Chapter 3: Breakups, Bank Transfers, and Bombshells

Two weeks later, Brianna told me she was dating someone. Turns out it was Carter’s best friend.

The three of us grilled her for gossip.

Brianna explained shyly, "Actually, we’ve known each other for a while but never really talked. He always did stuff with Carter, but my boyfriend says lately Carter seems to have a crush."

"What?!"

The three of us screamed like banshees.

Brianna went on, "He said Carter chats with this girl every day now, even saved her as ‘sweet baby’ in his contacts. Now no one plays racquetball with him, so my boyfriend and I started playing together, got to know each other, and, well, you know..."

My other two roommates suddenly looked at me with sympathy. "It’s okay, Vanna. You’re so pretty—even if Carter isn’t interested, there are plenty of other guys."

It was meant to comfort me, but I still felt a little sour inside. So Carter wasn’t cold to everyone, just to me.

I quietly climbed into bed and hid under my blanket.

The next afternoon, I had a club event with Carter’s group. I avoided his gaze the whole time, keeping my head down. But Carter kept glancing over at me. What was that? A look of pity?

His buddy, Mason Tran, was chattering nonstop at his side.

"Wow, the legendary ice king finally thawed!"

"He even saved her as ‘sweet baby’!"

"When it works out, you better tell me!"

...Man, with a mouth like that, I don’t know how Brianna fell for him.

After the event, I messaged my mom, "I got dumped. I really want to cry."

She replied, "Oh? You have another baby besides me?"

Was my mom going through menopause or something? She was talking in riddles.

"That baby isn’t you! You just don’t get me!"

I angrily sent her the message and stopped replying.

For three days straight, I didn’t talk to my mom. I felt like there was a generation gap—she just didn’t get the heartbreak of a lovesick girl.

By the end of the month, she still hadn’t sent my allowance. I panicked.

"Hungry, broke, starving."

I sent a sticker of a little shark holding a bowl, begging for food.

"No money for food?"

Actually, I still had most of the two thousand she sent for the dress, but she’d said that didn’t count as allowance.

I sent a crying cat sticker.

"Yeah, please feed me, your starving child."

She didn’t say anything, just sent me ten grand.

My hands shook—I didn’t dare accept it right away.

"Did we win the lottery?"

"No, you said you were heartbroken. Go buy yourself something good to eat."

"Sorry, I was too harsh before."

"It’s fine—we’re good."

Turns out, mothers and daughters never hold a grudge overnight.

I accepted the transfer at lightning speed and ordered barbecue, seafood, and spicy wings. The heartbreak was still there, but my mind was too busy savoring the spicy, tangy flavors to care.