My Exes Wanted Me Back Too Bad, I'm The Boss Now!

I'm a straightforward, love-struck girl who only falls for powerful people.

The brilliant, unattainable genius shamed me for my bad grades. I thought he was so charming.

My fault, I'm too dumb. I'll learn.

My super-handsome first love cheated on me with a glamorous, curly-haired woman. I thought he had great taste.

My fault, I'm too lacking in competitiveness. I'll learn.

My rich ex-boyfriend dumped me for being too broke. I thought he was so smart.

My fault, I wasn't working hard enough. I'll learn.

But then, the three of them got into a huge fight over who would get back with me, and I just felt annoyed.

Like I said, I'm a straightforward, love-struck girl who only falls for powerful people.

But now I'm good-looking, rich, and talented. I'm the most powerful!

The day Ethan transferred to our school, the whole class buzzed.

He looked handsome and refined, tall and well-built, with fair skin.

In our small town, where two-thirds of the class were from less affluent backgrounds, he truly stood out.

The entire class instantly fell for him, except for me!

My deskmate, Sophia, nudged me, her face flushed.

"He looks like an actor from a TV show!"

I didn't pay attention.

Because I was busy carefully changing my 30-point math test to an 80-point.

There was no room for error.

If my mom found out, my favorite snack for tonight would be gone.

But just as I was in the zone, making the change look completely natural,

Ethan bumped my desk and my snack fell.

I stiffly looked up, watching him take the seat in front of me. He casually glanced at me,

then meticulously wiped his desk with a fragrant tissue.

What a jerk!

That was my first impression of him.

This class was a test, and Mr. Harrison, our homeroom teacher, handing out the papers stopped the trash talk forming on my tongue.

I quieted down because I was waiting to copy Sophia's answers.

Mr. Harrison went to the restroom midway through, and Ethan's deskmate bravely spoke to him.

"Only twenty minutes, and you finished?"

"Too easy."

What a show-off!

That was my second impression of him.

Ethan's deskmate asked hopefully.

"Then, can I copy yours?"

"Whatever."

Ethan's answers quickly spread throughout the entire class, even Sophia copied them.

But I found him smug and arrogant, and still held a grudge over my snack, so I unilaterally decided we were enemies.

Stubbornly, I decided to write my own answers!

As a result, that day, everyone in class passed or got high scores, except for me.

And me? Mr. Harrison dragged me to his office.

He yelled, asking if I'd answered the test with my feet to get a 15.

I hung my head, listening with one ear and letting it out the other, my mind on Ethan.

I was shocked he really got a perfect score on the physics test in twenty minutes.

So impressive!

That was my third impression.

When I returned to the classroom, my seat was already taken.

A crowd eagerly surrounded Ethan, their eyes gleaming with admiration.

It was the first time I'd seen such expressions on my usually lifeless classmates.

Ethan sat back, arms loosely crossed.

He'd glance at a question and casually answer the problems, whether simple or complex.

His handwriting was beautiful, his voice clear, and his appearance outstanding.

The golden-orange sunset cast a glow on his features.

He seemed to sweep his eyes over me.

A never-before-seen charm impacted my heart.

I was captivated.

Ethan's name spread throughout the school, love letters rained down like snowflakes.

"Hey, can you give this love letter to Ethan for me?"

Returning from the restroom, a girl blushingly handed me a pink envelope.

I blushed too.

Deliver a love letter? Then I'd get to talk to him!

So I took on the task.

Yes, I was an introverted person, and despite being captivated, I still hadn't managed to talk to him.

I mentally prepared myself, cleared my throat, and called him.

"Ethan."

He casually looked my way.

The words I'd planned stumbled out, a nervous mess.

He saw the letter in my hand and paused.

His gaze then swept over my 15-point test on my desk, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He scrutinized me as if I were a rare specimen.

"15 points? Are you a paramecium?"

Suppressed laughter erupted around us.

The glaring red numbers suddenly felt piercing.

My face burned. I quickly mumbled, head down.

"It's a love letter. A classmate from the next class asked me to give it to you!"

