On a live variety show, I was forced to call my ex-boyfriend. "Can I borrow five hundred bucks?" He scoffed. "You've got some nerve asking." A second later, a notification popped up on the big screen. [Your account has received $50,000,000.00 from account ending in 2222...] 1 It was a live broadcast. The challenge: call the person pinned at the top of your contacts and ask to borrow money for the day's activity fund. I unlocked my phone and stared at the pinned contact. My soul left my body. Damn. It was my ex. The one I dumped. The one I swore I'd never see again in this lifetime. My phone screen was mirrored on the giant studio monitor. The contact name was crystal clear: AAA Adrian Sterling. The other guests froze. The live comments exploded. [Wait... is that THE Adrian Sterling? The Sterling heir?] [Who? Is he famous?] [Famous? He’s old money royalty! His family owns half the city.] [He showed his face once at a tech summit and broke the internet. He's been topping the 'Most Eligible Bachelor' list ever since.] [Wait, isn't he way out of Chloe's league? She's just a B-list actress.] [Exactly. Look at her face. She's embarrassed because she probably tried to climb the social ladder and fell off. She's scared he won't even pick up.] The host, sensing drama, leaned in. "The audience is dying to know, Chloe. Is this the Mr. Sterling?" I was about to deny it when Bella, the show’s resident "it girl," bounced over. "The profile picture looks like him, but who knows?" she said, covering her mouth in mock surprise. "Oops, I shouldn't have said that. I'm actually calling him too! Chloe, you go first." She flashed her phone screen to the camera with a sugary smile. Her pinned contact: AAA Adrian <3. The host gasped. "That nickname..." Bella acted like she'd just realized her mistake, covering her phone and blushing. "Oh, stop! It's just a silly name. I shouldn't have shown everyone!" I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. Wow. Could you be any more obvious? Just call him already and spare me the theatrics. 2 I didn't have the energy to deal with her. I forced a smile. Then, under the gaze of millions of viewers online and offline, I dialed the number. Beep... Beep... The ringing echoed through the silent studio. It felt like an eternity. Finally, the call connected. Silence on the other end. As the audio amplified, I could hear steady breathing and faint background chatter. My throat went dry. I tried to sound casual. "Are you in a meeting?" Adrian: "Mm." The man was a vault. No emotion. No words. "Is it a bad time?" Adrian: "Mm." Excuse me? We broke up years ago, and now you've devolved into a grunt-machine? The other guests looked at me with pity. Bella blinked her big innocent eyes, feigning sympathy. Just kill me now. "So, um, I wanted to borrow five hundred dollars." "If you don't want to, that's fine." Even without seeing him, I knew he paused. Then, a low, husky laugh escaped his lips. "You've got some nerve asking." His voice dropped at the end. Like a cold stream in early spring—chilling, yet mesmerizing. Then... Click. The line went dead. Are you serious, bro? You own half the skyscrapers in downtown. And you won't lend your ex-girlfriend five hundred bucks? Stingy jerk! I let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry guys, we're really not that close." Bella patted my shoulder, oozing fake kindness. "Adrian is usually super busy at this hour. He probably doesn't have time for small things. Don't worry, I'll try. As long as we get the money for the team, right?" 3 You really deserve an Oscar for "Best Villain disguised as a Saint." My request is a "small thing," but yours is important? If I didn't want to keep my history with Adrian a secret, you wouldn't be standing here acting so smug. I shrugged. "Go ahead." [What is wrong with Chloe? She got rejected by the big shot and now she's taking it out on Bella?] [Bella is just trying to help!] [Am I the only one who thinks Bella is being passive-aggressive?] [Yeah, Chloe held back. I would have snapped.] [You guys are reading too much into it. Bella is known for being sweet but blunt.] [Chloe is just jealous. The man she couldn't land is wrapped around Bella's finger.] [Get ready for the slap in the face, Jealous Chloe.] I ignored the comments and watched Bella perform. Her call was answered in seconds. A stark contrast to mine. Ahhh! That dead man! He's humiliating me! "What is it?" Adrian's voice was even flatter than before. "Adrian, I'm out having high tea," Bella cooed, dragging out the vowels. "But my card got frozen for some reason. Can you transfer me some cash for an emergency?" Adrian paused. "Got it." What?! You have a new girl already? Fine. Good. Great!!! I clenched my jaw to keep a neutral face. The producers, hungry for drama, kept my phone screen up next to Bella's. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the transfer notification. Ding! [You have received $10,000.00 from account ending in 7144.] The sound came from Bella's phone. She turned around, beaming. "Chloe! We have money!" Before she could finish, another notification chime rang out. Loud and clear. On the big screen, a message popped up on my phone. [You have received $50,000,000.00 from account ending in 2222.] WHAT?! 4 Account ending in 2222?! That was Adrian's personal black card! My brain short-circuited. I tapped the message open. Everyone saw it. The guests and the host gasped in unison. They stared at the string of zeros, unable to look away. Five... fifty... five hundred... five million... Fifty million?! Adrian, are you insane? You hung up on me, then sent me fifty million dollars? I've only seen this kind of money on a Monopoly board! Are you trying to send me to an early grave via heart attack? If the internet sleuths dig this up, they're definitely going to think we're running an illegal laundering scheme or having a sordid affair! [LMAO. The slap in the face came, but not for Chloe.] [Bella asked, and he sent 10k like a chore. Chloe asked for 500, and he dropped 50 mill.] [This CEO x Actress trope is spicy!] [Wait, who sent the money to Chloe? Was it Adrian too?] [Look at the account numbers! They're different!] [Maybe Chloe has a sugar daddy.] [Yeah, she's probably two-timing. Trying to climb Adrian while milking her sugar daddy for 50 mill.] [Adrian would never look at her.] [Are these comments bots? Why so much hate?] [Not everyone is a gold digger, okay?] [Those are definitely Bella's fans.] Before I could drown in the spit of internet trolls, my survival instincts kicked in. "Oh! I forgot. Today is settlement day for my studio. Sorry for the confusion, everyone." Bella looked at me suspiciously. I gave her a cold stare back. Believe it or not, sister. Go ask Adrian if you have a problem!
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