me that if I skip class again before next week's competition, she'll cancel my qualification."

"Then you should stay in and practice. You can celebrate after the competition."

"But it's Matt's birthday tomorrow. I've already planned a surprise for him. I can't not be there."

The words of advice got stuck in my throat.

During class that day, Lucy was clearly distracted. The next morning, when I got up, her bed was already neatly made, and she was nowhere to be found.

As expected, when I arrived at the rehearsal room, Ms. Jenkins was furious. "Amy, what's going on with Lucy?"

"I don't know."

"Was she in the dorm last night?"

"Yes."

"Call her now. Tell her if she's not here within half an hour, she's out of the competition."

I went to the locker, took out my phone, and dialed her number. A mechanical voice answered, "The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

Ms. Jenkins looked disappointed. "Fine, it's her choice. I hope she doesn't regret it later."

For the next week, Lucy didn't show up at school, but through her social media, I saw she had prepared a perfect birthday for Matt. She posted a picture of them kissing at sunset, and everyone left comments wishing them well.

I gave it a thumbs-up.

Soon after, a message from her popped up.

"Amy, is your competition tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Matt and I will come to cheer you on."

I put away my phone and didn't reply.

3

On the day of the competition, backstage, Ms. Jenkins handed me my costume. "Amy, with Lucy absent, you're the most likely to win. Don't let us down."

The dance for the competition was one I had practiced for two months. As long as nothing went wrong, I was confident I could win.

According to the draw, I was the third to perform. As I stepped out from backstage, I saw Matt and Lucy sitting in the audience.

Lucy mouthed "good luck" to me, but I pretended not to see her and walked straight to the center of the stage.

The lights dimmed, and the music began.

As the final notes faded, I completed my last move. The audience was silent for two seconds before erupting into applause. Ms. Jenkins stood below, giving me a thumbs-up.

I knew I had won.

This competition was a decisive victory, meaning I could enter the national dance theater.

After the competition, as I sat backstage removing my makeup, Lucy and Matt approached me.

"Amy, congratulations, " he said first, handing me a bouquet. Matt said first, handing me a bouquet.

"Thank you."

"Amy, congrats on making it to the theater," Lucy said, her congratulations feeling a bit forced.

I watched as they held hands tightly, momentarily lost in thought. On Matt's ring finger, there was a small letter, "R." Noticing my gaze, he awkwardly withdrew his hand from Lucy's grasp.

"You got a tattoo?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah."

"Oh, you mean the 'R'," Lucy chimed in. "That's the name of his dog, Roger."

I was taken aback. I knew Matt's dog, a Bichon Frise he got after moving abroad, but I remembered it being called Bale.

Seeing Matt's slightly unusual expression, I decided not to press further.

"Want to grab a meal together later?" he asked.

"Probably not today. There's a celebratory banquet later. Why don't you both join me?"

Lucy seemed uncomfortable at the mention, understandably so, as it would only make things awkward in such a setting.

Matt seemed to realize this too. "Let's skip it. We'll celebrate with you another time."

"Alright," I replied.

After that competition, I started frequently rehearsing with the performing arts theater and gradually participated in some large-scale events.

Lucy and I seemed to have switched roles; I often missed school due to theater rehearsals or events, while Lucy attended every class without fail.

Before the vacation, I returned to school. As soon as I entered the dormitory, everyone was animatedly discussing something.

Seeing me return, Katy immediately held up her phone for me to see.

"Amy, Mr. Ford's new movie is coming to our school to cast the lead actress!"

I took her phone and looked closely. It was indeed the internationally renowned director, Nolan Ford.

Landing a lead role in his movie would be a dream debut for many aspiring stars.

"Are you going to audition?" Katy asked.

"The theater's been quite busy lately. I'm not sure if I'll have the time," I replied.

"That's a shame. I heard Professor Jenkins recommended you and Lucy to the director," Katy continued.

Hearing her name, Lucy turned to me somewhat uneasily. "Professor Jenkins hasn't told me the exact time yet. I'll message you once I know."

I nodded. "Alright, if there's no schedule conflict, I'll go."

Somehow, without any explicit confrontation, the atmosphere between Lucy and me had become strangely polite.