"Oh."

Ethan shrugged.

"Could you do me a favor and throw it away?"

Ethan was different from others.

Even when he mocked me, he had extraordinary charm.

I felt self-conscious and blamed myself.

I couldn't live so miserably under his nose, breathing the same air as him.

So I decided to study hard.

That weekend when I went home, my mom saw me struggling with my books and was so happy she could practically do a happy dance.

She didn't even scold me for my 15-point test.

My dad just shook his head, grumbling.

"If you ask me, studying is useless with your brain. You might as well come home early and learn to farm, then find a boy to settle down with, that's more practical."

My dad used to be abusive, an alcoholic, and favored boys. When he saw I was a girl, he wanted to give me away.

But after a particularly violent argument with my mom, something shifted in him. He completely turned his life around.

He started treating me like his precious gem, hoping I'd achieve great things and build a strong family legacy.

"What do you know? You're so short-sighted."

My mom scoffed.

Then she turned to me and said she'd buy a brighter lamp for me tomorrow in town, so I wouldn't strain my eyes studying at night.

She even pulled out some bills from her pocket, telling me to buy study materials.

I nodded enthusiastically.

"So, tonight's snack..."

"No."

I started listening intently in class, taking notes, and submitting homework on time.

I even stayed in class to review during my favorite P.E. lessons.

Sophia was surprised by my transformation.

"You've changed your tune!"

She raised her voice.

"Don't tell me you're using studying as an excuse to ask Ethan for help?"

"No!"

I buried my head in my textbook, my heart pounding.

Ethan's deskmate turned around and scoffed.

"You girls are so cunning, you'll do anything to get Ethan's attention."

Ethan's gaze landed on the top of my head.

"Hmm, I am a little curious about the upper limit of a paramecium."

Ugh, his voice was so nice.

His delicate, pale fingers tapped my test paper.

"Here, that's wrong."

He offered, as if bestowing a favor.

"You can ask if you have questions, just like those other girls."

"Watching you all fight over me is occasionally quite entertaining."

Oh, he's so nice, but I couldn't agree to it.

Being near him, hearing his voice, I couldn't think straight.

Even sitting behind him, I couldn't help but get distracted.

After much deliberation, I painfully asked Mr. Harrison to change my seat.

The front row VIP spot.

As I packed my books, the entire class stared at me in shock.

Even Ethan gave me a complex look, staring for an extra moment.

My secret crush and my studies progressed side by side, and soon a year had passed.

After immersing myself in my studies for so long, on the day the final exam results came out, I actually just barely made the cut to get into the same top-tier high school in the state as Ethan.

The only catch was, he was in the honors class, and I was in the lowest-ranked class.

Mr. Harrison teared up, using me as a legend to future students.

My parents called every relative they had and celebrated like I'd won the lottery.

Only I felt a mix of joy and worry.

Joy because I'd see my idol again.

Worry because: barely making it in, how could I claim to be from the same school as my idol?

I wasn't good enough, I had to keep striving.

Day and night studying began again.

I didn't even let the holidays stop me.

Whenever I got tired, I'd grab my vocabulary book and secretly find a corner to stake out Ethan.

Just to catch a glimpse of him.

He was voted "Campus Heartthrob" and was still the center of attention.

Boys tried to get close, girls crushed on him.

I liked him so much.

Occasionally, I'd stare for too long and get noticed by Ethan and his friends.

His friend would sneer, "Another fangirl, Ethan, do you know her?"

Ethan would look at me and let out a dismissive chuckle.

"Just a simple-minded paramecium."

My face turned red again, but his voice was as pleasant as ever!

Days turned into weeks, then months, years passed by.

My college entrance exam results came out.

I was the top student in the state.

My parents' phones were ringing off the hook with calls from universities across the country.

The school put up banners of honor, and the state and school gave me prize money.

Everything felt like a dazzling fireworks display.

I was a bit dazed.

It wasn't until I stood at the university entrance, face-to-face with Ethan,

that I felt a sense of grounding.

