My roommate wanted to transfer her "spare tire" to me. Her reason? The guy was too clingy, too jealous, and just plain annoying. I took a look at her contact note for him: [Dumb & Loaded—Drain Immediately]. My eyes lit up. "Give him to me! Hand him over! I love clingy!" Just as I said that, a line of glowing text floated across my vision. It looked like live stream chat comments—bullet screen reactions. [LMAO, the villainess is officially online.] [She’s just a plot device. This male lead is destined to go absolutely psycho for our goddess, Chloe, later on!] [Hurry up and take the hand-me-down. Once the male lead realizes it’s a different girl on the other end, he’s gonna storm back to the country to find Chloe. The romantic tension is going to be insane!] Wait. I was just a tool to advance the plot? Does that mean I’m about to get rich? "This guy is loaded. He sends money at the drop of a hat. He's just too possessive, and I’m over it. He's yours," my roommate said. My roommate, Chloe, was our college’s undisputed "It Girl." The number of guys in her rotation of casual flings was countless. To manage them, she had multiple burner Instagram accounts. She’d post whatever she wanted on her Close Friends stories, never worrying about getting caught. I took the phone and checked the profile. The note was simple and crude: [6’2, Abs, Lives in NY]. Scrolling through the chat history, the guy was definitely a jealous type. If Chloe replied too slowly, or if he found out she was playing online games with other guys, he’d go ballistic. Every time, Chloe would just send a few high-pitched, cutesy voice notes, and he’d instantly calm down. I tried to mimic that high, sugary pitch in my throat. I almost gagged myself. The floating text started up again. [This side character is literally pathetic. Does she really think she can copy Chloe’s voice?] [Just waiting for Ethan Thorne to send cash. This gold digger probably hasn’t seen this much money in her life.] Seeing this, my heart did a little flip. Actual money transfer? Perfect timing. My bank account was bone dry, and I was looking at a diet of instant ramen for the rest of the month. [Venmo: You received $5,200 from Ethan Thorne.] [Caption: Babe, things are crazy at the company right now. No time to play games with you. Don't be mad.] My fingers flew. Accept. Instant deposit. Five thousand two hundred! That was enough to cover my textbooks and rent for the next few months! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! I hit him back with a "shoulder rub" emoji. [Hubby, you’re working so hard! Remember to DM me when you’re done, I miss you! ❤️] The message had barely sent when the phone vibrated again. [Venmo: You received $13,140 from Ethan Thorne.] [Caption: First time you’ve called me hubby. Sounds amazing. Miss you too.] Looking at those numbers, my eyes almost popped out of my head. Calling him "hubby" was worth thirteen grand? Fine. As long as the money keeps coming, he is my one and only cyber-husband from this day forward. The chat comments exploded. [This girl is shameless! Zero dignity!] [Ethan definitely thinks it’s Chloe calling him hubby right now. I’m so mad!] [Disgusting. She’ll say anything for money.] I didn't care what the comments said. I turned around and ordered the most expensive Starbucks drink on the menu—triple whip, extra drizzle—and a luxury sushi platter I’d been dreaming about for six months. Being rich felt incredible! I’d never have to listen to my dad complain on the phone over five hundred bucks in spending money ever again. These idiots in the comments didn't know anything. When you’re too poor to eat, dignity doesn't fill your stomach. Chapter 2 Three days later, I hauled a mountain of shopping bags back to the dorm. "Whoa, Hannah, did you win the lottery?" my roommate, Lisa, asked. "Why’d you buy so much stuff?" I couldn't stop grinning. "End-of-season sales. Everything was practically free." Chloe, who was busy filling in her eyebrows at the vanity, glanced at me through the mirror. Her tone was a bit salty. "Didn't Ethan Thorne prove to be generous? He didn't send you any cash? He used to buy me designer bags all the time." I dropped my bags, walked over, and started massaging her shoulders, putting on my best groveling face. "I only dared to buy these clothes because he sent some money. It's all thanks to you!" "If you hadn't passed this big fish over to me, I don't know how I would have made rent this month." Chloe’s expression darkened slightly. She tried to sound casual. "How much did you make?" "Oh, like a $131 and a $52 transfer. Enough to keep me going for a bit!" I lied through my teeth. Hearing this, the annoyance on Chloe’s face vanished, replaced by a look of slight disdain. "Only that much? He used to give me bags worth thousands." "You don't think he figured out we swapped, do you?" I pressed my lips together, pretending to be worried. "I don't think so? But he did mention his company is going through some stuff. He doesn't have time to play games. You don't think he’s going bankrupt, do you?" A scornful smile played on Chloe’s lips. She patted my shoulder, acting magnanimous. "If he's broke, move on. Don't worry, there are plenty of other fish in my pond. I’ll share a few more with you later." She turned to the other two roommates. "You guys want in? I can divide up a few for you to play with." The other two roommates came from rich, local families. They had no interest in her game. They shook their heads and declined. Only I gushed with gratitude toward Chloe. "Chloe, you are literally an angel! If I ever marry rich, I’m sending you expensive skincare every single day!" Chloe crinkled her nose in disgust, turned back, and continued with her makeup. I turned around to unbox my items and try on my new clothes. The floating comments were scrolling frantically. [Holy s*, this side character is conniving!]