Chapter 4: Birthday Heist and Endgame

While Maddy was busy with Sean, I joined the alumni reception committee.

They said the reason for the event was the college wanted to build a new campus, so they invited successful alumni to donate, and the new campus would be done in no time.

In the last life, Quinn Mason, being clueless, pointed at a Forbes cover—famous entrepreneur Charles Yang—and said, “That’s my dad.”

The advisor believed her, flattered her, and made her team leader for the alumni reception. She didn’t have to do anything, just chat up the big shots.

Because of this, “Quinn Mason’s dad” would come and promised a big donation.

When Charles Yang walked backstage, the advisor awkwardly pushed Quinn Mason toward him, praising her as a credit to her father, etc.

Charles Yang exposed her on the spot: “This isn’t my daughter.”

Quinn Mason was socially destroyed right there.

Of course, I wasn’t here for Charles Yang.

In this regard, I had to hand it to Maddy—plotting like this? I couldn’t have dreamed it up.

“President Shaw, don’t worry. If I can intern at your firm next summer, I’ll work my tail off!”

I held a business card, looking so excited I didn’t know what to do with my hands.

During the reception, I set it up so Carter Shaw would know I was Maddy’s roommate and close to her. So when I showed interest in interning, he gave me his card right away.

Carter Shaw, the male lead—handsome, sharp, from a big family, and a family friend of the heroine. He’s always liked Maddy.

Maddy said she didn’t like him acting like a big brother, so she avoided him. Even after she got a boyfriend, he waited for her.

In the end, he married Maddy happily.

In the script, Carter is the final big prize—waiting for the heroine to finish with the jerk and side characters, then he shows up.

“Mm.” Carter replied, cool as ever.

Worthy of a CEO—only Maddy can make him show emotion.

“Actually, I’m not just looking for an internship—I have a small favor.” Like a rookie hoping for a break, I spilled my heart.

“Before, my roommate was trashed on the confession page, called a sugar baby, with all kinds of nasty comments. All anonymous. Even though she doesn’t care, the internet isn’t lawless. I want those people punished—to clear her name. Your firm specializes in tech. If I intern there, I can meet the pros. Usually I...”

The CEO cut in, “What’s your roommate’s name?”

“Maddy Quinn—a sweet, pure girl...”

“What?” Carter’s expression tightened.

“Huh?”

“I have something to do. Next summer, just come straight to the office.” Carter left in a hurry.

I thought Carter would just check who posted and commented insults. Whether I could see it or not didn’t matter—as long as the crowd saw. Seeing Maddy insult herself, her persona would totally collapse, right?

Didn’t expect Carter to be so ruthless—he had his techs hack the confession page and disable anonymous posting.

The result was wild.

Maddy’s own comments, plain as day: “Isn’t this Maddy? I know her—didn’t expect her to be so trashy.”

“LOL, does she look so plain when she’s with old men?”

“Rich people have no taste.”

...

I really didn’t expect Maddy to go so far—she even insulted herself that harshly.

And with such variety.

Felicia’s eyes went wide, mouth open, pointing at her phone. “This is shameless!”

Sadie was too shocked to speak.

The CEO quickly realized and told the techs to reverse it, delete the posts.

But plenty had already seen and screenshotted them. (Yeah, most students here are so bored—they don’t study, just watch the confession page all day.)

For a while, similar posts kept popping up. Even though they were deleted, people kept reposting.

At this point, the only person left supporting Maddy was Sean.

He fought for her online, even made videos, insisting she was framed and that he’d always believe and love her.

Then, Maddy became infamous outside campus, gaining tens of thousands of haters.

Sean’s TikTok account gained nearly 100,000 followers overnight.

Support rating plummeted to fifteen percent—Maddy nearly lost it.

Plus, Sean kept bugging her to sleep together.

She was even more annoyed and decided to go for broke—first, bring down my support.

“As long as her support rating drops below ten percent, she’s done. Then it doesn’t matter if mine is fifteen or eighty!” Maddy raged in her mind. “In three days, team up with Sean, get some guys to stage a kidnapping, then...”

“Yes.”

Maddy gave me another order.

