5
In the cool infirmary, Jessica was fanning herself while Ethan sat beside her, dutifully peeling an apple.
“What the hell is wrong with that bitch?” Jessica seethed. “Does she know something? She absolutely refuses to ask her family for
money, and she won’t take any of the jobs I found for her.”
She sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide with fear. “She has to know! Her moving out of the dorm was weird enough, but now I’m
sure of it. She must have realized that any money she gets is automatically transferred to me, so she’s refusing to take a single
cent!”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, handing her the apple with a cold, cruel smile. “So what if she knows? Don’t forget, the system is still
draining her health. Her parents are always overseas. The moment she collapses and ends up in the hospital, we’ll have them wire
over the medical fees. The money will end up in our hands one way or another.”
He clenched his jaw. “I can’t stand people who are just born lucky. Why does she get to be a princess while I’m just the driver’s son?
I’ll make sure her life is anything but easy.”
From that day on, Jessica and Ethan essentially moved in together off–campus. Their social media feeds became a sickeningly
lavish chronicle of their life: sprawling mansions, extravagant shopping sprees, and romantic, candlelit dinners. They celebrated a
new “anniversary” every three days, complete with private violinists.
Jessica’s captions were drenched in saccharine bliss:
[I never thought a perfect love like this could happen to me. I wake up every day to fresh fruit air–freighted from New Zealand. Wh-
en I’m tired from binge–watching shows, he takes me to five–star restaurants. He’s so thoughtful. The slightest hint of sadness and he showers me with LV and Hermès. I’m drowning in happiness.]
Ethan would comment below with equal fervor:
[The moment I met you, the rest of the world faded away. I will protect you forever, my princess.]
Back in the classroom, the other students were losing their minds.
“Holy crap, this is next–level wealth. This is the kind of stuff you only see in movies!”
“I’m so jealous I could cry. This is literally a fairy–tale romance. True love only exists for the super–rich.”
“God, please let me have this life next time. I want to know what it feels like to have everything handed to you!”
And, of course, they never missed a chance to drag me into it.
12-16
1216
Chapter 2
LOL, Freda Sterling must be dying of jealousy seeing this. And to think she tried so hard to get with Ethan.”
“Well, people stick to their own kind. Jessica is a real heiress, so of course she gets gifts worth hundreds of thousands. Freda wou- Id probably burst into tears over a fifty–dollar bracelet. Ethan’s way out of her league.”
“Hahaha, Freda must want to jump off a building. The guy she worshiped publicly humiliated her and is now with a girl who’s actual-
ly his equal. A single gift he gives Jessica is more than she’ll ever earn in her entire life.”
I listened to it all without a flicker of emotion.
Just a moment ago, my parents, feeling guilty for being so absent, had wired me the deeds to five new villas across the country so
I’d have places to stay during summer break.
With that kind of wealth at my back, how could their pathetic chatter possibly affect me?
Besides, their fairy tale was about to come to a crashing end.
Finally, the day came. The loan sharks came calling, demanding Jessica repay the one hundred and twenty thousand dollars–prin- dipal and interest–within three days.
She was in the middle of a “bedroom game” with Ethan when she got the text. She stared at her phone, her mind going blank. Then came the calls, one after another. They even started calling her parents, demanding to know what was going on.
“What do you mean? When did I take out a loan? You must have the wrong person!” she shrieked into the phone.
In response, they sent her a picture of her ID and the transaction record for
“Undred–thousand–dollar loan.
“Miss Price, we have your school records, your home address, information on your friends, your family… Pay back the money, and this all goes away. Otherwise, don’t blame us for what happens next. You always have to pay for the luxuries you enjoy ahead of time, don’t you?”
