Echoes of a Lost Love

The day after I returned to my home country, my old classmates ambushed me with an invitation to a reunion. In the hotel, I ran into my ex, Shawn Quinn, whom I hadn't seen in five years. The room froze when he pulled out a ring and proposed. Gasps rippled through the crowd. They all expected me to jump at the chance, given how hard I had chased him back in the day. They forgot the gut-punch of our graduation day. Shawn had sided with another woman, letting her paint me as a plagiarist, a cheater, a bully. The school authorities revoked my diploma and kicked me out of the ceremony. Humiliated, I fled abroad, leaving behind a shattered heart. Now, his best friend told me, "Shawn pulled strings to get your diploma back despite your past mistakes. He never forgot about you. He has been waiting for you all these years. You're his only love." Chapter 1 "Scarlett, are you even listening?" Karl Compton, Shawn Quinn's best friend, plopped down next to me at the reunion. He rambled on, sounding impatient, "You know how much Shawn hates his family. He didn't take a dime from them when he started his company. But for your diploma, he groveled to his dad." Curious or mocking gazes came from the other classmates. Honestly, hearing that name after five years felt foreign. The burning love I'd once carried for him had long since fizzled, drowned in the relentless tide of time. Five years ago, I'd boarded a plane without a goodbye, so few people here knew I was married now. I just wasn't sure if Karl's words were his own or if Shawn put him up to it. Either way, it didn't matter. I pressed my lips together. "Shawn and I are ancient history. What you're saying doesn't mean anything to me." Karl's jaw dropped, and the room's chatter hiccupped into silence. After all, I chased Shawn for three years, made a huge scene, and nearly got the school leadership involved. I used to buy him breakfast every day, rain or shine. When his stomach acted up, I braved snowstorms to get him medicine. If a girl confessed to him, I'd show up to stake my claim. When he needed money for his startup, I emptied my savings and even sold my 16th birthday gift. Behind closed doors, I ate cheap food for a semester. Before that, I had always lived in abundance. My efforts paid off, or so I thought. Shawn finally said yes, and for a while, he was the boyfriend of my dreams. He'd take good care of me during my cramps, carry me piggyback when my heels betrayed me, and shut down anyone who called me a simp. Chapter 2 Shawn even planned our future together when he signed his first contract. I thought that he was my forever and that I'd grow old with him. Then, in our senior year, Olive Russell showed up. She was his childhood friend who transferred to our class after returning from abroad. At first, I brushed it off, even trying to get along with her. But gradually, Shawn pulled away, dodging my invites with flimsy excuses. He bailed on my birthday, claiming he was out of town for business. Suspicious, I went to his company, only to find Olive holding court. Employees fawned over her, calling her Mrs. Quinn despite knowing I was his girlfriend. And Shawn wasn't on any trip. He stood there with a smirk, not correcting a soul. My heart cracked open, tears burning my cheeks. When he saw me, he didn't flinch. His brows furrowed instead. "What are you doing here?" Growing up spoiled, I wasn't one to take crap. Pointing at Olive, I demanded, "This is your business trip? Partying with her?" I stayed calm, not yelling, but he exploded. "Olive's interning here. It's just a welcome party. Stop being jealous over nothing. It's annoying." ... His words sliced through me. Days ago, he had been all sweet. Now, he was tearing me down in front of his team. My face must've betrayed my hurt because he backpedaled fast. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." I clutched my bag and looked him in the eye. "Then what did you mean? Why did you lie to me?" He grabbed my hand. "The trip was canceled at the last minute. I didn't have time to tell you." His soft tone dispelled most of my doubt, but what happened earlier lingered in my mind. "Why did they call her Mrs. Quinn?" I grumbled. "Just a joke. They all know you're my girlfriend, you jealous goof." He squeezed my hand, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't be mad, okay? It's your birthday. Let's grab dinner tonight." I was about to tell him to cut such jokes when Olive swooped over. Chapter 3 Olive looked at me, her voice dripping with fake humility. