He Erased My Dream School For Her, I Already Had A Better One Chapter 02

He Erased My Dream School For Her, I Alraedy Had A Better One Chapter 02

When I came to again, a nurse was saying, “You passed out 

from a severe allergic reaction not long after the ambulance 

picked you up. I called your emergency contact. He should be 

here any minute.” 

The door to my ER room opened the next second. 

Grant hurried in, his face with worry. 

“Clementine, are you okay? I didn’t realize your allergy was 

this serious. I thought…” 

He reached out to smooth my hair, but I leaned away. 

His hand hovered in midair for a moment before he finally 

spoke. “Can you stop being mad? You know Nora’s family 

doesn’t have much. You can’t seriously expect her to spend a 

fortune and lose an entire year just to reapply.” 

“You’re different. You have your parents backing you, and you 

have me to help you.” 

It was absurd. 

I looked up at him, my voice rising before I could stop it. “Did 

I make her family poor?” 

What gives you the right to use my future as her safety net?“) 

Grant opened his mouth to argue, but a nurse came in to give 

me an injection. 

He instinctively stepped closer and covered my eyes with his hand. 

I shoved his hand away, rejecting the cheap show of concern. 

The moment his hand moved away, a crystal pendant carved 

in the shape of a clementine came into view. 

Happy birthday.” 

Grant glanced at his watch. “One minute until midnight. 

Perfect timing. Let me put it on you.” 

Nora walked in just then. 

The moment she saw Grant fastening the necklace around 

my neck, a flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes. It vanished 

almost instantly beneath a smile. 

Happy birthday, Clementine. When Grant drove me back to 

Cedar Hollow over winter break last year, we went up to a 

mountain mine and dug out that piece of white quartz 

ourselves just for you. It really suits you.” 

She deliberately leaned closer to admire it. 

But I could see perfectly well what was hanging at her 

collarbone beneath the neckline of her shirt. 

It was a heart–shaped pink crystal pendant engraved with G&N. 

1 yanked off my necklace and held it out to Grant. 

Nora suddenly knocked her elbow against my hand. 

The crystal slipped from my fingers, hit the floor, and broke cleanly in two. 

Nora gasped in dismay. “Clementine, we picked out that 

crystal ourselves, and Grant hand–carved it into a birthday present just for you!” 

How could you treat it like it means nothing?” 

She reached down to pick up the broken pieces. 

A jagged edge sliced her fingertip, and blood welled up 

immediately. 

Grant’s expression darkened. 

*Clementine! You’re heartless.” 

You have no respect for anyone else’s feelings.” 

He shoved past me, helped Nora up, and walked out with her. 

A humorless laugh escaped me as I opened Instagram. 

Nora had posted ten minutes earlier. 

[Got the genius’s lucky charm right here. Summit Tech, here I come.] 

In the photo, a small guardian–angel charm rested in her palm. 

I recognized it instantly. 

Last summer, while Grant was preparing his special merit 

application, he had run himself ragged. He barely slept, 

hardly ate, and ended up in the hospital more than once. 

I had hiked alone to a mountain chapel to have a 

guardian–angel charm blessed for Grant. 

And now it was sitting in someone else’s hand. 

Slowly, I lifted my right wrist and stared at the identical 

charm I was wearing. 

I ripped it off and flung it away. 

When I got home, I booked a flight to London for two days later.