Love’s Cunning Ruse

Chapter 211

“This is your high school graduation video, from the school’s prom,” Kieran gently touched her long

hair, leaning on the table, watching the video with Julie who was sitting in the chair.

On the screen, Julie was intently playing the piano.

Julie looked up at Kieran behind her, recalling the past, “Back then, you went abroad for a piano

competition, and I could only show off at the prom. You know, besides being a bit clever, I don’t have

any special talents, even playing the piano…”

The reason she learned the piano was because Darcey forced her to learn from a young age. Sansa

Abraham learned ballet, moving like an elegant swan. Her choice of the piano was purely because it

was too big to carry around. She didn’t have to worry that Darcey would make her practice anywhere

and anytime with

the instrument.

She didn’t finish what she was saying, but instead told Kieran with a hint of regret, “Even though I knew

you wouldn’t attend the prom, the truth is… I played this

piece for you.”

“It’s a melancholic piece…”

“That’s exactly why I wanted to play it for you!” Julie said, “Do you remember the holiday in the first

term of senior year? I asked you what your dream was. Do you remember what you answered?”

Mr. Hernandez seemed unwilling to recall this.

Julie looked at Kieran seriously, “You said your dream was to uphold social justice!”

Mr. Hernandez thought, that must have been something he said offhandedly to appease her.

This was the umpteenth time Julie entered Kieran’s house with the same excuse. The Hernandez

family villa was right next to Julie’s. Julie often came to Kieran with the excuse of not being able to do

her homework.

And because Kieran’s mother had killed his father when he was young, he was a bit cold and aloof.

Therefore, Lucian was very happy to have Julie accompany

Kieran.

With homework help as an excuse, Julie asked Kieran, “What is your future dream?”

“Uphold social justice,” Kieran, who was doing math problems at the time, casually answered.

But Julie took it seriously, “How are you going to uphold social justice? By becoming a lawyer?”

“Uh…” Kieran, who was doing calculations attentively at the time, didn’t hear Julie’s question. He

answered casually.

What she really wanted to do was subtly ask him which university he was planning to apply to. She

didn’t expect to get his answer so easily.

She continued the topic, mentioning all the well-known law schools, then said, “Actually, Pinnacle

University in Whispering Pines is pretty good. What do you think? If you really study law, would you

consider Pinnacle University?”

“Maybe.” Kieran answered casually, but Julie took it seriously.

Later, Julie studied like crazy, with her heart set on getting into Pinnacle University.

Kieran came back to reality, looking at Julie, “I thought your dream was to become an excellent lawyer,

just like your sister.”

“I thought you were going to Pinnacle University, so I worked so hard!” Julie said in a small voice,

feeling a bit wronged, “How was I supposed to know you would deceive me so heartlessly? Not only

did you tutor me, but you also helped me get a special recommendation letter from the teacher! In the

last semester, I was admitted to Pinnacle University early because of my outstanding performance.”

In fact, even though Julie was admitted early, she still took the college entrance exam to prove her

ability. She thought Kieran would definitely apply to Pinnacle University, so she didn’t hesitate and

accepted the early admission to Pinnacle University.

But she didn’t expect that after the college entrance exam, Kieran chose Futuro Business College…

“So, just because I told you before leaving for the piano competition abroad that I wouldn’t go to

Pinnacle University, you gave me this sad piece?” Shortly after Kieran divorced Julie, he heard from

Daphne Flores that Julie had played such a piece for him at the high school prom.

At the time, Daphne was convinced that Kieran had betrayed Julie, so when she found out he “killed”

Julie’s baby and divorced Julie, she stormed into his house.

She said, “Julie must have been blind to fall for a jerk like you! She should have given up on you a long

time ago, so she wouldn’t have given you a chance to hurt her today. She should have been as

decisive as she was at the high school prom. Your relationship with her, just like the piece she played

at the prom, is a tragedy! Your life is a tragedy! You jerk!”

It was because of Daphne’s reprimand that Kieran found out that Julie had attended the school’s

graduation party. He donated over three million dollars to their high school and finally got this video

from the principal.

