Just The Forgotten Third Wheel

Freshman year, I earned the lead role hosting the university orientation gala. After three sleepless nights perfecting my script, Tommy launched a last-minute poll in our cohort chat. Natalie won. She took the stage in my steamed dress, reading my script. Tommy spent hours consoling me, then later warned her, Dont let her script go to waste.

Sophomore year, I secured the Oxford fellowship. Another poll. Natalie went. Junior year, I was named department research rep. Another poll. Natalie replaced me. I spiraled into anxiety, convinced I lacked talent or charm. By senior year, group notifications triggered panic attacks.

One day, descending the stairs, I overheard Natalie pleading below. Tommy, you promised revenge for what her mother did to mine. Why wont you help me now? After a pause, Tommy sighed, This is the last time, Natalie. Tears blurred my vision. I opened our chat and launched my own poll: Should Audrey and Tommy stay together? I tapped No.

Tommy replied almost instantly. Audrey, take the poll down. Class chats are for academic matters, not your childish tantrums.

I stared at the screen, my fingertips icy. It was funny how he suddenly remembered that class chats were meant for serious business. The "No" votes kept climbing, eventually freezing at thirty one. Only one person had voted for us to stay together, and that was just the systems default hold before I cast my own vote.

No one had ever rooted for us. Tommy was the golden boy of our department, blessed with an old money family, striking looks, and perfect grades. Natalie had chased him for years, but he had never spared her a glance. Instead, he chose me, the quiet girl from a small town. Everyone whispered that I had hit the jackpot.

When the poll ended, I took a screenshot and sent it directly to him. Tommy, we are done.

I turned off my phone and went back to organizing my competition files. I had spent two grueling months preparing for this event, staying up until dawn writing briefs, compiling case studies, and running data sheets. This time, I was not backing down.

A heavy knock rattled my dorm door just as I sealed my documents into a folder. Becca, my roommate, opened it. Tommy stood in the doorway, his expression dark, with Natalie hovering right behind him, her eyes rimmed with red.

Tommy locked eyes with me. "What was that poll supposed to mean?"

I kept quiet.

"Are you still throwing a fit over those past votes?" he asked, trying to keep his temper in check. "Audrey, those were group decisions. I did not force anyone. Instead of acting out, maybe you should focus on improving yourself and learning how to get along with your peers."

I looked up at him, a sudden wave of absurdity washing over me. Natalie took a step forward, her voice soft and trembling. "Audrey, I am sorry about the previous times. I did not realize that living in the countryside with your grandmother made you so sensitive. I will make sure everyone votes for you this time."

Before I could speak, my phone lit up with a new text in the group chat. Are we voting on the competition slot too? Put me down for Natalie. Another classmate quickly agreed. Me too. Honestly, who would vote for a charity case?

I looked at the screen, let out a soft laugh, and left the group chat entirely.

Tommy's brow furrowed. "Audrey, what are you doing now?"

I slammed my phone face down on the desk. "I do not care about any polls. This slot is mine, and I am not giving it up."

Natalies face went pale, her hand reaching out to clutch Tommys sleeve.

"Audrey, must you be so incredibly petty?" Tommy sneered.

I looked at them and let out a cold laugh. "I was in the stairwell earlier. I heard everything. You do not have to play innocent anymore."

The room went dead silent. Tommy stiffened, but quickly recovered his composure. "Audrey, you are misunderstanding things."

I cut him off, my voice remarkably steady. "I do not care what Natalie told you. When her mother ruined my parents' marriage and made Natalie a child born out of wedlock, that was not my fault. You do not get to use me as a punching bag for her twisted sense of justice."

Natalies tears spilled over. "Audrey, you have it all wrong. I value you so much as my sister. How could I ever want to hurt you?"

I picked up my folder, passing them without a single glance. "Save the tears. It is pathetic."

When the competition team assembled, I handed my files to our advisor. He looked at me, his expression laced with awkward hesitation. "Audrey, your slot has been reassigned to Natalie."

I froze. "I did not back out this time."

The advisor sighed, looking away. "The request came directly from the board, backed by the Tommy familys foundation. Our hands are tied. Aren't you dating Tommy? Go talk to him, soothe his temper, and maybe things will go back to normal."

I inhaled slowly, my resolve hardening. "I want to file a formal academic grievance."

The advisor blinked in shock. "Are you sure?"

Before he could finish, Natalie walked in. Her eyes were still red, and Tommys designer jacket was draped over her shoulders. She eyed the thick folder on my desk, stepping closer. "Audrey, since the slot belongs to me now, I should probably take these preparation files."

I pressed my hand firmly against the folder. "These are mine."

Natalie bit her lip. "But I do not know the first thing about this case study, and the initial draft is due this afternoon. You worked so hard on this, surely you do not want our school's team to fail?"

