Chapter 1

I had crushed on Tyler for years. Being so insecure in my youth, I kept those feelings buried deep inside.

Never did I expect he would actually walk up to me with a blushing face and confess his feelings.

The sudden rush of happiness made my head spin.

Just when I thought our feelings had finally aligned,

a woman in her fifties suddenly appeared.

She grabbed my arm, tears in her eyes, claiming she was my daughter.

"Whatever you do, do not say yes to Tyler! In the future, he will literally be the death of you!"

I glared at her, my guard completely up.

"Ma'am, at your age, shouldn't you find a real hobby instead of running scams on college kids?"

"Look at yourself—you're easily in your fifties. You're older than my own mother, and you're telling me you're my daughter? I'm twenty years old. How could I have a fifty-something-year-old daughter?"

"If you're going to scam someone, at least come up with a believable story. Keep blocking my way and I'm calling the cops!"

I stared at the older woman, annoyed out of my mind.

I couldn't believe my luck today. Right after leaving the house, I ran into a lunatic older than my mom who tailed me, insisting she was my kid.

It was beyond ridiculous.

Yet she was neatly dressed, with clear, gentle eyes. She didn't look crazy at all.

That left only one option: a con artist.

But what could she possibly want from me? I was broke!

She looked at me quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. Stepping closer, she gently took my hand.

I tried to pull away, but my body wouldn't listen. I could only let her hold my hand, tracing her thumb softly over my knuckles.

When she spoke, her voice was raspy, trembling with sheer joy.

"It's so good... It's so good to finally see you."

"I know this is impossible to believe right now. But you'll understand later. Please don't be scared. Just listen to me."

"Your name is Natalie Campbell. You're twenty, a junior at Northwestern University. You've had a crush on Tyler for three years, and your biggest dream is to become a musician."

"Your favorite treats are grapes, strawberries, and cake. You hate eggs, mangoes, and premade sandwiches."

"You're allergic to pollen, and you're allergic to shellfish..."

I froze, staring at her in shock. Scammers these days were getting terrifyingly thorough. She had practically memorized my entire biography before approaching me.

I waved my free hand, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"What else did you dig up on me? How much cash do you want? Just name it. Is twenty bucks enough? You picked the wrong target. I'm just a college student, I really don't have money to spare!"

She acted as if she hadn't heard a single word I said, continuing in her calm, earnest tone.

"Tomorrow, Tyler is going to ask you out. You must remember this: no matter what he says, you cannot say yes!!"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes in disbelief.

"Tyler? Asking me out? Who do you think I am? Why on earth would he want to be with me?"

"He's the golden boy on campus. He's drop-dead gorgeous, smart, and wildly popular. Half the girls in school are chasing after him. Confessing his feelings to me? Are you out of your mind?!"

The woman turned to leave. She waved back at me, repeating her warning one last time.

"Just remember what I said. Whatever you do, do not accept his confession! This is the turning point of your entire destiny!"

I watched her walk away, completely baffled.

"What a weirdo. Absolutely unhinged."