Chapter 1

I was a rich heiress. The barrage of comments had been driving me nuts.

Everyone kept telling me I should fall for the broke campus heartthrob my family's been supporting, then hand over my fortune and play the role of his pampered CEO wife.

It was laughable. They had clearly picked the wrong person.

After all, I was obsessed with money more than anything else.

So I cut off his sponsorship and told him to get lost.

The aloof campus heartthrob finally cracked. His eyes were red as he blocked my way.

He stammered, "You... you're supposed to love me."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Love you? For what? You think I'd fall for your sad puppy act?"

*****

The poor student my family sponsored suddenly started bringing me coffee. The kind that went for a dollar, cheap stuff.

Every time, he handed it to me expressionlessly, acting all aloof.

I had known him for nearly ten years. I almost thought he had been possessed.

He used to keep his distance from me with great care.

I assumed he had grown up and learned gratitude, so I prepared to reject him politely.

But then, a flood of live comments suddenly scrolled across my screen.

[Yes! The male lead finally woke up! The female lead is a total pushover for him!]

[The male lead is so hot! He's broke enough to be hustling side gigs, but he still brings her coffee!]

[Go for it! Once you get the female lead, you'll cross class barriers and instantly become a domineering CEO! She just needs to stay home and be a well-behaved little wife!]

[You'll never have to work a day in your life!]

My breath hitched as I read that.

Fall in love with a poor student? Become a docile little wife? What kind of brain-dead plot was this?

I was a rich heiress. Had I studied my ass off for years for this?

Almost on reflex, I tossed the coffee straight into the trash.

"This one-dollar coffee is more your style," I said.

The live comments instantly blew up.

[Whoa! The female lead is totally feeling for the male lead now!]

[Classic tough talk, soft heart! Looks like they're about to get together!]

[My bossy CEO and his little wifey! I ship them!]

I was dumbfounded. Were these comments mentally challenged?

I glanced up at the aloof campus heartthrob from the finance department, and for a moment, I caught a hint of awkwardness flicker across his usually icy face.

Could it be… he could see the comments too? This was absolutely insane.

Frowning, I turned to leave, but a clear, bright voice called out to me.

I turned and saw it was Kate Chandler, my classmate.

Her family wasn't as loaded as mine, but they were still pretty well-off.

She snapped, "What's that supposed to mean? Travis brought you coffee, and you just blow him off like that? Do you even know who Travis is?"

Him? He was my family maid's son.

I frowned at her, my head starting to ache. It seemed Kate wasn't very bright.

It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria entrance was getting crowded with students coming and going. People were shooting us curious looks as they walked by.

After all, Travis Heath was pretty well-known around campus. He was the aloof campus heartthrob, top three in grades, basically a genius. Plenty of girls had a crush on him.

Seeing me not saying anything, Kate stepped closer.

She said, "I'm talking to you! Travis brought you coffee, and you can't even say thanks? Why are you so cocky? So what if your family was rich?"

Some girls were just strange creatures. They seemed to have it out for each other by default.

If you were rich, they hated you. If you were poor, they still hated you.

I looked at Kate and slowly curved my lips into a smile.

I said, "One dollar a cup, and I can't even tell if it's real coffee or just some cheap instant stuff. Why don't you take it if you want it so bad?"

Kate was caught off guard by my comeback, her face flushing bright red with embarrassment.

"It's about your manners!" she snapped.

I rolled my eyes, catching Travis still staring at me. The way he looked sent a chill down my spine.

But I held myself back and said, "Thanks anyway."

Travis's ears went red, but he still kept that icy look on his face.

"No big deal. Next time, I'll..." he started.

But I cut him off before he could finish. "But seriously, try not to do stuff just to make yourself feel better."

I continued, "If you've got so much free time, why not pick up some extra shifts? And if you can't find a job, go help your mom around the house. Stop putting your effort where it doesn't belong."

I made myself pretty clear. But Travis just stared at me, his gaze completely unwavering, like he'd already decided I was his, no matter what.

Sure enough, the live comments exploded again.

[Verity is just trying to show off how unique she is, but that was seriously savage!]

[Can Verity even talk like a normal person?]

[She's totally playing hard to get!]

[Honestly, who wouldn't be into a campus heartthrob with that icy vibe?]

[Besides, they've been inseparable since high school. People act like they're basically roommates. How could anyone resist Travis's charm?]

Looking at these self-important commenters, my head was about to explode.

Okay, we were always together in high school, fine. But roommates? Where did that even come from?

My parents just felt sorry for his mom, a single mother struggling to raise him, so they took him in.

Since Travis was actually pretty smart, my parents started thinking about helping him out financially.

But he turned them down when he was just ten, with his chin up, all proud.

"Mr. Flynn, Mrs. Flynn, I don't need it," he said.

What had I thought back then?