Part 3My Online Crush Is The Hockey Star in School, But I Ghosted Him

I looked at the scars on my face, a wave of bitterness washing over me.

Did I ever regret it? Probably.

I'd thought a million times, if I hadn't rushed in that day, I wouldn't have been disfigured.

…But there were no 'ifs'. I had to accept it.

I could only pour my heart into my studies, working harder than others to get better grades.

As if that would make people notice my face less.

But it didn't really help.

There was a guy in our Computer Science department whose grades were on par with mine, and we were neck and neck in competitions. He was good-looking and several girls liked him.

I knew this guy, Jaxson Blackwood, because of our competition training.

During freshman year, I went to Professor Evans' office to pick up a competition registration form. Passing by the lab, I overheard people discussing me.

"You know, Scarlett's scores are super close to yours. She even suggested to the professor that she should be teamed up with you for this competition. Do you think she likes you?"

"Oh, please, no way. That's terrifying. I'd be too scared to even participate then," the speaker said with an exaggerated tone.

"Yeah, it's kinda creepy, LOL. I bet no one would dare date her."

I looked into the lab. There were two guys: one was Jaxson, the guy whose grades were similar to mine, and the other I didn't recognize.

Their laughter was sickening.

I had only suggested it to the professor based on our chances of winning a prize in the competition; how the professor arranged it was out of my control.

And, no one would dare date me?

After returning to my dorm, I changed my status in the game I frequently played: "Looking for a partner."

A friend, someone I'd added from the school forum but had never actually spoken to, responded.

I said I was ugly. Did he mind?

He said he was short and couldn't find a date in real life.

We instantly clicked, and that's how our online romance began.

We had great chemistry, probably because we were both self-conscious about our appearances. We never sent photos or video called.

We hadn't even brought up meeting offline.

I only knew he was also at A University; I knew nothing else about him.

I didn't dwell on it; I didn't have many expectations anyway.

But in terms of the dating experience, this boyfriend was absolutely perfect. He completely accommodated me in the game, always checked in on me, and provided plenty of emotional support.

For my birthday, he even sent me a gift.

I was curious: "How did you know my birthday?"

His reply was quick: "Scarlett0123. I guessed the last four digits of your ID might be your birthday, right?"

It was indeed my birthday, but those four digits, 0123, were too simple; most people wouldn't guess them.

I felt a little touched.

For the first time, I felt curious about him too. I asked him for some information, planning to send him a gift in return.

He only said he wanted to meet me in a few days and we could talk about him then.

Meet in person? I felt a hint of anticipation.

I didn't really care about his appearance; I just liked an interesting, compatible soul. Even if he was 5'3", it wouldn't matter.

But then—

I snapped back to reality, looking at myself in the mirror, touching the scar on my face.

Why was it the department heartthrob?

I admit, I care about my appearance. I chickened out.