Chapter 2

"Two or three thousand?" I tightened the cap on my La Mer moisturizer.

"My monthly allowance is fifty thousand dollars."

Hailey's eyes widened until they nearly bulged out.

It took her several long seconds before she could even stutter out a reply.

"Fifty... fifty grand?! You're full of shit! What college student gets fifty grand a month?!"

I didn't bother explaining. I grabbed my designer tote and headed out for my 8 a.m. lecture.

Behind me, her voice cracked into a desperate shriek.

"Chloe Vance! If you're that loaded, why didn't you say so earlier?!"

I slammed the heavy dorm door shut behind me.

That evening, our dorm rep, Abby, posted a message in our SnapChat group.

[Hey girls, our dorm electricity balance is about to shut off. Everyone needs to chip in fifty bucks. Send it via PayPal.]

I was just pulling up PayPal when Hailey's message popped into the chat.

[Abby, just request the whole bill from my future sister-in-law, Chloe.]

[We're practically family anyway. She's loaded, she won't miss a couple hundred bucks.]

Abby sent a question mark.

Looking at my phone screen, I let out a dry laugh.

I sent a private transfer of fifty dollars directly to Abby.

Along with a note in the group: [I only pay for myself. I don't know who this girl is.]

Inside the room, Hailey scoffed loudly from her desk.

"Chloe, don't be so petty. You have tens of thousands sitting in your account—what's wrong with covering the electric bill for your roommates?"

"If you're this stingy, my mom is going to have some serious words with you when you visit our family."

I slipped on my noise-canceling AirPods, shutting out her voice completely.

Yet my cold indifference didn't make her back down. It only convinced her that I was quietly giving in.

At noon the next day, I headed to the campus dining hall.

Reaching into my pocket at the checkout counter, I realized my campus meal card was missing.

Just as I was about to walk over to the student services desk to report it stolen, I heard a familiar voice from the gourmet grill counter ahead.

"Hi, give me two ribeye steak combos, and two freshly squeezed orange juices."

"Yep, charge it all to this card."

I walked over. Sure enough, Hailey was holding my custom gold campus dining card.

Next to her stood a girl from the dorm down the hall.

The girl looked awkward. "Hailey, these steak combos are sixty-eight dollars each. Isn't that way too pricey? Maybe I should just grab a bowl of noodles..."

Hailey waved her hand grandly.

"Forget cheap noodles! Lunch is on me today!"

"Besides, it's my future sister-in-law's card. She gets fifty thousand a month in allowance—this is literally pocket change to her."

"Trevor always says girls should eat whatever they crave."

The other girl caught my glare and quickly tugged on Hailey's sleeve.

Hailey turned around. Instead of looking guilty, she puffed out her chest like she owned the place.

"Oh, look who's here! Perfect timing, Chloe! I'm using your dining card to treat my friend. You don't mind, right?"

"I'll just hang onto the card for now. Trevor told me to manage your expenses so you don't blow through your cash recklessly."

I stepped forward and snatched the card right out of Hailey's fingers.

"Excuse me," I told the cashier. "Cancel whatever she just ordered. She stole my card."

Hailey gasped and lunged forward to grab it back.

"Chloe, what are you doing?! I already promised I'd treat her! How am I supposed to save face now?!"

I slapped her hand away.

"If you want to save face, use your own damn bank account. Who taught you to swipe other people's property to play big spender?"

Hailey stomped her foot in pure frustration.

"You're going to marry my brother! Your money is our family's money! What's wrong with me spending a little?!"

"If you keep acting this cheap, I'm calling Trevor right now and telling him to dump your ass!"

A couple of college guys holding trays nearby couldn't hold it in and burst into loud laughter.

"Bro, are we living in the nineteenth century?"

"What the hell? 'Your money is my family's money'? Her gold-digging calculator is clicking so loud I can hear it from the top floor."