In the last life, Quinn Mason went out like this: First, she showed off in the group to set her persona, then faked a doctor’s note to skip drills, posted online slandering the heroine, drove the heroine’s Porsche to show off, bribed the advisor to get class committee, seduced the heroine’s jerk boyfriend, threw her birthday party in the heroine’s mansion...

Finally, she teamed up with Sean to kidnap the heroine, let him play the hero and sleep with her, but the heroine found out ahead of time and teamed up with the CEO to set up Quinn Mason, who ended up assaulted by the thugs, exposed, and jailed with Sean.

Maybe because Quinn Mason’s dumb image was so established, the crowd just wanted to watch the drama and didn’t drop her support below ten early.

Checking my support—currently forty-five percent—I had enough “HP” to survive.

So, I decided to help Maddy.

Three days later, I found Sean fast.

Maddy followed from a distance.

I whispered with Sean at Starbucks for a long time before leaving.

Passing the pillar where Maddy was hiding, I told Sean, “Before this, don’t leak anything—especially don’t let Maddy know.”

“I get it, I get it.” Sean winked. “You be careful too—don’t let her notice, since you’re roommates.”

“I’ll find the people. In five days, I’ll lure her out. When they act, you get ready...”

“Miss Yang, Quinn’s support is dropping—down seven.”

“Only seven? Hmph, when she does this, her support will drop a lot!”

These days, I kept in touch with some “townies”—so-called small-time toughs.

Maddy, always watching, was even more relaxed.

This time, her skill seemed to work fine.

Five days later, under Maddy’s expectant gaze, I dragged her out shopping.

In a side alley, several masked people rushed out, dragged Maddy inside, and quickly blindfolded her.

“Don’t move. You can’t run. Just follow us and keep quiet.” The masked man pushed her into a room and shut the door.

I grinned. “Maddy, bet you didn’t see this coming—it’s me.”

“Quinn, so it was you! Where’s Sean? Wasn’t he in on it?”

I stiffened my voice. “You—how did you know?”

Maddy said, “You and Sean planned to kidnap me, then Sean would pretend to be a kidnapper and sleep with me, then show up as the hero and save me at my lowest—so he could control me forever. Am I right?”

The room went silent.

A “kidnapper” took off Maddy’s blindfold. Sean stood by the door with a big bouquet of roses, and the restaurant owner was beside him with a cake.

It was 3:30 p.m.—we were the only ones there.

The other “kidnappers” had already taken off their masks. They were Hunter, Felicia, Sadie, and two of the guys I’d called.

Everyone looked at each other. Sean reacted first, forced a smile, and said, “Babe, you think I’d do that? I’m so hurt. Today’s your birthday—did you forget? Happy birthday.”

I chimed in, “Yeah, Maddy, how could it be so scary?”

Felicia and Hunter finally set off party poppers—bang, bang—echoing in the room.

Bang! The door was kicked open. Carter Shaw burst in with two police officers.

“Don’t move!”

The officers pointed their guns as they rushed in.

The cake was knocked over. Sean landed on the floor, covered in frosting.

The rest of us raised our hands, confused.

The owner said, “Officer, these kids are just celebrating a birthday—they didn’t break the law.”

“President Shaw?” I asked, confused. “Why are you here with the police?”

Carter glanced at Sean, covered in cake, then locked eyes with Maddy.

Sean quickly got up, waving his roses, and stood next to Maddy.

“I’m celebrating my girlfriend’s birthday. Why’d you barge in? The surprise is ruined!”

“Officers, let’s talk outside—sorry about today.” Carter left with the police.

Why did Carter show up so perfectly on time? No need to guess—it was Maddy’s doing.

For the crowd, the best way to gain support isn’t “Maddy getting hurt by Sean,” but the smart Maddy outwitting the jerk and flipping the script.

But this move destroyed her image as pure and naive.

That kind of character—someone you want to protect—becomes hollow once tainted.

Now, to the crowd, she’s both scheming and foolish.

Maddy’s support rating dropped to eleven percent.

Even though my idea for Sean to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday was a little off, I meant well, and with my high “HP,” I survived.