Nolaâs face darkened instantly. âAlicia, what are you trying to say...?â
She dropped her head, her lips trembling, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Honestly, Nola was a born actressâmiles ahead of Jade, Nicole, or any of their crowd.
With her eyes reddened, she looked up at Vincent. âVincent, is your sister upset because Iâm spending your money? Youâve helped me through college, and I promise Iâll pay you back one day. This dress... I bought it as a reward for myself with my scholarship. I only wore it today because I wanted to look nice when I saw you. Most of the time, I donât dare even take it out of the closet.â
Vincent frowned and turned to Alicia. âAlicia, if youâre angry, take it out on me. Nola just got into college. Thatâs something to celebrateâdonât be so harsh.â
Alicia smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
People never really change, do they?
A leopard canât change its spots.
Vincent was always like this. Whenever she and someone else disagreed, heâd stand on the other personâs sideâevery single time.
She remembered warning Vincent back when he started helping Nicole. She told him: tuition was enough; donât give her too much for living expenses. Girls their age could easily go astray with too much money. More wasnât always better.
But Vincent wouldnât listen. He called her cold-hearted, said, âHow is a girl supposed to live on just a few hundred bucks a month?â
Back then, Alicia had felt bitter. Not enough to live on, he said... but that same amount was what she scraped together working odd jobs for an entire month.
Vincent could see everyoneâs sufferingâexcept hers.
And yet, stupidly, sheâd stuck with him all these years...
âYou guys enjoy your celebration,â Alicia said, standing up. âI think this party will be much more fun without me.â
âAlicia!â Vincent shoved past Nola and grabbed Aliciaâs arm. âDonât do this... We agreed tonight was about celebrating Nolaâdonât ruin it.â
âYouâre the one supporting her, not me.â Alicia pulled her arm free and walked toward the door.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 157 âWaitâAlicia, do you not like me?â Nola hurried after her, tears spilling over as she caught Alicia in the hallway.
âIf you donât like me, I can change, I swear. Please donât go. Iâm so grateful for everything youâve done for me. Itâs my faultâI shouldnât have bought such an expensive dress.â
Alicia looked at Nola. Sheâd pitied her once, back when Nola was just a kidâalone in the world, with a sick father. Alicia had seen herself in the girl.
But now... she understood. Kindness wasnât something you could hand out carelessly. Everyone had their own fate, and trying to change someone elseâs would only drain her own luck.
âNola, Iâve been where you are. Weâre both womenâI know the games youâre playing.â Alicia gently pried Nolaâs hands off hers. âI know exactly what youâre thinking.â
She glanced at Vincent. Nola had a crush on himâanyone could see that. âBut let me tell you: Vincent isnât the kind of man whoâll ever marry girls like us, girls with no family or background. So, if youâre looking for an enemy, itâs not me.â
Nola glared at Alicia, her anger barely contained, as if Alicia had exposed her deepest secret.
Alicia turned to leave, but paused. She looked back at Nola with a faint, mocking smile. âOh, and to answer your questionâI got into Seaview Tech School of Architecture with the top score in the county and seventh in the state.â
With that, Alicia strode out without a backward glance.
What was Nola showing off for, anyway? Her grades?
Sheâd learn soon enoughâonce she spent a few years at college. In those rarefied circles, good grades were the least impressive thing you could have. In fact, with no family backing, even top marks could make you a target.
Nola clenched her fists, unwilling to accept it.
Alicia... had scored even higher than she did!
âVincent... is your sister upset with me?â she asked, turning back to him in tears.
Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions