Chapter 3
I didn't budge.
"You've got five minutes. If not, you can tell it to the cops," I said.
Kevin gritted his teeth and sent me 1,200 dollars.
"Jane, you need to think this through. This is my tuition money. Without it, we won't be able to go to the same college," he said.
My finger was poised over the accept button.
He was convinced I wouldn't accept it.
"Once you're done messing around, send it back," he said.
The next second, I hit accept.
His expression changed dramatically.
"Jane, you're really going through with this? Fine, we're done," he said.
I put my phone back in my purse and gave a calm nod.
"Fine, we're done," I said.
I got up and walked out.
He didn't even bother to chase after me.
He raised his glass and knocked back his drink.
"Thanks for coming to Lily's birthday party, everyone. Order whatever you want: food, drinks... Just tell the waiter to charge it to me. Doesn't matter how much it costs, everything's on me," he called out.
Just as the door to the private room was about to close, I heard Kevin's grand announcement.
Instead of leaving, I turned around and called the restaurant owner.
"Hello, this is Jane Quinn, Henry Quinn's daughter," I said.
The owner sounded polite.
"Miss Quinn, happy birthday! Is there something wrong with the service tonight?" he asked.
To be honest, there were a few issues, but I really didn't feel like talking about them right now.
"My dad told me I could give my name, and everything would be charged to my membership, right?" I asked.
The owner answered, "Yes, that's right."
I frowned.
"Can you change that so only I can approve charges with my signature?" I asked.
My dad dropped at least a few million dollars at Oak Restaurant every year, hosting clients.
The owner agreed right away.
"Absolutely, Miss Quinn. I'll send you our app. Now, even if you use your membership card to charge anything, you'll need to verify with facial recognition at checkout before the payment goes through," he said.
I'd already paid for the meal, so I let that go.
Once I walked out, I wasn't paying for anything else.
Once the app was set up, every time Kevin spent money in the Maple Suite, I got a notification.
[Ten lobsters; five bottles of 1982 Lafite.]
All those expenses had racked up over 70 thousand.
That had me speechless.
Kevin must've heard my dad say he'd cover everything, and now he was taking full advantage.
As I left the restaurant, my phone kept buzzing.
I opened it and saw a photo. Lily was standing right in the middle, and Kevin was brushing her hair back behind her ear.
Then came the messages from the class group chat. [I used to think Kevin was super aloof. Whenever he was with Jane, he never even cracked a smile.]
[Now, with the girl he actually likes, he can't wipe that grin off his face.]
[Jane's got such a nasty temper. If it were me, I wouldn't go for her either.]
[Agreed. I thought tonight was Jane's birthday, so I was about to skip.]
Then the chat was flooded with photos of all the fancy dishes.
Someone even recorded a video.
"Lobsters? I eat one and toss one away. Who cares about money?" the guy bragged.
Kevin didn't stop them.
He even egged them on.
"Go ahead, pack a few to take home for your folks to try," he said.
A numb ache spread through my chest.
I forced myself to keep it together.
I picked up my dad's call.
As soon as I opened my mouth, I lost it, sobbing so hard I could barely catch my breath.
"Dad, those bastards robbed me," I choked out.
After I finished explaining everything, Dad tried to calm me down.
"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'll send you another 150 thousand dollars," he said.
I sobbed, "It's not about the money. I just don't want them to get away with it."
He let out a sigh of relief.
"That's simple. Since you didn't blow out the candles or eat, I'll call the restaurant owner right now. They didn't check who made the reservation. It was such a big mistake. I'll make sure he refunds every dollar right back to your card," Dad said.
After I hung up, in less than five minutes, two notifications popped up on my phone: two payments.
One was a cool 700 thousand dollars from my father, and the other was a full refund from the restaurant owner.
The owner even included a message with the refund. [Miss Quinn, I'm truly sorry for the poor experience caused by our staff's mistake.]
I scrolled through the class group chat. They were mocking me, each comment sharper than the last.
I just felt damn good and started humming a little tune.
After a while, they got tired of talking to themselves. They started to mention me in the group chat.
[Jane, so you've been pretending to be a rich heiress with Kevin's money, huh? No wonder Kevin can barely afford to eat most days. We all thought his family was broke, but turns out he's secretly loaded.]
I didn't bother to reply.
They just got nastier.
[That's right. She always acts all high and mighty. I bet she's been sleeping with many men behind closed doors.]
Seeing that comment, I finally got angry and typed: [Looks like you see everyone as your rival. I get it.]
He got embarrassed and furious and started spreading even nastier rumors.
[Jane, I saw you coming out of the principal's office last time. Bet you're sleeping with him too, huh?]
I wasn't about to waste my breath on him.
I recorded everything for evidence and slapped him with a lawyer's letter.
Then Kevin booted me from the group chat.
He messaged me privately. "Jane, everyone was messing around. Do you really have to blow this out of proportion?
"Say sorry, and I'll add you back to the group."
I muttered a curse, didn't even bother to reply, and blocked him.
When I got home, I was surprised to find my grandparents there. They usually stayed in a small town.
Grandpa was brandishing a spatula in the kitchen.
"You're back. Dinner's almost ready," Grandpa called out.
Grandma brought out a cake.
"I baked this myself. Go ahead and blow out the candles," she said.
I closed my eyes and made a wish.
Grandma playfully smeared some frosting on my nose, forehead, and cheeks.
"Wishing you health and peace every year, and may you always be happy and blessed," she said.
I took a bite of the pasta and then a bite of cake.
I ate until I was stuffed.
That day was a total emotional rollercoaster. Frustration, relief, and warmth all tangled together.
Half-asleep on the couch, I was jolted awake when my phone started buzzing.
Grandma saw me frown and set my phone aside.
She didn't hand it back until I woke up.
"Your phone kept ringing. Probably your friends were calling to wish you a happy birthday. I didn't want to pick up, and I was worried it'd disturb your sleep," she said.
I took the phone.
100 missed calls and 88 texts, all from Kevin.
On WhatsApp, though, I had messages from classmates.
Just as I was about to tap in, a notification from the restaurant app popped up.
[Your payment of 200 thousand failed because the facial recognition was not completed. Please select another payment method or try again.]