Chapter 4 Gratitude Betrayed

In college, Evelyn and Crystal had initially coexisted peacefully. Evelyn hadn't planned to tell Crystal that she was the one who had funded her education for so many years. But somehow, Crystal eventually found out the truth. And instead of feeling grateful, she ended up resenting Evelyn. The catalyst for this was an unexpected incident. One day after class, Evelyn was passing by the basketball court when a stray ball hit her on the head. The campus heartthrob came over to apologize with flushed cheeks. The scene attracted attention, and some students nearby began teasing them. Evelyn hadn't thought much of it. But from that day onward, Crystal seemed to be consumed by jealousy and began treating her as an enemy. It wasn't until a fellow roommate let it slip that Evelyn learned Crystal secretly harbored a crush on the campus heartthrob. Crystal believed Evelyn had been deliberately trying to seduce him. From then on, she held a grudge. Not wanting to deal with the drama, Evelyn eventually moved out of the dorm. But Crystal's obsession only grew. She lost interest in her studies and began investing in makeup and new clothes, expenses she could hardly afford. To cover these costs, Crystal began lying. She took advantage of her sponsor, who had funded her education for years. She wrote letters and pretended to be struggling. It started with a claim that she was sick and couldn't afford treatment, so Evelyn sent her 500 dollars. However, Crystal spent nearly all of it the next day on a new dress. She even wore it to flaunt in front of Evelyn with the tag still on it. This raised Evelyn's suspicions. Not long after, Crystal wrote again, saying her father had gambled away their money, leaving her bedridden mother without funds for medication. Evelyn doubted the story but still sent her another 2,000 dollars. It was a matter of life, after all. Spending 2,000 dollars to see a person's true colors wasn't a loss. Evelyn might not have been an academic star, but she had a keen sense of smell and was a natural-born perfumer. Her innate talent had led her to early financial independence. When she was five, the world's most renowned perfumer discovered her talent and took her on as his only protégé. By nine, she'd won the highest international award for an original fragrance. And by 13, she had her own luxury perfume brand and studio. It became a top name in the luxury industry. The funds she provided to Crystal were trivial in her eyes. But soon, her suspicions proved accurate. She had been deceived. The next day after Crystal received the money for medication, she bought an entire set of branded cosmetics, which sparked curiosity among the roommates. Someone jealously asked where she got the money. Crystal purposely raised her voice to show off, saying, "A dumbass gave it to me!" She made sure Evelyn could hear every word. The roommates quickly jumped to the conclusion that all these luxuries were gifts from her admirer. When Evelyn learned the truth, she immediately cut off all financial support. What she didn't expect was that the desperate Crystal managed to track down her home address through her own alma mater. Crystal secretly showed up at Evelyn's door and discovered her true identity. In Crystal's fantasy, her secret sponsor was a wealthy, refined, middle-aged man who had long since achieved financial freedom. She even imagined this "older man" as her backup plan for climbing the social ladder. Just in case her efforts to rise failed, she could always repay him with her body. To her surprise, reality slapped her in the face. Her sponsor turned out to be her roommate, who was also her sworn enemy. The two immediately fell out. Crystal had no outlet for her resentment and humiliation, so she vented by writing Evelyn into a period novel. Someone had slipped the book into Evelyn's bag. Curious, she skimmed through it one night before bed and thought nothing more of it. Who would've guessed that... Now, as Evelyn looked at the pitiful Crystal sitting across from her, the image of the vengeful Crystal in her mind began to merge. The two faces slowly overlapped. "What do you think makes you so great, Evelyn? Do you work as hard as I do? If we had grown up in the same village, you wouldn't even be fit to shine my shoes!" Recalling the story's plotline and her own tragic end in it, Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine. Who would have thought that Evelyn would actually transmigrate into this novel after one night's sleep? After coming to terms with everything, Evelyn took a deep breath and quickly accepted the reality of her situation. The diesel train ride from Sandspire to Kingsbridge would take over 17 hours. As she recalled the storyline that would soon unfold, goosebumps rose along her arms. She had to change Evelyn's miserable fate.