Chapter 1: The Heartbreaking Reality.

A bright smile was plastered on Erica's face as she stared at the building in front of her.

"This is it." She sighed deeply, her smile not leaving her lips. "The University of California!" She squealed in excitement.

No matter how hard she tried to contain her excitement, she just couldn't keep it in check. She felt the strong urge to scream and jump around in joy, but there's a lot of people around, and she wouldn't want to embarrass herself when she just got here. That's not the kind of impression she'll love to give people on her first day of college.

It's been her dream to attend this particular university, and it's for two reasons, the first being that this is a top university and anyone would love to come here; it's literally a dream come true for them, and the second reason being because of her boyfriend Mark, who also attends this university. Mark actually had a scholarship for basketball, and that's why he got in before her. She had to study hard and wait a year to gain admission here; she hasn't seen him for over a year now. All they do is video call and just talk on the phone, something that was torture for the both of them, and despite not being close to him, she didn't let that affect their relationship and still remained faithful and loyal to Mark, keeping herself for him and him alone.

She didn't even tell Mark that she would be arriving at the university today, and that was because she wanted to surprise him. She bet he'll be so surprised, and she just can't wait to see him. But before doing anything else, she needs to get settled in first. With the help of some people, she was able to locate her dorm room. When she got there, she was a bit surprised to see another girl in the room, and that's because she didn't think she would have a roommate, but she didn't mind, as long as the girl was nice and not a bitch.

They both introduced themselves, and Erica got to know that the girl's name was Lisa. They talked for a while, and Erica couldn't help but like Lisa, who was cheerful and quite chatty too. The two immediately hit it right off and became fast friends.

Since Lisa has been here before her, Erica decides to ask her if she knew her boyfriend Mark. She really needs to see him and just can't wait. She showed Lisa a picture of Mark, and she confirmed that she knew him.

"Who wouldn't know him? He's really popular here." Lisa said with a smile, and Erica kind of felt proud hearing that.

"One more thing, please." She fetched a piece of paper from her pocket; it's where she wrote down Mark's address. "Do you happen to know where this place is?" She gave the paper to Lisa.

When Lisa collected it, she stared at it for a while before giving her a reply. "Sure, I do know where this is; why?"

"That's Mark's apartment, and I'll love to go see him now."

"Seriously!'' Lisa exclaimed in surprise. "You're head over heels in love with that guy; you didn't even think to rest for a little bit." She chuckled, and Erica simply blushed.

Lisa then stood up. "You're in luck; I'm heading that way, so I might as well show it to you, so come on, let's go."

"Thank you so much." Erica said happily. She stood up and grabbed the gift she had bought for Mark before leaving with Lisa.

They took Erica's Jeep; she drove, and Lisa gave her the directions to Mark's apartment. When they arrived, Lisa showed her the building and informed her she was going in the opposite direction.

"There's a bar down there; I just need to grab something for a friend. I don't need to ask if you'll be fine on your own because I'm sure your boyfriend will take care of you." She smiled.

"Thank you, Lisa; I'll see you at home."

When Lisa left, Erica took a deep breath before walking to the building, As she stood outside his apartment, she tried to control her beating heart; she didn't even know if he was going to be around or not, She then contemplated whether she should knock to announce her presence or just open the door and go in.

After a little thought, she decides to knock on his door. She knocked the first time but got no reply. She knocked again and still nothing. Disappointed, she made to leave, but then she decided to try the door knob, and when she saw that it was unlocked, her happiness knew no bounds, and she didn't hesitate to go inside immediately.

When she went in, her eyes scanned the living room; she would have thought he wasn't home had she not heard the weird sounds coming from upstairs.

"Mark?" She spoke softly as she made her way upstairs.

As she got closer to her destination, the voices she was hearing became clearer with each step she took. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing because she trusted Mark so much, more than she trusted herself, so she believes he's never going to do anything to hurt her.

She finally arrived at the room from which the sounds were coming. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stood outside the room. She didn't want to open the door as she was too afraid to face the truth itself, but a part of her was still hopeful that maybe whoever is in there isn't her boyfriend, and that little hope gave her the strength she needed.

She wasn't physically or mentally prepared for what she was about to see.

As she slowly opened the door, what she saw shattered her completely. Right there was her boyfriend, whom she loves so much, having sex with another girl!

The gift she bought for him dropped from her hand in shock; the sound made Mark and the girl aware of her presence. When Mark saw her, his jaw dropped in shock.

"Erica!"