That's right, I wasn't a genius, but I had some intelligence and a lot of effort.

My scores had steadily climbed, and by the third mock exam, I was tied with Ethan.

Problems Ethan solved effortlessly, I also solved with ease.

When Ethan chatted effortlessly, I could just as easily apply those theorems and formulas.

Even for the big problems Ethan hesitated on, I had some ideas.

Getting into Beacon University was a given.

Winning by a hair, a given.

I was thrilled.

Finally, I was worthy of confessing to Ethan!

"Long time no see, I'm Chloe."

I spoke first.

Ethan looked at me intently, a faint, strange resentment in his eyes.

"You think I'd forget?"

I didn't understand, and eagerly confessed my long-held feelings.

"Um, actually, I've liked you for many years."

His expression became even stranger.

"Are you saying you worked so hard to surpass me just to pursue me?"

I nodded firmly.

"Only someone excellent enough can be worthy of you."

Ethan was silent.

"You want to be with me?"

His eyes seemed to flicker with encouragement.

I looked up, a little excited,

but then I suddenly noticed that the aura around Ethan had disappeared.

"I"

Just as I hesitated, about to admit it, a group of foreign students squeezed into the international student registration area.

As I moved to avoid them, I suddenly felt my rear lightly but distinctly pinched.

At the same moment, a girl shrieked.

"Who's got grabby hands?"

A few foreign students smirked, their eyes brazenly scanning our bodies.

They spoke in French, which I didn't understand.

One of them even pointed at me, snickering lewdly.

The girl was furious, stamping her foot, and demanded in English.

The foreign students, emboldened, shrugged and finally spoke in English.

"You say it was us? Got any proof?"

The girl decisively turned her head to me.

"You got touched too, didn't you?"

Countless eyes fixed on me.

But I was a timid, easily rattled person who avoided trouble.

That was always the policy for kids from less affluent backgrounds when they were away from home.

Seeing this, Ethan silently stepped in front of me, shielding me from their stares.

The foreign students smirked in triumph.

"Heard you local girls love foreign guys, even for free. Is that you too?"

"How much for a night?"

The girl's face flushed crimson with rage.

Some people who couldn't stand it tried to argue, but the foreign students just spoke in French, leaving them powerless.

Until a young man named Julian appeared.

The Student Council members seemed to find their backbone, visibly relieved.

Julian gently comforted the girl for a few moments.

Then his face hardened, and he looked sternly at the foreign students.

Though tall, he still seemed slender compared to the group of nearly six-foot-three white men.

But his presence showed no weakness.

He conversed with the foreign students in fluent, firm French.

Their arrogance gradually turned into bluster.

Julian pulled out a statement and made a phone call.

The big, burly white men's faces changed; they exchanged glances.

They grudgingly apologized to the girl, quickly registered, and slunk away.

"Hmph, these foreign students still think they have privileges like before, but the Ministry of Education and the school have issued management announcements."

"It's a good thing Julian arrived in time this time, otherwise we'd just be forced to accept it again."

The freshmen were full of curiosity and admiration.

"Is he the Student Council President?"

"Yes, Julian is a school legend, fluent in four languages, the student representative and planner for the college."

"He wins awards constantly, manages event projects flawlessly, and even brought in 0-000,000 in sponsorship for orientation."

"It feels like there's nothing he can't handle. I heard even the strictest Dean Thompson praised him, and several top-tier companies have extended job offers."

The Student Council members were full of praise and reverence.

Julian, at the center of the crowd, was charming and approachable, a true gentleman.

With just a few words, he lifted the girl's bad mood, and she offered a shy smile.

I whispered Julian's name.

For the second time in my life, I was captivated, my heart completely drawn to him.

Ethan remembered the unfinished conversation.

"Right, you still haven't answered. Confessing to me, do you want to take things further?"

I hesitated for two seconds.

Looking over his shoulder, I saw Julian suddenly walking our way.

My mind went into a frenzy, and I blurted out something random.

"No, I didn't mean that. I think love is about adapting to circumstances."

Ethan: ?