I Work For My Roommate’s Love Pool Chapter 01

I Work For My Roommate’s Love Pool Chapter 01

From my first day at Arbor Ridge University, I became known as The Red Flag Collector.

Whether it was the refined intellectual or the rebellious jock, every guy I dated would inevitably dump me the next day for my roommate, Chloe Sterling.

Chloe had become the campus’s Ultimate Muse, managing her collection of elite admirers with ruthless efficiency.

She would constantly shove the Eligible Bachelors List in my face.

“Don’t be afraid to get hurt, sis. There are plenty of fish in the sea. You have to be brave to find true love!”

I fell for it. I tried to win over Caleb Reed, a charming underclassman.

But Caleb didn’t hesitate. He broke my heart and ran straight to Chloe.

Just as I hit rock bottom, glowing lines of text flickered before my eyes like a Reddit sub-thread:

[Chloe is such a queen for stealing all these men! I’ve always hated that toxic second lead. How does a nobody financial aid student expect to keep guys like that?]

[I need her Affection Transfer System. If I had it, my ex wouldn’t have been snatched away by that other woman!]

[Can’t wait to see who the next lead is. Watching Chloe take them is so satisfying!]

I froze. Everything clicked. I was nothing but free labor, stocking her personal dating pool.

——————-

No wonder Miles Huston, the sophisticated scholar, Griffin Wilder, the campus rebel, and even Caleb had all fallen for Chloe the second our dates ended.

The Live Stream Chat kept scrolling, praising Chloe while dragging me through the dirt.

[Evelyn is still trying to fight it? She has no idea she’s just a tool.]

[Exactly. The more charm she pours on, the higher Chloe’s favorability rises with the male leads. LMAO.]

I took a deep breath, forcing down the shock and fury.

Fine. Let’s see if this system is truly invincible.

I refused to believe my own worth was inferior to a glitch. No program could beat a real, calculated offensive.

Chloe pulled out that list again, acting the part of the supportive friend.

“Don’t worry about Caleb, Evie. He’s just immature. If you keep trying, you’ll find the one!”

This time, I pushed the list aside and looked her dead in the eye.

“I’m done with the easy ones. I’m going for the hardest target on campus.”

Chloe blinked, a flash of predatory greed crossing her face.

“Evie! You’re finally back in the game! Who is it? I’ll do anything to help!”

I let the name hang in the air.

“Dr. Rainer Cosmo.”

The youngest visiting professor at Arbor Ridge. Cold, stoic, and an absolute legend in the R&D world. He was the ultimate unavailable man.

If the average guys were easily hacked by the System, what about Rainer Cosmo—the youngest, most cold and aloof Visiting Professor at Arbor Ridge?

He was famous for being unreachable. To him, academia was the only mistress.

Chloe nearly jumped with excitement, nodding fervently.

“Yes! Dr. Cosmo is perfect! You can definitely land him!”

Of course she was happy. If I hooked Rainer Cosmo, he’d be the biggest trophy in her collection.

For the next month, I went all in.

Every morning at 6:00 AM, I was outside Rainer’s lab, holding a cup of artisanal pour-over coffee at the perfect temperature.

I pulled all-nighters, devouring obscure scientific journals just to have a single moment of intellectual friction with him in class.

I leaned into my Financial Aid student persona—resilient and pure. My white shirts were faded from over-washing, but they were always crisp and spotless.

Finally, the iceberg that was Rainer Cosmo began to melt.

One evening, inside the lab, he handed me a key.

“This is the key to my private apartment.”

“It’s the weekend. Come over tomorrow. I have some core data I’d like to discuss with you privately.”

His gaze was deep and warm, filled with unmistakable admiration.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I nodded.

In that moment, I thought I had won.

I thought real effort had finally shattered that System.

The next morning, I wore a simple, elegant dress. With my heart full of hope, I turned the key to Rainer’s apartment.

But the moment the door swung open, a chill ran straight through me.

Chloe Sterling was there. She was wearing an oversized men’s dress shirt, with her bare legs tucked under her.

She sat on Rainer’s sofa, looking every bit the shy, post-coital lover.

Rainer walked out of the kitchen, carrying two glasses of warm milk.

When he saw me, his warm expression instantly turned to sub-zero frost.

“Who the hell gave you permission to come in here?”