Under the scrutiny of millions , Kiki finally broke . All pretense of composure gone , she began to babble , trying desperately to save herself . " It wasn't me ! I didn't steal it ! It was Leo ! He gave it to me ! " " Leo stole Nina's ticket for me ! I swear , I didn't know anything about it ! " Faced with total public humiliation , she didn't hesitate to throw the boy who had just been her biggest cheer- leader under the bus . With her finger pointed at him , Leo instantly became the villain of the story . Every camera , every eye in the house swung to him . He stood there , mouth agape , his face ashen . He couldn't say a word . What could he say ? That he had proud- ly stolen his own girlfriend's ticket to impress another girl ? Asher's gaze was like a knife , pinning the pathetic figure in the stands . " Oh ? Leo Shen ?" He turned to me , as if clarifying a minor detail , and asked deliberately , in front of everyone , " Nina , is this the boyfriend you told me about ? " I took the second microphone from the host . I looked down at the man in the rafters , the man I had once truly loved , the man who now looked small and utterly humiliated . And I announced to the world , my voice clear and calm , " As of right now , he's not ." Instantly , hashtags like #AsherChangSister , #TicketThiefLeo , and #KikiLinExposed didn't just trend , they detonated across every social media platform . The clip of Kiki's on - stage implosion and memes of Leo's dumbstruck face went globally viral , becoming the biggest joke of the year . Asher's fans , especially those who had been duped into attacking me , were now incandescent with rage . Kiki's friend , the fan club admin who had started the rumors , was doxxed within minutes . Boycotts were organized , and every misdeed the pair had ever posted online was dug up and put on display . Kiki was escorted off the stage by security . I heard she collapsed backstage , crying hysterically , her makeup a ruined mess , screaming that Leo had destroyed her life . And Leo , under a hail of boos and laughter , covered his face and fled the stadium like a beaten dog . His phone was blowing up with furious messages from classmates and friends . On stage , to soothe the crowd and make up for my ruined surprise , Asher announced he was adding a spec- ial song to the setlist - my favorite from when we were kids . He said it was a belated gift for me . The entire stadium lit up with phone flashlights , a galaxy of stars , as they sang along with him. It was beautiful . After the show , my parents called . They had seen the whole thing on the livestream . They fussed over me , 16.21 Chapter 2 then gave their full support for my decision to " take out the trash . " 1621 Wang informed me that Kiki's friend had been permanently blacklisted from all official fan organizations , and the company's legal team was already drafting a lawsuit for slander and defamation . My phone was vibrating in my pocket . It was Leo . He had sent hundreds of messages , starting with shocked questions ( " Why didn't you tell me who you were ? " ) , devolving into rambling excuses , and finally ending with pathetic , groveling apologies . " Nina I was wrong , I swear I didn't know , Kiki tricked me , that bitch lied about everything ! " " Please forgive me , I really do love you ! " I didn't bother to read them all . I just blocked his number and every account he had . I saw on a security mon- itor that as Kiki was being led away , she was still clutching the bracelet I had made for Leo . The irony was staggering . Everything she had schemed and fought for had turned into a public farce . And the prize she treasured so dearly was just the trash I had thrown away . The next day , the university acted faster than I expected . My academic advisor called me in , expressed the school's deepest sympathies , and assured me that both Leo and Kiki would be dealt with severely . That afte- rnoon , the university published an official statement . Due to " serious misconduct , including deception and slander , which has brought severe disrepute to the institution , " both students were given a major demerit on their permanent records and were disqualified from all academic awards and honors for the year . It was a death sentence for their academic careers . Kiki was socially crucified . Everywhere she went , people whispered and pointed . She couldn't handle the pressure . A week later , she officially withdrew from the university and was never seen on campus again . Leo didn't leave , but his existence was a special kind of hell . He had lost his girlfriend , his reputation , and his status as an admired campus figure . Overnight , he became the school's biggest laughingstock . He tried desperately to win me back , waiting for me for an entire day outside my dorm . When I finally appeared , he looked haggard , his eyes