Chapter 1

In the nobles' blind box dating game, my name got thrown into the draw.

A week later, Damon Wolfe, the No. 1 student in our grade, ditched his usual ice-prince vibe and confessed he'd been secretly crushing on me.

I was stunned and flattered. I said yes, and just like that, I became his girlfriend.

For an entire semester, he gave me everything I asked for and spoiled me rotten.

Everyone envied me. They said I was insanely lucky to win Damon's attention.

But on the eve of the SATs, he dumped me, cold and sudden.

I knew what they were waiting for. They wanted me to fall apart like Damon's ex-girlfriends, crying, begging, and dropping out in humiliation.

But I didn't. I showed up for the SATs like nothing had happened.

Then I held up my acceptance letter from the top university in the nation and smiled at them, "Thanks for all the help this year. I'm heading to the best college."

*****

"If you want to apply for financial aid, come to my office after class to fill out the form," the teacher said.

As soon as she finished speaking, Emma Sinclair, the class queen bee who loved making my life difficult, spoke up, "Madam, how about letting the applicants share their reasons right now? That way, everyone will know who to support later."

"Sure," the teacher nodded. "Charlotte, why don't you go first?"

I stood up, expressionless, and in front of more than fifty classmates, calmly told everyone just how broke I was.

The bell rang.

The quiet was instantly replaced by chatter as the classroom erupted into noise.

Emma strutted over and flicked a bill onto the floor in front of me. "Your mom bailed, your dad's got a busted leg and digs through trash to survive, and you had to beg every relative just to pay your tuition.

"Charlotte, how are you not dead yet with a life like that? If I were you, I'd have ended it long ago. Good thing I'm so charitable. Here, take this. It should be enough to keep your dad picking trash all day, right?"

The way the high and mighty trample on nobodies like me? I was used to it.

Besides, Emma absolutely loathed me. She couldn't stand that I looked way too much like her for comfort.

I bent down, picked up the money from the floor, and slipped it into my pocket.

I gave her a calm, almost cheeky smile. "Thanks for your generosity, Emma."

I could treat myself to one more dish for lunch today.

Studying really drained one, and veggies just didn't cut it. I'd be hungry again in no time.

I picked up the money, ready to walk around Emma and head out. I had to rush to the restroom and get back to my study grind.

But Emma shoved me back into my seat and leaned in, getting right up in my face.

She whispered, just for my ears, "Don't be so quick to thank me. I've got way more in store for you than just this. And trust me. I've got a big surprise planned for you."

The next day, I finally learned what that so-called surprise was.

One of the noble boys from the school's elite circle actually came over to chat with me, a broke scholarship kid. I didn't even come close to Emma in the looks department.

A basketball smacked right into me, someone who always flew under the radar. A boy with a bright smile and movie-star looks rushed over, looking genuinely apologetic.

His eyes curved with a smile. "Sorry, are you okay?" he asked.

At first, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I just figured it was one of those unlucky accidents.

But this guy, who was always so aloof and out of reach, suddenly turned surprisingly friendly, holding me back so I couldn't leave.

"Why don't you get checked at the nurse's office? Otherwise, I'll be worried," he said. "Or just add me as a friend. If you feel anything weird, message me right away. I'll make sure you're okay, no matter what."

Ever since I got into this elite high school, nobody ever bothered to be nice to someone like me.

Here, the rich and the poor were like sworn enemies, living in totally separate universes.

Because my kind of poverty was impossible to ignore, I was treated like some freak they had to get rid of.

Emma, the rich girl, was the one who lit the spark and stirred up all the drama.

With just a wave of her hand, she turned me into a total outcast, left to fend for myself, completely alone.

First, I got totally iced out. Then my textbooks turned up mysteriously soaked, I got slammed way too hard in gym class, and the restroom walls were scrawled with [Charlotte is a bitch] and all kinds of nasty insults.

By now, I was already numb to surviving in an environment overflowing with malice. That sudden, unexpected kindness didn't make me happy at all. It only made me even more wary.

A sudden realization struck me. This had to be the big surprise Emma had in mind.

So I turned him down without batting an eye. First, I needed to figure out what kind of tricks they were planning. Only then could I decide how to strike back.