** [It was fifty-two hundred and thirteen thousand, and she lied to Chloe saying it was a few hundred bucks!] [It’s over. Chloe thinks Ethan is broke, she definitely won’t want him back now.] [Chloe, wake up! All the ugly losers in your rotation combined don't equal one of Ethan’s fingers! He’s the heir to the biggest tech conglomerate in the country!] The sole heir to a tech conglomerate? That made me feel even better. After unboxing everything, I lay on my bed and messaged Ethan. [Hubby, are you done with work? I took a little nap just now and dreamt you had another girl. I woke up crying, lol. waaah] Then, I found the perfect angle and took a selfie. My eyes were slightly red, looking pitiful, but the focus was on the beauty mark right at the corner of my eye. I had scrolled back through the chat history. Chloe had never sent a photo showing her face. Her Instagram was all shots of her from behind. She was tall and had a great body, but I wasn't bad either, and my skin was incredibly pale. When Ethan had liked that old picture on Chloe’s Close Friends story, he hadn't even asked which one was her. To maintain her "mysterious goddess" vibe, Chloe hadn't even told him her real name. Ethan had always called her by her gamer tag: "RolyPoly." [Wife!!] [The location of that beauty mark by your eye... it's in the exact same spot as mine!] Immediately, Ethan sent a close-up selfie. The man in the photo had a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and a rogue-ish smirk. He was devastatingly handsome. [I guess that means we have a 'destined marriage face,' hubby. You are so hot, I want to kiss you! ?] [As soon as I finish this project, I’m flying out to see you! Wife, I love you!] [Venmo: You received $52,000 from Ethan Thorne.] Fifty-two thousand! Ethan Thorne... this guy was the real deal. I sent a barrage of kissing emojis, and then started pouring on the shameless flirtation. [Hubby, I’m going to kiss the skin right off your face when we meet.] [And your abs... I’m going to feel every single one of them, hehe. ?] [Hubby, take care of your precious body. The day we meet is the day you lose your innocence, teehee!] Chapter 3 A few flirty messages later, the comments went wild again. [Help! This side character is literally a predator!] [Chloe was a cold, distant goddess in Ethan’s mind. This trashy girl ruined everything!] [Wait, why does Ethan seem to be enjoying this? Why is the vibe getting weirder and weirder?] [It’s over. Ethan is one of those repressed types; in his bones, he loves this chaotic energy...] [It’s fine. No matter how happy they are texting, she’s just a stand-in. When Ethan comes back and sees Chloe, that’ll be 'love at first sight' all over again! This kind of online relationship only survives in the phone; it dies the second it hits the light!] [Right, right. This girl is okay-looking, but she can't compare to Chloe’s supermodel vibes. Ethan is going to be so disgusted by her when they meet.] Disgusted? I was counting on it. Be as disgusted as you want. Ideally, write me a check on the spot and tell me to get lost. It had only been a few days, and I’d already saved up nearly seventy grand. My tuition and living expenses for four years of college were totally covered. If we kept talking for a few more months, I might actually save up a down payment for a house. Then I could buy a small condo and completely cut ties with my toxic, leech-like biological family. Thinking about this, I decided to turn up the heat, flatter Ethan frantically, and continue pretending to be dirt poor in front of Chloe. That way, when the "true lovers" inevitably met, they’d feel guilty and maybe even give me a severance payment. It was perfect. Chapter 4 To maintain my "poverty-stricken" persona in front of Chloe, my life was, frankly, completely schizophrenic. During the day, I ate dry crackers and water in the dorm. At night, I ordered lobster tails and expensive takeout and ate it huddled inside a bathroom stall. Chloe’s look toward me became increasingly superior. She even started talking to her new rotation guy right in front of my face. "Aww, but I really want that new designer tote. It’s only three thousand. You won't even buy that for me?" She hung up, glanced at the plain tap water I was drinking, and let out a fake, sympathetic sigh. "Hannah, I’m not judging, but if that guy from New York is really that broke, you should just block him. Stop wasting your time." I shook my head vigorously, looking sincere. "I can't, Chloe. He might be poor, but he’s really good to me. He texts me every morning and night to check on me. I grew up unloved, you know? I’m soft for that stuff." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Pathetic." The comments flooded the screen again. [This girl’s acting is incredible. Oscar-worthy.] [Chloe, run! This girl is playing the long game!] [Relax above, Ethan is about to fly in. Let’s see how this trashy girl manages the IRL meet-and-greet!] Flying in? My heart skipped a beat. I pulled out my phone and checked. Sure enough, Ethan had sent a message.
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