bloodshot as he rushed forward and grabbed my wrist . " Nina , please , just give me one more chance . I swear , I love you for you , not because of who you are ... " His words made me laugh . I looked at him calmly . " You love me ? " " You love me , so you gave away something I cherished to another girl ? " " You love me , so you tried to make me your personal assistant for her fan club ? " " You love me , so when she was slandering me , you stood with her and called me selfish ? " He was speechless , his face pale . He immediately started trying to shift the blame . " It was Kiki ! It was all her fault ! She was the one who kept whispering things about you , she manipulated me , she tricked me ! I was just confused , Nina ! " Watching him try to squirm out of his responsibility , the last shred of pity I had for him evaporated . Chapter 2 " You weren't confused , Leo . You're just selfish . You never loved me , " I said , pulling my arm free and taking a step back . " You loved the idea of me . The easy , convenient accessory who never caused you trouble and fed your pathetic ego . " " You love playing the hero , saving the damsel in distress . Too bad for you , I'm not a damsel . And I don't need saving . Girls like Kiki are your type . You two deserve each other . " I left him with one final thought , his eyes wide with disbelief and despair . " And by the way , don't ever call yourself a fan of Asher Chang again . You're not worthy . " I walked past him and into my dorm without looking back , the sound of his choked , broken sobs following me . Back in my room , I packed up everything that had to do with Leo - including a cheap necklace he'd given me that I had once treasured - and threw it all in the dumpster downstairs . Asher sent me a picture from the Maldives , all blue skies and white sand . The caption read : " The world is toc big to waste a single second on people who don't deserve you . I've booked the tickets for our world tour. We leave whenever you're ready . " Looking at the photo , my mood lifted instantly . With a brother like him , who needed the fake affection of a boy like Leo ? My roommates gathered around , offering their support . " You're so much better off without him , Nina ! " " Seriously ! And that Kiki is a two - faced witch ! " " I propose we celebrate your glorious return to single life by going out for the spiciest hot pot in the city ! " " Yes ! And the most expensive wine ! Our Nina can afford it ! " Their words made me smile . They were right . I looked out the window at the bright , clear sky . The heavy cloud that had been hanging over me for so long had finally disappeared . It was a messy , dramatic end to a toxic relationship , but the conclusion was imme- nsely satisfying . Later , I heard that Leo failed his grad school exams . The demerit on his record made it nearly impossible for him to find a decent job after graduation . He tried to contact me a few more times , even showing up at my brother's company , but he was always turned away , permanently locked out of my world . As for Kiki , she never returned to school . Her family was apparently mortified by the scandal , and she went from being the pride of the family to a cautionary tale . I threw myself into my studies . In my junior year , I was accepted into an exchange program at a top - tier univ- ersity abroad with a full scholarship . A year later , on a flight to New York , I ran into Leo again . He looked even more worn - down than when we had graduated , his skin weathered , wearing a faded t - shirt and carrying a tattered backpack . He was struggling 16.21 Chapter 2 to stuff his bag into an overhead bin in economy class . 16:21 He saw me as I walked past him from the priority lane , on my way to my first - class seat . Our eyes met . His were a complex mix of regret , resentment , and the painful awareness of the vast distance between us . He opened his mouth , as if to say something . But a girl next to him , wearing a tight tank top and heavy mak- eup , shoved him impatiently . " What are you doing ? Hurry up ! You're blocking the whole aisle ! " She looked vaguely like Kiki , but with a harder , more cynical edge . Leo immediately ducked his head and finished stowing his bag . The girl shot me a disdainful look , then mut- tered to Leo , " What are you looking at ? Oggling the rich people ? " " Instead of wasting time , maybe you should figure out how we're going to pay next month's rent ! " Leo's face turned a deep , blotchy red . He didn't dare look at me again , scurrying back to his seat in shame . I looked away , put on my eye mask , and settled into my lie - flat seat . The plane's engines roared to life , and we ascended smoothly into the sky . Behind me was the chaotic wreckage of the past . Ahead of me was a future that was bigger , brighter , and entirely my own . ( End of Story)