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. If it bothers you that much, I'll quit. Just don't fight because of me." Tears glistened on her cheeks, a performance worthy of an Oscar. Everyone bought it, their glares branding me the villain. Silent, they glanced at Shawn, who felt embarrassed and let go of my hand. He went to her side and comforted her gently. He took me to dinner as promised, but I couldn't taste a thing. He babbled about Olive. "She is like a sister to me. Her parents asked me to give her a job. I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you'd overthink it. If I liked her, we'd have been together ages ago. I know you just care about me, and you know how much you mean to me." His sincerity almost convinced me. Then he pulled out a pair of rings, sliding one onto his finger and the other onto mine. "These are all I can afford now, but when I make it big, I'll get you the biggest diamond in the world." I leaned into his warmth, the ring glinting on my finger. My doubts faded like morning mist. But he broke that promise. Soon, he stopped hiding his bond with Olive. Rumors swirled that he had dumped me for her. Before I could trace the gossip, Olive cornered me, her usual shy smile replaced by a smug sneer. "You know what's pathetic? Chasing a guy like you did. Shawn loves me. Be smart and back off." I clenched my fists, ignoring her taunts, but she pushed her luck, mistaking my silence for weakness. "If you won't face reality, I'll make you." ... I told Shawn, expecting him to have my back. Instead, he sighed over the phone, exasperated. "Nothing's going on with Olive. Why do you keep making stuff up? I've known her forever. She's not like that." I raised my voice. "I made things up? What kind of person do you think I am?" He went quiet, then said, "If you don't like her, I'll let her go after her internship." Chapter 4 Shawn paused. "But I'm swamped now. Can you stop bothering me with this? Focus on your thesis. Let's both take some time to calm down and talk after graduation." He hung up, his dismissal stinging like a slap. Apparently, he trusted her more than me. For the first time, I wondered if he was worth my heart. Our cold war dragged on for a month. Neither of us reached out to the other. When we crossed paths on campus, he just ignored me. At the graduation ceremony, as I reached for my cap and gown, the department head confronted me. "Scarlett Lewis, your thesis is identical to Olive Russell's. Who is the plagiarist?" I was stunned. "Sir, that's impossible. I wrote every word myself." Olive stepped forward, tears on cue. "Sir, I didn't copy anyone. Shawn Quinn can vouch for me." All eyes swung to him, and I searched his face for signs of guilt. He wouldn't meet my gaze, and I figured out what was going on. I had stored my thesis in our shared cloud drive. The betrayal clicked into place. Olive had access because of him. The department head stared at Shawn, who took a shaky breath. "Sir, Olive is interning at my company. I've seen her work late on her thesis." His words branded me guilty. Facing everyone's scorn, I stepped closer, my voice low. "So, you're saying I copied her?" ... Shawn's eyes flickered with guilt. I waited, expectant, but he doubled down. "I know Olive wrote hers." I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. All my sacrifices in the past four years were for nothing. I was so blind that I fell in love with someone like him. He fidgeted, eager to say something, but Olive beat him to it. "Even though you're his girlfriend, you can't make him lie for you. Today, I'll show everyone your true colors. You're nothing but a bully, forcing me to give you exam answers and even sending thugs after me." Chapter 5 Olive rolled up her sleeves, showing bruises. "If Shawn hadn't shown up, those thugs would've hurt me worse." Her accusations echoed in the room, and I found myself questioning my hearing. Each word made perfect sense on its own, but strung together, they became an indecipherable riddle. 'Bullying her? Me? I copied her exam answers and sent thugs to harass her? Where are these wild stories coming from?' "If you're paranoid, see a shrink!" I snapped. "Don't drag me into your delusions!" Shawn's voice cut through, sharp and cold. "Enough!" He glared at me, his guilt giving way to anger and disgust. "Those thugs confessed you paid them to go after Olive. I thought you were just jealous, but this? It's a crime." I stared, incredulous. "So, you believe her and some random thugs over me?" He paused. "I believe what I see." My heart sank, the crowd's snorts filling my ears. The department head roared, "I can't believe my department has a student like you. You don't deserve to graduate. Leave the ceremony now! We'll announce your punishment later." I locked eyes with Shawn, oblivious to the surroundings. He looked away, muttering, "Go home, Scarlett. Don't interrupt the ceremony and embarrass yourself. We'll talk about this later." I trembled, asking, "You sure you won't regret this?" He didn't answer, just left with Olive. I became the school's laughingstock, and all my friends avoided me. With a broken heart, I bought a plane ticket to join my parents abroad. Before boarding, I mailed Shawn the ring he had given me. At the reunion, I faced Karl and the gawking classmates. "If you dragged me here for this, I'm done." I stood, grabbing my purse. Karl blocked my path. "Wait, Shawn's coming. He wants to talk." I frowned. "I've got nothing to say. I'm married."