The narrator, Frederick, tells the story of his relationship with a girl named Emma, who he had a crush on since he was seven years old. When they finally started dating in high school, Frederick showered Emma with expensive gifts and took her on luxurious dates, courtesy of his wealthy father. However, on her 16th birthday, Frederick overheard Emma and her friends talking about how she was only dating him for his money.
Devastated, Frederick decided to give Emma a taste of her own medicine by changing his behavior towards her. He started treating her poorly, stopped buying her gifts, and made her think he was going to buy her things but never followed through. Emma, realizing she was losing Frederick's attention, began to act nicer to him, using "magic words" like sorry and please.
Frederick eventually set up a plan to break up with Emma at his father's hotel, where he would have the upper hand. When he told Emma that he knew she was using him for his money and that he was breaking up with her, she became desperate and confessed that she had developed real feelings for him. However, Frederick was unmoved and even took her luggage, containing all the gifts he had bought her, as a form of revenge.
In the end, seeing Emma's desperation and tears, Frederick felt a sense of power and realized that she was not so different from him. He returned her luggage and thanked her for teaching him a valuable lesson. The narrator reflects on the experience, realizing that he had grown and learned from it.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Frederick, has had a crush on a girl named Emma since they were seven years old.
2. Frederick and Emma started dating in high school.
3. Frederick's family is wealthy, and he uses his allowance to take Emma on expensive dates.
4. Emma's 16th birthday was coming up, and Frederick planned to buy her a diamond bracelet.
5. Frederick overheard Emma talking to her friends about him, saying she was only dating him for his money.
6. Frederick decided to change the way he treated Emma, pretending to have lost interest in her.
7. Emma started acting nicer to Frederick, using "magic words" like "sorry" and "please".
8. Frederick told Emma that he was taking her to his father's hotel for the weekend, but instead, he broke up with her.
9. Frederick told Emma that she couldn't have the bag of gifts he had bought her because they were paid for with his money.
10. Emma apologized and said she really loved Frederick, but he felt powerful and uninterested.
11. Frederick eventually gave Emma the bag back and thanked her for teaching him a lesson.
12. The narrator is a 16-year-old high school student who has been through a dramatic relationship experience.