The Girl He Wanted Was The Girl He Dumped Chapter 01
The first time my online boyfriend FaceTimed me, my face was swollen from an allergic reaction.
He dumped me: “Ugly bitch. Stop fucking chasing me.”
Weeks later, when he saw me in person on campus, he didn’t recognize me and fell for me on the spot.
He posted my photo and asked:
“Get me her Instagram. $200.”
…
The first time my online boyfriend Evan FaceTimed me, my face was swollen beyond recognition.
I’d accidentally eaten a pastry with peach purée in it, and I’m allergic to peaches.
“Sorry,” I blurted, angling the camera away. “I’m having an allergic reaction. I don’t usually look like this.”
He went quiet for half a second. Then he smiled.
“It’s okay, baby. I like you no matter what you look like.”
I relaxed instantly.
After that, he only got more affectionate, constantly talking about how badly he wanted to meet me.
But halfway there on the Amtrak, I stumbled across a Reddit post.
“I’m about to ruin the day of this bitch who’s been catfishing me for months.”
“She looks nothing like the model-level photos she sent me, then had the nerve to blame it on an ‘allergic reaction’ when I finally saw her on FaceTime.”
But those photos really were my selfies.
“I told her I couldn’t wait to meet her, so now she’s literally on a train coming to see me. I’m not showing up. She can stand there alone and figure out she’s been dumped.”
The comments were overwhelming.
But I could barely see them anymore.
My fingers went cold.
Then my phone buzzed.
Evan: “Almost here?”
I swallowed hard: “Yeah.”
Before I could send him the Reddit post, another message appeared.
“Congrats. You came all this way for nothing.”
My stomach dropped.
“Honestly, after seeing your real face, I get why you stole someone else’s. If I looked like you, I’d be ashamed to show mine too.”
“We’re done, catfish.”
Then he blocked me.
I stared at the screen.
Something inside me seemed to cave in all at once.
The train pulled into the station.
I dragged my suitcase outside in the tight skirt and heels I’d worn because Evan said he’d be there to pick me up.
Under the blazing afternoon sun, with strangers streaming past me—
I started to cry.
It took a few days for the heartbreak to fade.
Then I packed up and headed to campus for freshman move-in.
I’d had offers from several schools, but I’d chosen this one because Evan said he’d be here.
A student volunteer pointed me toward my dorm.
On the way, I met Sophie Miller, a quiet girl in black-rimmed glasses who happened to be in the same four-person suite.
By the time we got settled, one of our roommates had added me to the freshman GroupMe.
Almost immediately, a photo popped up.
“Saw her during move-in. Anyone know who she is? $200 for her Instagram.”
I froze. It was me.
The poster was Carter Ashford.
Before I could reply, he unsent the photo.
“Found her.”
The chat exploded.
I stared at my screen. I hadn’t even said anything.
Then Sophie smiled down at her phone.
“Carter just added me.”
I looked at the photo again.
Sophie had been walking beside me, half-hidden behind my shoulder.
Oh. So he’d been looking for her.
Our roommates immediately started freaking out.
“That’s Carter Ashford—he’s basically campus royalty. Hockey team. Rich family. One of the most popular guys at this school!”
“So he saw you once and hunted down your Instagram?”
Sophie blushed.
But maybe I imagined it—because for just a second, her eyes flicked toward me before darting away.
Within days, she and Carter were officially dating.
Except they still hadn’t met in person.
Sophie became obsessed with skincare, makeup, and clothes.
Later, when someone asked why she kept putting off meeting Carter, she said her skin was acting up and she wanted to look her best first.
One night, Carter suddenly posted in the freshman GroupMe to celebrate their new relationship:
“First fifty reactions—coffee’s on me. Drop your Venmo.”
I accidentally tapped one while scrolling.
A notification popped up seconds later.
Carter Ashford sent you $0.25.
Then GroupMe buzzed.
Carter @Audrey Bennett:
“Send it back.”