I put down my things and started tidying up, while she linked arms with Katy and left the dormitory. We all maintained this safe distance, both tacit and distant.

4

Late at night, I opened my phone and scrolled through Matt's Twitter. He was someone who enjoyed sharing his life on social media, often posting about his daily activities.

However, I noticed that since he started dating Lucy, his posting frequency had noticeably decreased.

In stark contrast to his personal circle, where nine out of ten posts were about Lucy, there was no trace of her on his Twitter. I didn't even see her in the comments.

Unconsciously, I scrolled for a long time, reaching the period when he was abroad. A particular commenter gradually caught my attention.

I clicked into her Twitter, and the image that appeared on my phone screen left me momentarily stunned.

After a while, I turned off my phone, drew back the bed curtain, and glanced at the opposite bed. Lucy's steady breathing reached my ears. After some internal struggle, I decided to let it go.

The next day, because the theater had rehearsals in the afternoon, I left after attending classes in the morning.

Not long after returning to the theater, I received a message from Lucy.

"Tomorrow at 11 a.m., Room 201, Building 3."

"Okay, thanks," I replied briefly.

"Will you have time to come back tomorrow?"

"I have something in the morning, but I can adjust. Besides, it's not easy to get an interview with Mr. Ford, so I'll definitely seize this opportunity."

"Okay."

Seeing Lucy's text, devoid of much emotion, I didn't reply further. I put my phone away and continued rehearsing.

On the day of the interview, I got up early and went to a makeup artist's studio I had worked with before. She gave me a refined yet understated look. After finishing, she admired her work in the mirror.

"Amy, with your current state, the Newcomer Award is yours for the taking this year. When you become famous, hire me as your personal makeup artist. I'm affordable," she teased with a playful smile while holding the cosmetic brush.

I gently pinched her chubby cheeks. "I'll take your word for it."

Calculating the time, there was still a while before the interview. I went with her to pick out an outfit, arriving at school just in time at 10:30.

Clutching my carefully prepared materials firmly in my hands, I made my way towards Building 3. From afar, I could already see a throng of people gathered at the entrance. Among them were several students who had come merely to satisfy their curiosity and witness the commotion, along with a handful of staff members, all seemingly waiting for something to unfold.

I politely handed my materials to the staff at the door.

"Hello, I'm here for the interview."

"Interview?" A man in a brown vest, organizing materials on the table, looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, for Mr. Ford's movie. My teacher, Professor Jenkins, recommended me."

"Oh, didn't Professor Jenkins tell you the interview time?" He seemed to have a sudden realization.

"Isn't it at 11?" I asked.

Hearing my words, he looked at me with a complex expression before speaking. "I'm sorry, I don't know what miscommunication occurred, but our interview started at 9 a.m. and has already ended. Mr. Ford has left the school."

I was stunned by his words. But Lucy had clearly told me it was at 11.

Perhaps he had seen such situations before; he sighed when I didn't respond. "It's okay. There will be more opportunities await."

"Thank you." I retrieved my materials from his desk, feeling dejected.

Just as I was about to turn and leave, I saw Lucy, dressed in designer clothes, coming out of the restroom with a bright smile.

5

"You mind explaining this?" I approached her, showing the message she had sent me.

She shrugged indifferently, wiping her hands with a tissue.

"Amy, there's no need to get all worked up. I don't owe you anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"Taking my place at the theater must make you feel great, right? After all, I've always overshadowed you since we started school. Going from underdog to star must be worth celebrating. I get it, so I didn't make things difficult for you whenever you came back to flaunt. Now, I'm just reclaiming what's mine. Since things have come to this, consider that position my compensation to you. We're even now, so stop playing the victim in front of me. It turns my stomach."

I laughed in disbelief at her twisted logic.

"Lucy, let's be clear. You chose not to compete; I didn't stop you. Blaming everything on me because you were blinded by love-do you think that's fair?"

"Whatever. Think what you want. We've always had a fair-weather friendship. Oh, and by the way, I've never considered you a friend. I've disliked you since day one."

I was taken aback by her words.

Seeing my lack of response, she leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know, " she paused deliberately before continuing. "You really like Matt, don't you?"