Chapter 2
I hadn’t even stepped out of the pharmacy when I heard women behind me talking shit.
‘Kids these days have zero self respect.”
She looks so innocent, but buying Plan B at eighteen? What a little slut.”
heir words felt like acid being poured over my skin, burning from my face straight down to my soul.
practically ran to the bus stop, hands shaking as I dry-swallowed the white pill with bottled water.
he water went down wrong and I started choking, coughing so violently that tears poured down my cheeks. Everything hurt-my throat, my chest,
y fucking heart.
Aurelia!”
uigi came sprinting toward me, panic written all over his face.
What the hell? Why’d you bail from the hotel? I’ve been blowing up your phone-are you seriously gonna ghost me after what we did?”
e had the audacity to look wounded, like I was the one being shitty here.
wanted to scream, to laugh, to do anything but stand there feeling like my chest was caving in.
was getting Plan B.” I waved the empty box at him.
is expression shifted, guilt flashing across his features for maybe half a second.
Shit, you should’ve told me. I would’ve handled it. Had me thinking you were having second thoughts or something.”
was too emotionally drained to fight about this. “Whatever. It’s done.”
uigi must have noticed I looked like death because he reached for my hand. “Look, I got carried away last night. Next time I’ll be more careful, okay?
Tyler’s throwing a graduation party at Copper & Flame. We should head over.”
jerked my hand back like he’d burned me.
We’re not public yet, remember? Better if we show up separately. Don’t want people talking.”
uigi’s whole body went rigid. After what felt like forever, he nodded stiffly.
Yeah… yeah, good point. I’ll grab a ride.”
turned away and got on the first bus that pulled up, not trusting myself to look at him again.
uigi had sworn we’d go official after graduation. But here we were, days later, and he was chatting up a storm in every group chat except mentioning nything about us.
The truth from his hockey team’s messages had made everything crystal clear anyway.
This relationship was never meant to see the light of day.
By the time I made it to Copper & Flame, the private dining room was already packed with our entire graduating class.
And there was Rosalia, dolled up in some frilly pink dress, holding court in the center of the room while Luigi sat right beside her, literally hand-feeding her grapes.
I felt physically sick.
14:57
Done Hiding as Your Backuin Plaything I’m Shining Colden af 2 Queen
Chapter 2
Some of the guys started razzing him: “Bro, graduation’s in like two days. You’ve been simping for our class princess forever-when you gonna grow some balls and ask her out? College is gonna be a whole different game, man!”
Luigi’s obsession with Rosalia was common knowledge to everyone except, apparently, me.
While he was secretly screwing me, he was publicly playing her knight in shining armor-cleaning up after her, buying her lunch, fighting anyone who
looked at her wrong.
Hell, he’s the one who campaigned to get her voted class beauty in the first place.
We were identical twins. We had the same face, same body, same everything.
When I’d questioned him about it before, his bullshit excuse was:
‘Babe, your sister looks just like you but she’s fragile, you know? If I don’t watch out for her, jealous people might target her. But you’re lifferent-you’re strong. You have me.”
God, I’d actually bought that garbage. Thought he was being protective because he loved me so much.
ooking back, I wanted to punch my naive teenage self in the face.
steeled myself and pushed through the door.
uigi saw me walk in and didn’t even have the decency to look guilty. Just kept playing the perfect gentleman with Rosalia.
he immediately bounced over to me, putting on her innocent little sister act.
Aurelia! Oh my God, where were you last night? You didn’t come home and Mom and Dad were freaking out!”
very head in the room turned toward me, whispers starting immediately.
Holy shit, staying out all night right after graduation? She definitely got laid.”
I always thought Aurelia was this total nerd, but turns out she’s a closet freak…”
aced with their gossip, Rosalia looked secretly pleased.
caught her expression and replied with ice in my voice, “None of your business.”
tried to find an empty seat away from the circus, but Rosalia grabbed my arm with fake sisterly concern.
Don’t be weird, sit with me!”
he yanked me toward her with way more force than necessary, and my shirt collar shifted, exposing every single hickey Luigi had sucked into my kin last night.
Rosalia gasped dramatically like she’d just discovered a crime scene. “Aurelia, what are those marks?!”
The entire room went dead silent, then exploded with whispers.
“No fucking way, look at her neck!”
“Jesus Christ, someone went to town on her. How many are there?”
“Who knew the class nerd was such a slut? Bet she just grabbed some random guy for her graduation fuck.”
Humiliation burned through me as I frantically pulled my shirt back up. My eyes found Luigi automatically, desperately hoping for… what? Support? Acknowledgment?
He was meticulously peeling a fucking orange for Rosalia, acting like I didn’t exist.
Something inside me finally snapped.
“It’s nothing,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “Got bit by a dog last night. Allergic reaction.”
A heartless, lying piece of shit dog.
