Chapter 3

Dale stepped forward, his fingers teasingly hooked a strand of Angela's hair.

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a tempting whisper. "I heard you want to sneak off with me into the woods."

Angela shivered all over, her breath coming faster. She could barely stop herself from nodding, her heart pounding in her chest.

This was the place.

Last time, I rushed out right here, threw myself in front of Angela, and shouted at Dale to back off from Angela.

But Dale just grabbed me by the throat, nearly choking me, and shot Angela a cold smirk. "Your sister is always sticking her nose in. What a buzzkill."

Angela just stood there, looking all timid. I could even catch a trace of annoyance in her eyes at me for interrupting what was happening.

This time, I gave Angela a gentle nudge, pushing her a step closer to Dale.

Then, in a voice only she could hear, I copied the excited tone of the chat comments, whispering urgently, "Angela, just say yes! The comments are going wild. This is a key moment.

"As the female lead, you can't back down now. You gotta tease him a little, play hard to get. That's how you make the male lead want you even more."

Angela's eyes suddenly lit up, and the last trace of hesitation disappeared completely.

She lifted her head, trying her best to look both shy and daring. Her voice trembled, but she sounded determined. "Yeah, Dale. You got the guts?"

Dale clearly hadn't expected her to be so direct. He froze for a second, then let out a mocking laugh, his eyes full of even more mischief.

He slipped his arm around Angela's waist and led her deeper into the woods, shooting me a look over his shoulder like I was just some annoying trash in his way.

I stood there, still wearing that encouraging smile, watching as they disappeared behind the lush trees.

Angela came home humming, unable to stop grinning.

The hem of her white dress had picked up some grass and mud, but she didn't care one bit. In fact, she looked almost proud of it, like she was flaunting her messy adventure.

Alma was mopping the living room when she spotted Angela. Her brows scrunched up tight. "Where did you run off to this time? Just look at your dress, it's filthy. Can't you act like a proper girl for once?"

Angela was in such a good mood that, for once, she didn't talk back.

Instead, she sidled up to Alma, looped her arm through hers, and said in a voice so sweet it was almost sickly, "Mom, I went out with Dale."

"Dale? Which Dale?" Alma asked.

Then, as if something clicked, her face changed a little. "Don't tell me you mean the one from the Jennings family?"

Angela replied, her chin lifted with pride, a smug little smile playing on her lips, "Yep, that's him.

"The comments were spot on. He treats me like I'm special. Mom, your daughter's about to hit the big time!"

The mop hit the floor with a bang as Alma grabbed Angela's shoulders, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Are you for real? You really slept with him?"

"Of course!" Angela shook off Alma's hand and twirled around, her dress flying. "He said that he wants me to be his girlfriend. But he said we have to keep it under wraps for now."

Angela hesitated, a hint of hurt flickering across her face, but excitement quickly took over. "The chat says this is totally normal for rich families, gotta keep things hush-hush.

"Once I've got my footing, I'll be living the dream, endless luxury coming my way!"

I sat at the dining table, quietly peeling an orange. The sharp scent of the peel stung my nose, keeping me grounded.

Alma went from being annoyed to being excited. She even looked a little fawning. My heart went cold as ice.

Last time around, she flipped just as quick.

As soon as she was sure Angela had really landed Dale, she turned on me, ripping into me like I was the villain ruining Angela's fairy tale.

Alma snapped, her voice harsher than ever, "London. did you hear that?

"You need to learn from your sister. Just look at her, she managed something huge without making a fuss! You are always moping around, nose stuck in your books.

"What's the point of all that studying? Is it going to feed you? Is it going to get you into a rich family?"

I looked up, slowly popped a slice of orange into my mouth, and let the sweet-tart juice burst on my tongue.

I turned to Angela, my eyes crinkling with a smile that looked genuinely happy. "Angela, congrats. The chat was spot on. Dale's a total catch, and his family's loaded. You're about to become Mrs. Jennings!"

Angela was practically floating from all the praise. She came over and threw her arm around my shoulders, grinning. "London, you really get me. Trust me, when I make it big, you'll get your share of the good life too!"

Her hand reeked of Dale's cigarettes from their time in the woods, and the smell made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Thanks, Angela," I murmured, dropping my gaze and replying obediently.