Part 3My Boyfriend Gave My Scholarship to a Poor Girl

"Stella, we're having a family dinner tonight, and my mom specifically wants you there."

Noah called to announce.

"Your parents will be there too. It's time to put our engagement on the agenda. This is an opportunity my mom and I fought hard for, so don't you dare look like a corpse again."

I rolled my eyes. Did he think I cared about this marriage?

But then I remembered I had some important research papers still at home.

This would be a good chance for my parents to bring them, and I could settle everything once and for all.

"Fine."

I agreed.

The Harrison family's mansion was ablaze with lights.

Noah's parents sat at the head of the table. Their demeanor towards me was distant, almost frosty.

Their words always subtly hinted that I came from an ordinary background, not good enough for their son.

My parents, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the disdain, relentlessly flattering the Harrisons and plastering on forced smiles.

They even went as far as to belittle me, just to curry favor.

"Our Stella, she's just been spoiled rotten by us. She has a bit of a temper, so Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, please bear with her in the future."

"It's truly her good fortune to marry Noah."

I sat there stiffly, the judging stares making me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles.

During the meal, Mrs. Harrison casually, almost artfully, brought up Lily Davis.

"Noah, I heard you've been targeting a girl named Lily at school all these years?"

A flicker of displeasure crossed her perfectly maintained face, but her gaze drifted, light as a feather, to me.

As if she blamed me for dragging her son down.

"Mom, don't listen to rumors."

Noah set down his glass.

"Actually, I quite admire Lily. She comes from a tough background and she's fiercely independent. I just playfully teased her a few times, and always made it up to her later."

I pretended not to hear, numbly stuffing spoonfuls of abalone and lobster into my mouth.

Halfway through the dinner, the butler ushered someone in.

It was Lily.

She wore a faded dress, looking utterly out of place in the opulent living room.

She looked so pitiful, completely lacking her usual proud demeanor from school.

Her beautiful eyes pleaded with Noah.

Noah frowned, rubbing his temples, and told the butler:

"Take her upstairs to change."

When Lily returned, she was like a different person.

It was one of the Harrison family's limited-edition designer dresses, and on her, it somehow evoked a fragile, almost pitiful beauty.

Throughout the meal, Mrs. Harrison's demeanor towards Lily was even warmer than it was towards me, the actual girlfriend.

"Lily, isn't it? Noah tells me you're very hardworking and your grades are excellent. And now you've even secured that NYU scholarship! Such a good girl."

She took Lily's hand, announcing she would fully sponsor her education.

"If you ever face any difficulties, just tell me. Our family, the Harrisons, truly admires strong, self-made, ambitious young people like you."

Lily looked stunned by her attitude, her eyes welling up as she thanked her.

I knew Mrs. Harrison was using Lily to publicly humiliate me.

She was using this as a way to tell me that even a financially struggling student had more backbone and capability than I, a girl from a family with merely "some money."

I was the real nobody, vainly trying to latch onto their prestigious family.

I couldn't stand to watch my parents' groveling, eager-to-please faces anymore.

The churning nausea in my stomach threatened to erupt.

I dropped my forks, stood up, and took the folder containing my research papers from my mom's hand.

"Excuse me, I'm not feeling well. I'm leaving."

Noah immediately stood up to block me.

"Stella!"