The university's spring social was in full swing, the grand hall decorated with twinkling lights and filled with the gentle melody of a string quartet. I smoothed down my simple blue dress—the best I owned—and scanned the crowd for Elijah. We hadn't spoken properly since that night at Victoria's party, but he'd texted earlier saying he'd meet me here.
I spotted him across the room, his tall figure unmistakable even in the crowd. My heart lifted—until I saw her beside him.
Natasha White was everything I wasn't. Tall, elegant, with honey-blonde hair that caught the light like a halo. She wore a designer dress that screamed old money, her laugh carrying across the room as she leaned close to Elijah.
"Elijah!" I called, approaching them with a smile that felt brittle on my face.
He turned, his expression shifting almost imperceptibly. "Lucia. You made it."
No kiss. No acknowledgment of our relationship. Just those three cold words.
"Natasha," he continued, his hand settling possessively on her waist, "this is everyone."
The way he said "everyone" made it clear I wasn't included in that category.
"I'd like you to meet Natasha," he told the gathered circle of his friends. "She's just back from Paris. We grew up together."
I stood there, invisible, as he introduced her to every person in his orbit. Victoria Sterling, who had mocked my dress at the party, practically swooned over Natasha's authentic Chanel.
"It's so wonderful to have you back," Victoria gushed. "Elijah has been simply lost without you."
I waited for Elijah to mention me—to say something, anything—but he didn't. He just smiled at Natasha with a warmth I'd never seen directed at me.
Throughout the entire evening, he never once acknowledged our relationship. I was a ghost at my own university, watching the man I loved treat another woman like she was the only person in the room.
---
"Lucia! I've been hoping to run into you."
Natasha's voice was like honey as she cornered me in the university cafeteria three days later. I'd been trying to avoid her, but she seemed to appear everywhere I went.
"I wanted to get to know Elijah's girlfriend better," she said, sliding into the seat across from me. "We're practically family, after all."
Her smile was perfect, but something in her eyes was calculating.
"Elijah never mentioned you," I said quietly.
"Oh, we have so much history." She waved her hand dismissively. "But that's ancient news. I'm more interested in you. How did you two meet?"
I told her the sanitized version—how Elijah had helped me get into the same school as him, how we'd grown close over the years.
"How sweet," she murmured. "And you dance, right? Elijah mentioned something about you being in the university company."
For the next week, Natasha made it her mission to be my new best friend. She invited me to coffee, asked about my classes, my dancing, my hopes for the future. Each conversation felt like a performance—her playing the supportive friend while I struggled to keep up.
"I'm so impressed by how hard you work," she said during our third meeting, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "It must be exhausting, always trying to keep up with Elijah's world."
I should have seen through her act sooner. But I was so starved for acceptance that I clung to her attention like a lifeline.
---
"Lucia, can you stay after practice?"
Professor Chen's voice stopped me as I gathered my dance bag. The studio was emptying out, dancers streaming toward the doors with excited chatter about the upcoming showcase.
"I have some news about the backup position for the main performance," she said when we were alone.
My heart leapt. I'd been working toward this chance for months—dancing extra hours, perfecting every move, pushing myself beyond exhaustion.
"Thank you for considering me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "This opportunity would mean everything."
Professor Chen's expression was uncomfortable. "About that... we've decided to go in a different direction."
The floor seemed to drop from beneath me. "What? But I've been working so hard—"
"Natasha White will be taking the backup position."
The name hit me like a physical blow. "Natasha? But she hasn't even been to a single practice."
"Her family made a substantial donation to the dance program yesterday," Professor Chen said quietly. "And she has connections with the visiting choreographer."
Of course she did. Natasha White had everything—Elijah, social status, and now my dream position.
"I'm sorry, Lucia," Professor Chen continued. "You're an exceptional dancer, but sometimes these decisions aren't just about talent."
I nodded numbly, clutching my dance bag to my chest like armor. As I walked out of the studio, I saw Natasha through the window, laughing with the other dancers as if she belonged there.
In that moment, I realized that no matter how hard I worked or how much I loved Elijah, I would never be enough in his world. Some people were born with everything, while others—like me—would always be fighting for scraps.
