Three months into our relationship, Rick took me to meet his friends. A few of them scanned me from head to toe with predatory grins. The only other woman there, sitting in the center of the group, offered her critique. “Damn, Rick. This one’s got a better body than any of the others.” “Yeah, but the makeup on her face is so thick you could use it for shoe insoles.” Rick tossed his jacket at her. “Knock it off. Stop talking crap. Stella’s a good girl, a virgin. Don’t you go corrupting her.” “Rick’s living the dream, man. Only the best, only the fresh, am I right? Hahaha.” The woman, Jenna, let out a dramatic sigh. “Wow, so protective. I’m starting to feel a little threatened!” Rick just laughed and turned to me. “Don’t mind her. Jenna’s just blunt, but she’s got a heart of gold. She’s the glue that holds our whole crew together.” In the dim light of the bar’s private lounge, I smiled innocently, my eyes shimmering with an excitement they couldn't see. A “pick-me” girl who thrives on being the only woman in a pack of guys? Let’s see how long they keep worshipping her when a walking, talking ATM machine shows up. … The guys kept teasing Rick, and I just stood there, wearing a perfectly calibrated smile. Jenna tossed the jacket back at him. “You wore the wrong coat last night, and you’re giving it back to me without even washing it?” One of the guys, always eager to stir the pot, chimed in. “Rick, looks like you’ve found yourself a princess. If you ask me, a man needs a woman who knows her place.” “She should be washing your clothes by hand, cooking fresh meals every night, and maybe even buying her man a little gift every month. Gotta test them out for a few years before you even think about marrying them!” Jenna nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! And back when I was helping you survive in that basement apartment, you used to mix up our laundry all the time. Now that you’ve got a girlfriend, you better keep your distance!” A flush crept up Rick’s neck. He laughed it off. “Don’t talk nonsense.” Another guy, Kyle, leaned close to Jenna’s ear. “The new girl seems pretty clueless. You think she even gets what we’re talking about?” They were close, but they weren’t whispering. The whole group chuckled. Rick finally remembered me, the forgotten accessory, and pulled me toward the center of the sofa. “Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Stella. And none of you are allowed to mess with her.” The second I sat down, someone shoved a drink into my hand. “Welcome, Stella. To hang with us, you gotta be able to drink. No backing out.” Rick took the glass from me. “Stella’s allergic to alcohol. I’ll drink for her.” Jenna’s face instantly hardened. “Rick,” she said, her voice cold, “we’ve been friends for years. You haven’t forgotten the rules, have you?” “Who was it that promised any girl he got serious with would have to be able to drink?” “Are you really going to throw away our friendship for her?” Rick swallowed the liquor in his mouth and tried to placate her. “I chased Stella for six months. We’re finally together, and we’re going to get married. Don’t cause trouble.” A chorus of whoops and hollers filled the room. “So that’s why you’ve been MIA! Rick’s actually serious this time!” “Oh, so it’s not a girlfriend, it’s a wife!” “Damn, man, I thought Jenna was a catch, but you outdid yourself. Found a real beauty!” Jenna’s hand paused, her wine glass halfway to her lips. She playfully punched the guy who said it. “I don’t need to plaster my face with makeup like some other girls,” she muttered, but the look she shot me was pure venom. Rick was starting to get annoyed. He whispered to me, “Stella, you want to go see a movie instead?” I feigned surprise. “Why? We just got here.” My voice was soft, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Kyle clicked his tongue. “Trying to run away already? You used to do whatever Jenna said. What happened…” “That’s enough.” Rick’s face was grim, cutting him off. The mood soured instantly, and for a moment, only the bar’s music filled the silence. The friends exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes eventually settling on Jenna, waiting for her next move. She poured two more drinks, one for herself, one for Rick. “Rick, since you’re ignoring the rules, I’ve got nothing more to say. Drink this with me, and we’ll go our separate ways.” Rick clearly hadn’t expected that. He hesitated, then turned to me. “Stella, maybe just have one? If you really feel sick, I’ll take you to the hospital.” I gave him a wounded smile. “It’s fine, Rick. It’s a nice gesture from your friends.” The foul stench of the cheap liquor made me want to gag. Rick looked conflicted but didn’t stop me. Jenna downed her glass in one go. “Come on, sweetheart. If you don’t drink it, Rick might just have to break up with you.” “Right, Rick?” He avoided my eyes. I held the glass for a moment, then set it back down on the table. A triumphant smirk spread across Jenna’s face. Before she could speak, I said softly, “I really don’t want to drink. But I’ll accept a punishment. Truth or dare, anything.” Finn, the group’s self-appointed hype man, scoffed. “We play that stuff between us, but you’re an outsider. You think you can just join in?” “How about this? You don’t want to drink, you pay. Five hundred bucks a glass. How about that?” Jenna gave him an approving smile, clearly backing the idea. The others stirred, eager to watch me squirm. Under their collective gaze, I slowly nodded. “Okay. I’ll Venmo you.” Seeing I was serious, Finn hesitantly pulled out his phone and opened the app. A second later, a loud cha-ching