3
It felt like an eternity before my family’s Rolls–Royce finally pulled up to the curb. By then, I was drenched in sweat, on the verge of
heatstroke.
My driver, Mr. Virtue, took his sweet time parking before giving a cursory double–tap on the horn.
“Mr. Virtue, what took you so long?” I asked, collapsing into the back seat, my shirt already soaked through.
He, on the other hand, was in a noticeably cheerful mood. He shot me a stern look in the rearview mirror. “You know, miss, you really need to work on that princess attitude. I’m your family’s driver, not your personal slave. I’m an elder, you should show some respect.” He sniffed. “It was just a few minutes of waiting. Most girls aren’t nearly as fragile as you. I’d never let my son date some-
one with your attitude!”
Just then, my phone buzzed with notifications. It was my classmates‘ social media feeds.
[OMG, Ethan’s family is seriously loaded! He let us ride in his Rolls–Royce! Look at that starlight headliner!]
[It was so epic! Next time, we need a second car, though. I’m calling dibs on the Maybach!]
ago!]
liners ca… virt
[If we hadn’t wasted so much time dealing with that shameless pauper, we would’ve been cooling off in this luxury car ages
I froze. That wasn’t his car. That was my family’s car.
I immediately made a call. The results of a quick background check confirmed it. Mr. Virtue’s son was none other than Ethan Virt-
- ue.
- de.
It all clicked into place. No wonder my every attempt to prove my identity in my past life was thwarted. There was always a mole leaking information. And no wonder Ethan was so determined to destroy me. He and Jessica were working together from the insi-
arted from
My hand instinctively went to the necklace Ethan had “borrowed” during orientation. That’s when it all starte
sica, the girl who could barely afford food, suddenly became incredibly wealthy. Back then, I used my meal card for everything and
never checked my bank balance. I had handed them the perfect opportunity.
Right after that, Jes-
12 16
Chapter 1
12 16
“Miss Freda, what are you doing?”
The car screeched to a halt. Mr. Virtue was staring at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes wide with panic, fixed on my hand as it was about to unclasp the necklace.
“That was a coming–of–age gift from your mother,” he stammered. “You’re not taking it off, are you?”
His panicked expression was all the confirmation I needed.
“Of course not,” I said with a small laugh. “Just admiring it.” I closed my eyes, and from the driver’s seat, I heard a quiet sigh of
relief.
The moment I got back to the villa, I ripped the necklace off. I called my father and told him Mr. Virtue had been disrespectful and needed to be fired. Then, I enjoyed a gourmet meal prepared by our French chef, and after eating my fill, I collapsed into bed.
As I suspected, without the necklace, the crushing weight on my chest lifted. It was as if a massive boulder had been rolled off me.
To avoid tipping my hand, I found an identical–looking necklace in my jewelry box and put it on.
And now, Jessica, all you have left… is that hundred–thousand–dollar debt.
12:16