During the years of his divorce from Julie, he watched this video over and over again, listening to this

piece she played countless times.

On the screen, Julie, who had finished playing this piece, picked up the microphone on the piano and

suddenly stood up.

The host walked up, looked at Julie, and joked with a smile, “Thank you for Julie’s performance of

Greensleeves, Now, you are about to leave this beautiful campus. Do you have anything to say to your

teachers or classmates?”

Julie, the one with the microphone, stood on stage, silent for about thirty seconds. Just as the host was

about to say something to ease the awkwardness, she picked up the microphone and said, “There are

some things I really want to say, but the person I hope to hear them the most is not here. The song I

just played was actually for him…”

“Kieran! Kieran!” The students below the stage chanted in-unison.

Julie laughed, saying, “I never imagined that one day, I would get into Pinnacle University, let alone get

accepted early with a scholarship.”

“A year ago, my grades were bad, and everyone knew it. I spent a year relearning everything from

middle school to high school, just to get into the university of my dreams. I made it. The person who

tutored me… I know that he sincerely hoped that I could get into Pinnacle University. He knew that I

genuinely admired him. But what he didn’t know was that I wanted to get into Pinnacle University

simply because I thought he would go there. And what I didn’t know was that he helped me get into

Pinnacle University to avoid me, but then chose another school…”

Perhaps because of Julie’s humorous way of expressing herself, the students below laughed.

Julie continued, “When we go to university, we become adults and can start to seriously date. But what

about those who lose their lovers before university?”

The previously laughing students instantly fell silent.

“I was so focused on following his footsteps that I forgot what I really liked. I don’t actually like studying

law. When I was a kid, I thought about opening a restaurant full of delicious food when I grew up. I

wanted to learn to make cakes, beautiful cakes that would attract many customers. But in the end, I

forgot my initial dream.”

The students didn’t expect her to say such serious words. The hall fell silent.

Julie took a deep breath, continuing, “I want to tell everyone here: Don’t fall in love easily, don’t love

someone easily, especially don’t love someone who doesn’t love you, or someone you can never have.

Just like the story behind the song I played.”

Having said that, Julie on the stage bowed deeply.

After a brief silence, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.

Perhaps it was the emotions that drove Julie to say these things at the time. Now, sitting here with

Kieran listening to her past words, Julie felt a bit embarrassed…

“What’s the story behind this song?” Kieran asked Julie.

Julie looked at herself on the screen who was busy leaving the stage and said, “It’s said to be a love

story about King Henry VIII. This man, who was notoriously tyrannical in legends, fell genuinely in love

with a common girl. The girl wore a green dress. One day, in the countryside, the sun was shining. The

king rode on a horse, looking handsome and imposing. The girl’s golden hair shone in the sunlight, and

her green dress fluttered in the wind…”.

“Love at first sight?”

“Don’t interrupt me! Yes, love at first sight. But the girl knew that the man was the king and that there

could be no result between them, so she rejected him. The king had seen countless beauties, but no

woman could walk into his heart in an instant like she did. From then on, he never forgot her, but he

could never find her again. Later, he ordered everyone in the court to wear green clothes, trying to ease

his longing for her. At that time, I felt that the story was telling me not to love someone I couldn’t have.

Whether I was the king or the woman in the green dress in the story, there wouldn’t be a good ending

between us…”

“Wasn’t it you who said you wanted to drop out of Pinnacle University and reapply to the same

university as me?”

Kieran laughed. Julie had just played a sorrowful song at the graduation party and publicly claimed she

shouldn’t love him, but turned around and insisted on going to the same university as him.

“Bertha told me that you didn’t go to Futuro Business College to get away from me. She said you

wanted to help Lucian share his troubles. So…” Julie paused here, feeling a bit awkward, so she

changed the subject, “But in the end, I didn’t drop out of Pinnacle University. Enough about that!”

She stood up and unplugged the projector, “Let’s go, or you’ll be late for work this afternoon!”

She reached out to hold his hand, but he pulled her back into his arms. He gently placed his chin on

her hair and whispered, “Honey, I have a surprise for you.