She gave the folder a sudden, violent yank. The paper folder tore open with a sharp rip, and my printed sheets scattered across the floor. As I bent down to gather them, Natalie deliberately stepped on one of the pages. It was my opening statement, a piece I had rewritten over a dozen times. I grabbed her ankle to pull her foot away, but she gasped, flinching back dramatically as if I had struck her. Her wrist clipped the sharp edge of the desk, leaving a bright red scratch.

Tommy walked through the door at that exact moment. Seeing her cradling her wrist, he lunged forward and grabbed my arm in a crushing grip. "Audrey!"

His grip was brutal, sending a numb ache down my fingers. Natalie wept openly, clutching her hand. "Tommy, it is fine. Audrey spent so much time on this, it is only natural she does not want me to have it."

Tommy glared at me, his eyes cold. "Audrey, when will you stop this nonsense? Apologize to her!"

I kept reaching for my papers. "Apologize? In your dreams."

The page Natalie had stepped on was smudged with dirt. My knuckles white, I clutched the ruined paper. "She steals my place, ruins my work, and you want me to apologize?"

Tommy did not yell. Instead, he knelt down and helped me pick up the stray sheets, carefully smoothing out the creases. For a split second, I almost fell for the illusion that he still cared. Then he spoke. "Audrey, don't make a scene here. There are people watching. How is she supposed to save face if you keep acting like this?"

I looked up at him. "And what about my face?"

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then handed some of the papers back to me, keeping the thickest stack of data sheets in his hand. "Keep the main script. Give her the data sheets."

I clutched my remaining papers tightly.

"Audrey, be reasonable," he murmured, his fingers gently brushing against the outer corner of my eye. "Your eyes are completely red. You've always been so proud, do you really want to break down in front of the faculty?"

I stood frozen. Taking advantage of my momentary shock, he slipped the data sheets from my hand and handed them to Natalie. "Take these for now."

Natalie took them greedily. My heart felt hollow, completely numb.

Tommy turned back to me. "Let this go. Don't file the grievance. The department has already finalized the decision. Making a fuss will only make things difficult for the professors."

He settled the matter with a few casual words, turning my months of labor into a complete joke.

Back in my dorm room, my hands shook as I sorted through my remaining notes. Before I could finish, Tommy walked in, carrying a hot bowl of soup, some throat lozenges, and a delicate silver bracelet I had admired in a boutique window the week before.

He set the items on my desk. "Your throat has been sore. Eat something first."

I did not move.

He sat opposite me, his voice softening. "I lost my temper today, but I do care about you, Audrey. Natalies situation is complicated. You know what her mother did, and how people look at her. Shes had a hard time holding her head up in that family. She just wanted to win against you, just this once."

I stared at him. "Once? She has taken hundreds of my things since we were kids."

Tommy frowned slightly. "I know, and I promise you it won't happen again." He reached out, gently tapping the tip of my nose. "The regional forum is opening registration next month. Ive already secured a spot for you. Its far more prestigious than this competition, and no one will dare steal it from you."

I pushed his gifts back across the desk. "Tommy, we are over."

His eyes turned cold. "Are you really going to turn a petty argument into a breakup?" He let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Fine. If you want to throw a tantrum, Ill wait until you calm down."

He walked to the door, then paused. "Natalie is hosting a dinner tonight to apologize to you. You should come." Seeing no reaction from me, he sneered. "You still want to submit that grievance report, don't you? I won't stop you. But if you don't show up tonight, Natalie will cry all night, and the professors will only see you as the unreasonable one."

After he left, I sat in silence for a long time before finally heading to the restaurant. When I pushed the private dining room door open, every eye in the room turned toward me. Natalie stood up immediately, her eyes watery. "Audrey, you came."

There was only one empty chair left, placed right next to the kitchen service door where the waiters passed by. The moment I sat down, someone laughed. "Audrey, Natalie already swallowed her pride. Don't be so stubborn. It was a fair vote, there's no need to hold a grudge."

Another classmate slid a shot glass toward me. "Drink up, and let us put this behind us."

I did not touch it. Natalie held her glass, her voice tiny. "Audrey, I'm so sorry. I truly did not know this would hurt you so deeply."

Tommy sat at the head of the table, looking incredibly handsome and utterly detached under the soft lighting. "Audrey, don't make this awkward for everyone," he said quietly.

I felt suffocated. Every word from the people around this table was a silent threat, forcing me to accept their narrative. If I was robbed, I was petty. If I was hurt, I was dramatic. If I did not forgive, I was the villain.

Finally, Tommy picked up the glass himself and placed it in my hand. "Come on," he murmured softly. "Drink it, and I'll take you home."

I stared at him for a long, agonizing moment, then threw my head back and swallowed the burning liquid. The alcohol hit me fast, making the laughter in the room sound distant and warped.

"That's more like it," someone cheered.

Natalie sat close to Tommy, whispering, "Audrey, don't blame Tommy. He just did not want you to make a scene."

I pushed myself up from the table, my stomach churning violently. Tommy immediately caught my arm. "Audrey?"

