Chapter 1

Being the official girlfriend of the most famous heir in Flanta sounded glamorous, but honestly, it was not all it was cracked up to be.

We'd only been dating for less than a month, and I hadn't even gotten used to holding his hand yet, but I was already way too familiar with his so-called childhood friend's face.

That friend was a girl, and according to the gossip, she was the ultimate pick-me tomboy.

The first time I met everyone was at a bar in the Eastside District. My boyfriend, Alex Kingston, had organized the meetup, saying he wanted to introduce me to his friends.

When I arrived, there were already seven or eight people crowded around the booth, and the atmosphere was buzzing.

Alex stood up to greet me, and just as he slipped his arm around my waist, a crisp voice piped up from the corner. "Hey, Alex, is this your new girlfriend? She's pretty, but she looks kind of quiet. You sure she can hang with us?"

I turned to see a girl with short hair sprawled out in the booth, rocking a loose basketball jersey that showed off her slender arms. She was wearing a pair of limited-edition Air Jordans, looking effortlessly cool and sharp.

She was spinning a beer bottle in her hand, shot me a chin-up, and had a half-smirk hanging on her lips.

Alex introduced her to me, "This is Cara Thompson, my childhood friend. She's like a brother to me."

Cara jumped in right away, "Like a brother? Please, I practically raised you."

The whole table burst out laughing, and the vibe instantly got way more lively.

Some people were cheering, calling Cara a badass, while others were slapping the table, laughing and cracking jokes.

In the middle of all that laughter, Cara shot me a smug look, like she was saying, "See? My connection with Alex is something you, as his girlfriend, could never hope to rival."

I didn't say much, just smiled and raised my glass to her. "Glad to meet you, Ms. Thompson. Looking forward to hanging out."

"Come on, that's way too formal," Cara said, waving her hand casually. "Just call me Cara, like Alex does. You can treat me like a big brother."

She made it sound so easy, coming off all chill and generous, but actually, she put me in the lower spot.

As Alex's girlfriend, I was expected to treat her like a big brother? Anyone with a bit of sense could see the game she was playing.

But I didn't react right away. That was just how I was. I never made a move until I knew what was really going on.

If someone slapped me, I wouldn't turn the other cheek or slap back on the spot. I'd figure out why they did it, what they were really after, and where their weak spots were.

Only then would I decide whether to let it slide or take them down for good.

The party went on until one in the morning. I kept quiet the whole time, only chiming in every now and then. Most of the time, I just sat next to Alex and listened to everyone else talk.

Cara was the center of attention. She talked loud, laughed even louder, and was always slinging her arm around the guys, slapping their shoulders, thumping their chests, and snatching their drinks.

She did it all so smoothly, like gender wasn't a thing for her.

The funny thing was, she acted totally different around the other girls.

One of the guys had a date with him. It was a girl with long hair, rocking a floral dress and speaking softly.

Cara didn't say a single word to her all night. When the girl tried to hand her a drink, Cara didn't even look her way. She turned and kept talking to the guy next to her about kicks.

The girl stood there, awkwardly holding her glass for a couple seconds. Then she ended up drinking it herself.

I was sitting diagonally across from them, so I caught the whole scene.

When the party finally wrapped up, Alex went to get the car from the parking lot, and I waited at the entrance with Cara and a few others.

The autumn night air was a bit chilly, so I pulled my coat tighter around me. Cara suddenly leaned in, speaking just loud enough for only me to hear, "Listen, Yvonne, Alex might seem cold, but he's got a soft side.

"He's nice to everyone, so don't get your hopes up. He's just into you because you're new. Give it a little time, and it'll wear off."

Cara patted my shoulder, wearing that classic "I'm only saying this for your own good" look.

I looked into her eyes, and they had that look of superiority, like she was sure she'd win.

She knew exactly what she was doing. She loved showing off how close she was with Alex, closer than any girlfriend could ever be, and she enjoyed watching me feel at a loss or force a smile.

But I didn't.

I just looked at her calmly for a couple seconds, and then said, "Thanks for the heads-up. I'll keep that in mind."

Cara was caught off guard, clearly not expecting me to react that way.

She probably thought I'd get pissed, or maybe look all hurt, or even confront her and ask, "What's that supposed to mean?"

But I didn't do any of that. I politely thanked her for her so-called "kindness", and then looked down at my phone to check tomorrow's class schedule.

She probably thought I was a pushover.

Good. I loved it when people thought I was an easy target.