notification echoed from his phone. “Venmo payment received: fifty thousand dollars.” Finn froze, staring at his screen as if it were an alien artifact. “That should cover about a hundred glasses, right? I can send the next round’s payment now if you want.” I picked up my phone, my own bank balance flashing for a split second, a number with too many digits to count. Finn’s eyes were practically bulging out of his head. He rushed to stop me, his voice suddenly syrupy sweet. “No, no, that’s plenty! I didn’t realize you were… I was just kidding, Miss! Please, don’t be mad.” The rest of the group dropped their act. They scrambled, clawing at Finn’s phone. “You think you can handle a hundred drinks with her? Share the wealth!” “I’ll drink with her! Don’t be greedy!” “We’re Rick’s friends too! That money belongs to all of us!” Rick pulled me into his arms. “Hey, be careful! You bump into my wife, and you’ll have my billionaire father-in-law to answer to!” “It’s just fifty grand. You guys are pathetic.” The friends who were fighting over the phone froze, their eyes meeting mid-air. Fifty grand, which Rick now dismissed as pocket change. And that last part… “billionaire father-in-law.” It hit them like a lightning bolt. They weren’t just hanging out with a rich girl; they had struck gold. The richest family in the city was the Sterling family. Which meant I must be… “Stella, my name is Finn. You can just call me Finn.” “I’m Mike…” They all started introducing themselves, the earlier arrogance completely gone. Even Kyle, Jenna’s loyal lapdog, looked tempted until she shot him a death glare. “Stella, if you’re going to act like this, you can just get out. We don’t…” “Alright, Jenna, that’s enough. Stella just got here, why are you targeting her?” “Yeah, nobody said paying wasn’t an option. If you don’t like it, you can pay too.” Jenna was cut off by a chorus of dissent. Her face went pale, then red, and she stomped her foot in frustration. “Don’t be mad,” Rick said, patting her head. “We came out to have fun. You’re making a scene.” “Even you think I’m making a scene?!” Jenna’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. She started downing glass after glass of wine. Before Rick could intervene, I took the bottle from her. “Jenna, we’re both women. I’ve heard drinking too much can cause birth defects. Even if you’re not thinking about yourself, you should think about your future husband.” Jenna’s hand, which had been reaching for the bottle, froze and retreated. “But you did have a drink for me earlier,” I added sweetly. “I’ll pay the five hundred for that.” Jenna’s first instinct was that I was humiliating her. Before she could snap back, Kyle jumped in. “Stella, you can just send it to me. I’ll hold it for Jenna.” I nodded. “Of course.” Another fifty-thousand-dollar notification sound, and the room erupted. I spoke calmly over the noise. “And please, give the rest of that money to Jenna. She should use it to get a full medical check-up at the hospital.” Kyle, blinded by the money, had completely forgotten his allegiance to Jenna. He sidled up to me, his voice dripping with sycophancy. “Stella, what can I get you to drink? I’ll go buy it!” “Get lost!” Rick shoved him away. “Back off.” The party was a success for everyone except Jenna. Before we left, I put a hundred grand on a tab at the bar, telling them to use my card whenever they came to hang out. After the party, Finn added me to their group chat. I knew they had accepted me. But as I looked at the group chat’s name—Jenna’s Wolf Pack—I knew it would take something much stronger to break them apart for good. Later that night, Rick saw I was still on my phone and grumbled. “Stella, is your family really that strict? We can’t… until we’re married?” The last few words were muffled as he buried his face in the pillows. I looked down, my expression pained. “I’m sorry, Rick. I know it’s hard for you…” Seeing my guilt, Rick softened. “Didn’t you say you wanted a new car a few days ago? I’ll have the dealership deliver it to your door tomorrow.” Rick’s jaw dropped, his lips trembling with excitement. “Are you serious?” I nodded. “Of course. When have I ever lied to you?” He gave me an ecstatic kiss and pulled me into his arms. As his breathing evened out into sleep, I slipped out of his grasp. In the bathroom, I scrubbed one side of my face until it was raw and red. Staring at my trembling right arm, covered in a network of old scars, my nose stung and tears began to fall. Soon. It’s almost time. I will make these monsters pay for what they did. I unlocked my phone and sent a friend request to Jenna. She accepted instantly. Her first message came through: Rick sent you to apologize to me? I smiled and sent the message I had prepared. As expected, I was immediately deleted and blocked. I looked at the chat log with satisfaction. People like Jenna were so predictable. The next day, when Rick pulled up in a brand-new sports car, his friends went wild. Basking in their admiration, he announced, “It’s a gift from Stella. Haven’t even had a chance to really open it up yet!” Jenna, ignored again, snapped, “You all promised you’d go shopping with me today. Are we still going or not?” They all muttered agreements, but their eyes were glued to the car. Seeing their envy, I made a suggestion. “If you guys like it so much, we could take it to a racetrack.” Finn was the first to agree. “Hell yeah! I’ve never driven a car like this!” But someone else hesitated. “What if we crash? That would cost a fortune to repair.” I smiled. “Then we’ll just rent out the entire track.”
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