Chapter 4
When I got back to the Lane mansion, my parents practically tripped over themselves being nice to me.
"Serena, you're home! You must be tired. Dinner's ready whenever you want it." My mother's smile was so wide.
"Serena, I picked up a few new things for you. Thought you might like them." My father gestured to a stack of designer shopping bags.
They were falling all over themselves to please me, treating me like the head of the household.
Now they wanted to play happy family? Please. It was way too late for that. I muttered a few noncommittal replies and escaped to my room.
*****
The next morning, I walked into class and found my desk buried under a mountain of stuff. The latest phone. Limited edition handbags. Jewelry that probably cost more than most people's cars.
Jason stood nearby, preening like a peacock. "Queen Serena, I picked all these out for you. Do you like them?"
I didn't even glance at the pile. "Get rid of them."
"But—"
"Throw them out."
His face fell, but he nodded and waved someone over to clear everything away.
That was when Kamila walked in. She'd piled on makeup to hide how wrecked she looked, but the bitterness in her eyes was impossible to miss.
She spotted me and let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Someone might look fancy on the outside, but underneath, she's nothing but a thief."
Everyone turned to stare.
Kamila stormed up to me and jabbed a finger in my face. "Serena, stop pretending. I know everything. You're broke. Those clothes you're wearing? You stole them from me. You're a complete joke."
She probably thought that if she exposed how "poor" I really was, Jason would finally snap out of it, and everyone would go back to treating me like trash.
She got louder, more dramatic. "I bet Serena doesn't even have thirty dollars to her name. She's a total fraud."
Oh? Was she really doing this again? I felt a smile tug at my lips.
'Wish detected: The lie "Serena Lane doesn't have thirty dollars to her name" has been validated. Executing.'
The classroom door burst open. A middle-aged man in an expensive suit rushed in, flanked by a squad of hulking bodyguards in black. He scanned the room, spotted me, and hurried over, slightly out of breath.
"Miss Lane." He bowed deeply and extended a sleek black card with both hands. "I'm Nicolas Vincent, president of Global Bank.
"The thirty billion you deposited with us has cleared. This is your custom black card, unlimited spending, accepted worldwide.
"My sincere apologies for the delay in delivery. Please, if you're dissatisfied in any way, I'll accept whatever punishment you deem fit."
He stayed bowed, practically groveling.
The classroom went silent. Thirty billion. The number hung in the air like a physical weight.
Kamila's expression was even more jaw-dropping than when she saw Jason on one knee yesterday.
"Th-thirty billion?" a classmate stammered, his voice shaking.
"Global Bank's black card? I thought only like five people in the world had those."
"Who the hell is Serena, actually?"
Shock, confusion, and utter amazement swept through the room. Everyone's eyes were locked onto that thin black card in front of me.
It seemed to radiate an almost supernatural aura, freezing the entire classroom in place.
Nicolas was still bent over in a deep bow, sweat beading on his forehead.
Thirty billion. Kamila really outdid herself this time. I kept my face perfectly blank, even though I was laughing inside.
I picked up the card between two fingers and examined it like it was no big deal.
"Fine. Leave it." My voice was as casual as if I'd asked someone to pass the salt.
Nicolas straightened up, looking visibly relieved. He set the card on my desk with exaggerated care, then slipped out with his entourage, silent as shadows.
It was like they'd materialized to deliver that card and vanished the moment the job was done.
The classroom stayed frozen. Everyone stared at me like I was some kind of mythical creature, something that shouldn't exist in the normal world.
Jason's eyes sparkled with awe. Now, besides his obvious crush, there was pure adoration in his gaze.
"My queen! You're not some ordinary person. You're literally a goddess walking among us."
This boy's ability to commit to the bit was honestly impressive.
Finally, I turned to look at the source of all this chaos.
Kamila still had her finger pointed at me, but she'd frozen solid, like a statue left out in the weather too long.
Her makeup looked warped from the shock. Her mouth hung open wide enough to catch flies.
"No way..." she mumbled, totally dazed. "It's fake. It has to be fake. You can't have thirty billion. You're nobody. You're from nowhere."
Her voice climbed higher, cracking with desperation. She lunged for the black card on my desk like a woman possessed.
"I'll prove it. I'll prove this is fake. This thing is plastic."