My Fairytale Was A Cruel Lie

Name: My Fairytale Was A Cruel Lie
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

Gavin

Short stories | Completed

5.0

Comment(s)

View

Chapters

I was the scholarship kid at Westbrook University, dating the star quarterback, Gage Barton. Everyone on campus thought I was living a fairytale, the brilliant girl from the wrong side of the tracks who had captured the prince's heart. My roommate, Cayden, was my best friend, the one I trusted with all my secrets. But my fairytale was a lie. My prince was a cruel narcissist who saw me as his pet project, and my best friend was a snake who secretly slept with him, seething with jealousy over everything I had earned. Their betrayal culminated in an act of pure evil. Using my own laptop, Cayden permanently deleted my entire thesis-one hundred and twelve pages of research that represented my only ticket out of their world. My future was gone in a single click. When I confronted them, they laughed. "It's just a stupid paper," Gage sneered, accusing me of deleting it myself to save face. They stood together, a united front of privilege and cruelty, believing they had finally broken me. But they were wrong. I calmly walked over to Cayden's desk, where her own laptop was open, her final project displayed on the screen. Next to it sat a full glass of water. I picked it up and poured it directly onto the keyboard. The screen sparked, then went black. As she shrieked in horror, I repeated his words back to her, my voice cold as ice. "It's just a stupid project. Why are you making such a big drama out of it?"

Betrayal Revenge Drama Kickass Heroine Personal growth

Chapter 10

Yesterday 16:04

Chapter 1

But my fairytale was a lie. My prince was a cruel narcissist who saw me as his pet project, and my best friend was a snake who secretly slept with him, seething with jealousy over everything I had earned.

Their betrayal culminated in an act of pure evil. Using my own laptop, Cayden permanently deleted my entire thesis-one hundred and twelve pages of research that represented my only ticket out of their world. My future was gone in a single click.

When I confronted them, they laughed. "It's just a stupid paper," Gage sneered, accusing me of deleting it myself to save face. They stood together, a united front of privilege and cruelty, believing they had finally broken me.

But they were wrong. I calmly walked over to Cayden's desk, where her own laptop was open, her final project displayed on the screen. Next to it sat a full glass of water. I picked it up and poured it directly onto the keyboard.

The screen sparked, then went black.

As she shrieked in horror, I repeated his words back to her, my voice cold as ice. "It's just a stupid project. Why are you making such a big drama out of it?"

Chapter 1

Aracely Adkins knew her place at Westbrook University. It was a place paid for by a scholarship, earned through years of sleepless nights and relentless study. It was a place she clung to with the desperation of someone who had seen the alternative. Her relationship with Gage Barton, the star quarterback, was supposed to be a different kind of place-a fairytale. At least, that's what everyone on campus seemed to think.

Gage came from new money, the kind that shouted its existence with flashy cars and buildings named after his father. The Bartons were major donors, and Gage moved through the university's hallowed halls as if he owned them. He saw Aracely as his most charitable project. A brilliant, beautiful girl from the wrong side of the tracks, polished by his association. He liked the way it made him look generous.

Aracely told herself she loved him. She ignored the way he dismissed her academic achievements in front of his friends, the way he casually criticized her second-hand clothes, the way his eyes would glaze over when she talked about her thesis-the very thesis that was her ticket to a life beyond Gage's shadow.

Her roommate, Cayden Padilla, was her supposed best friend. Cayden was always there to comfort her after Gage' s latest slight, always ready with a hug and a whispered, "He doesn't mean it. He just doesn't know how to show he cares." Cayden knew all of Aracely's insecurities, all of her dreams. She collected them like precious stones, all while secretly seething with a jealousy that poisoned everything. Cayden wanted Aracely' s intellect, her opportunities, and most of all, she wanted Gage.

And she had him.

Aracely wasn't a fool. She saw the lingering touches, the shared glances that lasted a second too long. But she chose to believe the lies they both fed her. To lose Gage was to lose the fragile social standing she had. To lose Cayden was to be completely alone. So she swallowed the bitter taste of suspicion and smiled.

The Annual Donor Gala was the pinnacle of the university's social calendar, and Aracely felt like an imposter in a borrowed dress.

"There she is," Gage's voice boomed across the marble floor. He was standing with a circle of his teammates, all of them built like modern gladiators in ill-fitting tuxedos.

He strode over and draped a heavy arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Everyone, this is Aracely. Isn't she something? I clean her up nice, don't I?"

A few of his friends chuckled. Aracely' s smile felt brittle.

"You look beautiful tonight," he murmured, his breath smelling of expensive whiskey. His eyes, however, were not on her. They were scanning the room, assessing his audience.

Cayden drifted over, a vision in a silk dress that cost more than Aracely' s monthly expenses. "Gage, stop it. You're embarrassing her," she said, her voice a soft reprimand. She squeezed Aracely' s arm. "Don't mind him. He's just so proud of you."

The words were kind, but the look in Cayden's eyes was anything but. It was a look of pity, edged with triumph.

Later, Gage cornered her near the terrace. The smile was gone from his face. "What's wrong with you tonight?"

"Nothing," Aracely said, her voice small. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look terrified. You're making me look bad," he hissed, his grip tightening on her elbow. "My parents are here. Do you have any idea how important this is? Just smile and look grateful."

"Grateful for what?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Gage' s jaw clenched. "For everything. For this." He gestured vaguely at the opulent ballroom. "Do you think you'd ever be in a place like this without me?"

The humiliation was a physical thing, a hot flush that crept up her neck. Before she could answer, Cayden appeared at Gage's side, placing a delicate hand on his chest.

"Gage, let's not make a scene," she said smoothly. She turned to Aracely, her expression one of deep concern. "Are you feeling okay, Ara? You seem a little overwhelmed. Maybe you should get some air."

It was a dismissal, expertly delivered. They were a team, a united front against her. As they walked away, Gage's hand slid from Cayden's shoulder down to the small of her back, a casual, intimate gesture that screamed ownership.

Aracely stood there, a ghost at the feast, and understood. Her fairytale was a lie. Her best friend was a snake. And her prince was the villain of the story. The only thing she had left that was truly hers was her thesis. It was more than a paper; it was her declaration of independence. And she would guard it with her life.