Self

Chapter 3

“If she’s having trouble finding a spot, I can help…”

Oops!

When he caught the grim look on Yale’s face, Zachary finally caught on. “Yale, don’t tell me… Yara hasn’t… she hasn’t returned?”

More than three hours had ticked by

Yale just spread his hands and shrugged. “Return? She broke up with me, didn’t she?”

He breezed past Zachary and plopped down on the couch.

Zachary scratched his head. Was it for real, then?

He quickly dismissed the thought, figuring he was reading too much.

into it.

Sure, Yale could drop a relationship at the drop of a hat; he could buy that, but Yara…

She was the one girl who would never agree to a breakup. Everyone

knew that.

“Yale, flying solo tonight?” Michael Gray chimed in, arms folded with a teasing smirk. “You lost your three–hour bet, and now it’s been a whole day.”

Yale’s lips curled. “I lost, fair and square. What’s my punishment?”

Michael’s eyebrow quirked up. “Let’s switch it up today. No booze.”

Yale raised his eyebrows.

“Give Yara a call. I’m sorry; I was wrong; I love you–tell her that in the sweetest voice you’ve got.”

The room burst into laughter.

Zachary did not waste a second, grabbing Yale’s phone to dial Yara.

After a few rings, the voice message played. “Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is currently unavailable…”

Wait, had he been blocked?

Yale was taken aback.

The chuckles and snickers died down as everyone exchanged puzzled glances.

Zachary ended the call in a flash, handing back the phone while trying to cover up. “You know, maybe there’s just no signal. Yara won’t block __Yale, right? That would only happen when pigs fly–ha!” He cringed at

his own joke.

Michael rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “Yara might mean it this

time.”

Yale let out a dismissive snort. “Breaking up is no joke. I’m not up for round two of this game. Mention Yara again, and you can forget

about bro code.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed, and after a moment, he said, “You and Yara ….well, just… just don’t end up regretting it.

Yale just smirked. Regrets? Not his style.

Sensing the tension, Shane Shields quickly tried to lighten the mood. ” Come on, guys, let’s keep it chill. We’re all bros here.”

Dawn cracked at seven.

Fresh from her morning jog, Rainie stepped inside and was greeted by

the delicious scent of breakfast.

Yara emerged from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of soup in hand.

She was wearing a houndstooth dress that showcased her flawless legs. She was a knockout, even without a stitch of makeup.

“Go shower, then come eat,” she said.

Rainie blinked. “New hairdo? Black, long, and tied up high? Looking this pretty–are you heading out, or is Yale swinging by to pick you up?

Yara–chuckled. “Can’t you hope for the best for me?”

“I’m hoping Yale’s coming to get you, aren’t I?” Rainie approached the table, eyeing the soup.

“Seriously, go shower,” Yara said, batting Rainie’s hand away. “You’re

a mess.”

“That’s not fair! You never swat Yale’s hand away.”

“Mm, next time, I’ll make sure to,” Yara replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, right…” Rainie scoffed, not buying it for a second.

Rainie stepped out of the shower to find that Yara had already taken off with a thermos packed with breakfast.

“Seriously? She made breakfast for me and remembered packing some for her boyfriend. Talk about choosing love over friends…”

At West Capitolium Hospital, in a private room, Wendy was interrupted from her research papers by an unexpected visitor.

“Hey, how are you feeling today?”

She looked up, pushing her reading glasses up her nose in surprise.” Matthew?! What are you doing here?!”

“Stay put,” Matthew Sherman insisted, quickly tucking a pillow behind her for support. “You’re not fully healed yet.”

“Just a small surgery for appendicitis. But with my age, recovery’s a

bit slow, so the doctor’s is keeping me here longer than I like. Speaking of which, did the master’s program admission numbers. come in?”

“They did. You have three students; I have four.”

“Three, huh…” Wendy mused.

“Still planning on taking just two this year?”

“Yep, I’m not as young as I used to be; two is all I can handle.”

Matthew smirked. He knew that extra spot was meant for her, but she was too stubborn to admit it.

“Professor Olson–oh? Professor Sherman, you’re here too?” Solomon entered with a couple of junior students, bringing fresh fruit and flowers. “We came to check on you.”

As they chatted, one of the students said, “Did you hear about the freshman prodigy? She landed a spot in the university’s fast–track program straight out of high school. A Ph.D. straight from a bachelor’s program–can you believe that?”

At Bellmere University School of Life Sciences, it was rare to see someone jump straight to a Ph.D. program–probably less than a handful in the past decade.

“They said she snagged two gold medals last year–one in the International Math Olympiad and the other in the International Olympiad in Informatics and got an automatic pass to get into our department.”

“Two gold medals? That’s pretty impressive. But hey, didn’t we have a senior who was like a superstar? I think she was one of Professor Olson’s protégés.

“By the time she started college, she had already had four gold medals. -aced math, physics, chemistry, and informatics! What was her

Chapter 3

name again? Yara… Yara something…”

“Time to scoot!” Matthew cut in right on cue. “Head on back to school, guys.”

“Oh, okay then… we’re off.”

“Right.”

The student’s shoulders slumped as they stepped out of the hospital room. “Solomon, did I say anything wrong back there? Why did Professor Olson and Professor Sherman look so upset?”

Solomon shared the confusion.

Back in the room, Matthew tried to reassure Wendy. “The kids didn’t. mean any harm, don’t sweat it.”

Wendy tried to brush it off, but her quivering lips and the tears welling up in her eyes betrayed her, spilling over unchecked.

“A genius like her… she just shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have wasted it! But why? Why didn’t she value her own brilliance?”

“Take it easy…” Matthew said.

“Do you know what she told me the last time we saw each other? She said she was after love! Love? She shattered my heart…”

Yara lingered at the doorway, gripping an insulated food container tightly, her tears mirroring Wendy’s.

‘I’m sorry… Professor Olson…‘

She could not bring herself to enter. Instead, she left the container at the nurse’s station. “This is for Professor Olson. Can you please give.

it to her? Thanks.”

“Hey! You didn’t leave your info! Where do you think you’re going?”

Yara bolted outside the hospital building, gulping down the fresh air,

5/7

but the crushing weight of guilt remained. It was impossible to shake

off.

“Yara?” A statuesque woman with flawless makeup clicked across the floor in high heels, a chic Lady Dior bag swinging from her arm.

She was the picture of sophistication in her tailored blazer and pencil skirt, her lengthy hair cascading down her back.

It was

Charlotte Johnson, Yale’s younger sister.

“Is that you? What are you doing at the hospital instead of being at home?” She eyed the building in front of them.

The inpatient department. Yara was definitely not there for a maternity check–up.

Charlotte let out a silent cheer for her mother.

If Yara had been expecting and had to get hitched because of it, her mother, Jean Shultz, would have a fit.

“Charlotte.” Yara forced a weak smile, her eyes tinged with red.

“Have you been crying?”

Yara stayed quiet.

“Another argument with my brother?”

“It’s not that.”

Charlotte mistook her silence for stubbornness, her eyes softening

with pity.

She did like Yara; she was gorgeous and had a great personality.

Too bad she did not quite meet the Johnson family’s high bar.

Jean, in particular, was all about academic prestige, only wanting a top–tier graduate for a daughter–in–law.

“It’s got to be rough with my brother, huh? His temper’s a handful. Just try to hang in there.”

Yara said, “Actually, we’ve already split-

‘Look, I’ve got to run. I can’t stay and talk.”

Charlotte checked her watch and headed inside.

She was there to impress Professor Olson, who was known to favor bright and diligent students. That day could make or break her chance at a fast–track Ph.D. spot.