Chapter 1

My boyfriend hated rich people, so I never told him I was wealthy.

I always agreed when he suggested splitting the bill and went along with our coupon-funded dates.

But when he found out I’d bought a $59 tumbler while shopping, he called me materialistic.

Not only did he demand that I return it, he wanted me to hand over every paycheck from then on.

When I refused, he threatened, “If you don’t return that cup, don’t expect a single cent from me when we get married!”

What a joke. My family was worth a hundred billion dollars. Did he really think I needed his money?

I was shopping with my best friend, Chloe Davis, over the weekend. We walked into a home and gift store, and a tumbler on the shelf immediately caught my eye.

It was pale blue-green and came with a straw. It would be perfect for taking water on weekend outings.

I’d just paid and stepped outside when my boyfriend, Ethan Parker, called.

“Claire, did you use our shared payment account?” Ethan asked.

He’d set it up for me the week before. I’d repeatedly told him I didn’t need it, but he’d insisted, taking my phone and activating it himself.

Then he’d posted a screenshot on social media and basked in all the comments calling him a wonderful boyfriend.

Afterward, I’d forgotten about the account. I’d never used it before. His question made me feel a little embarrassed, as if I’d spent someone else’s money without asking.

“I’m not sure.” I opened my payment app and saw that the purchase had indeed come out of the shared account. Feeling even more awkward, I explained, “I was shopping. I didn’t notice.”

Ethan gave a quiet acknowledgment, then said, “Claire, it’s not that you can’t use it. I’m just asking.”

“I saw a charge for fifty-nine dollars. What did you buy?”

“A tumbler.” Just mentioning it made me excited again.

I rarely fell in love with something at first sight. This cup was one of the exceptions.

I thought he’d ask what it looked like, or simply say okay. Instead, the moment he heard what I’d bought, he exploded.

“Claire Bennett, what did you just say? You spent fifty-nine dollars on a cup?”

“What’s it made of? Is it insulated? We have tons of insulated cups at home! I got two free when I signed up for that membership, and you’ve never even used them! Why would you buy another one? And such an expensive one!”

“If you wanted a cup, you could’ve told me! I could’ve found you one on Wish for nine ninety-nine. Why would you spend fifty-nine dollars on something to hold water?”

“Go return it. Right now!”

He hung up before I could get a word in.

Chloe was standing beside me. My phone wasn’t on speaker, but Ethan had been so loud that she’d heard everything.

She glanced at my face and grew angry, too.

“What is wrong with him? You spent fifty-nine dollars! Is that really worth throwing a fit over?”

“I saw his post about setting up that shared account for you. I thought he was some amazing boyfriend. Turns out it was all for show! You use fifty-nine dollars of it, and he loses his mind.”

“Claire, seriously. Dump him.”

Dump him? I’d thought about it. But Ethan and I had been together since we were students, almost ten years. How could I just end it?

I sighed heavily, still making excuses for him. “Maybe it’s because he grew up without much money. He’s used to saving, so spending fifty-nine dollars on a cup upset him.”

“It’s fine. Once I take it home and show him, I’m sure he’ll calm down.”

I had faith in my choice. Besides, it was a huge tumbler that held plenty of water.

When I got home that evening, Ethan was already there. He sat on the couch with a dark expression. The first thing he said was, “You still haven’t returned that cup, have you?”

I froze.

He didn’t ask what I wanted for dinner or whether I was tired from shopping. All he cared about was whether I’d returned the cup?

Now I was annoyed, too. I took the tumbler off my shoulder and set it hard on the coffee table. I’d already filled it with water.

Honestly, drinking out of a pretty cup made even water taste sweeter.

The sight of it only made Ethan angrier.

He snatched it up and gave a cold laugh. “Claire Bennett. This is what you spent fifty-nine dollars on?”

“A plastic cup? For fifty-nine dollars? Have you lost your mind?”