I grabbed his cuff, my voice raw. "Tommy, the competition slot. Can you give it back to me?"

He paused. I expected him to lecture me again, but looking at my tear-stained face, he finally softened. "Okay. I'll talk to the department tomorrow. Just don't cry."

The next morning, I woke up in my dorm bed with a splitting headache. My phone was blowing up. The university gossip pages, cohort group chats, and student forums were covered in pictures of me. There was a photo of me passed out in the dining room, my face flushed and my collar wet with alcohol. Another photo showed me leaning heavily against Tommy's chest as he carried me out, taken from an angle that made the intimacy look incredibly dirty. The captions were even viler. No wonder her mother got divorced years ago. Like mother, like daughter. I heard her mom was kicked out of the family for sleeping around.

Looking at those words, my entire body went numb. My mother was never like that. She was forced into a divorce by my father and Natalies mother. I scrambled to find my old phone, pulling up an audio file I had recorded during my high school years. It was an argument between my father and stepmother, where she clearly stated, If you hadn't dragged your feet on the divorce back then, I wouldn't have had to carry the mistress label for so long! My daughter shouldn't have to live in shame just because your ex-wife is gone!

I backed up the audio and traced the source of the leaked photos. The account that first shared them was anonymous, but it was linked to an old email address. The profile picture of that email was a cartoon rabbit Natalie used for her secondary accounts. Armed with the evidence, I went to find our academic advisor.

But before I could reach the office, another set of photos leaked. This time, they were of Natalie. It was a shot of her in the locker room, her shoulder strap slipping down, her face half turned away. She had posted it with a caption: I don't know what I did wrong. Why must my sister treat me this way?

The narrative flipped instantly. Audrey is pure evil. Her own photos got leaked, so she leaks her sister's private photos to deflect attention? How is she still on a scholarship?

Standing in the hallway reading the comments, I realized how calculated she was. She knew I would trace the leak to her, so she turned herself into a victim first.

Tommy arrived shortly after, dragging me into the empty stairwell, his face pale with fury. "Did you leak Natalie's photos?"

I looked at him. "No."

"Where's your proof?"

I handed him the audio file and the email records. He barely glanced at them. "Audrey, you're letting your anger blind you. Even if she made a mistake, she would never ruin her own reputation just to hurt you."

I let out a hollow laugh. "So she wouldn't do it, but I would?"

He remained silent.

That evening, my academic scholarship was revoked due to negative online publicity pending further investigation. The notification popped up while I was in the library, working on my grievance report. I stared at the screen, sighed, and kept typing. I contacted the forum moderators to report the posts, but it was useless.

As graduation approached, I began looking for other options, sending out resumes and attending recruitment fairs. But the moment recruiters saw my name, their expressions changed. "Miss Audrey, we value our corporate image. Your portfolio is outstanding, but the recent online rumors... We are sorry."

I was rejected seven times in a single afternoon. Walking out of the hall, I saw Natalie standing across the courtyard in a chic white blazer, holding three job offers in her hand. Tommy was beside her, taking her folders. "Don't go to this one, it's too demanding," he said softly. "This one is too far from the apartment I bought for you."

Natalie looked up at him, her eyes full of adoration.

I walked right past them. Tommy noticed me, his brow furrowing. "Audrey."

I did not stop. He caught up to me, blocking my path. "Is your job hunt not going well?"

I kept my expression blank. "Thanks to you two."

His face stiffened, but his tone softened. "Come work at my family's firm. I'll arrange a position for you. You're too talented to be held back by these stupid rumors. I've already picked out our apartment too, decorated exactly the way you like."

I ignored him and stepped around him. But Tommy grabbed my wrist. "Come look at the place with me."

I yanked my arm back. "Are you deaf? Leave me alone."

Tommys expression darkened. "Audrey, do you have to be so difficult? I'm offering you a job and a place to live. What more do you want?"

I stared at him. "I want you to stay the hell away from me."

He froze.

Natalie ran up to us, clutching his sleeve. "Tommy, come with me."

Tommy frowned. "Natalie, don't start."

"I'm not starting!" her voice shook. "I just want to know one thing. How do you actually feel about me?"

Tommy remained silent for a few seconds. "In the beginning, I just felt sorry for you. Your mother's scandal made everyone whisper about you, and I wanted to help you stand up to it."

Natalies tears fell. "And now?"

Tommy glanced at me, but before he could speak, Natalie stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Tommy pushed her away instantly. I watched the entire display from a few steps away, my heart completely still.

Tommy stared at me, his face pale. "Audrey, do you really have no reaction at all?"

My phone vibrated in my hand. It was the only company that had offered me an interview. Miss Audrey, your application for our international management program has been approved. London, three years. We will handle your visa and flight tickets.

"I accept," I said without a single second of hesitation.

After hanging up, a confirmation email popped up in my inbox. My flight was scheduled for tonight.