Chapter 2

Flora said, "You don't have any power or influence. Do you even realize what kind of family I'm from? Even if you turned the world upside down, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Forget Deacon—doesn't matter who it is. Any guy on this planet would pick me over you."

Flora was showing off in front of me, acting all superior.

I was completely confused, just staring at her.

I forced a smile and said, "Sorry, I really have no clue what you're talking about."

Deacon frowned, pulled Flora closer, and shot me a look of pure disgust.

He said, "Maddison, stop pretending. That little act won't work on me. Let me tell you, that act never worked on me—not back then, and not now."

Flora smiled, clearly pleased with herself.

Deacon went on, "Instead of trying to get my attention with your little tricks every day, you should just let go of the past. With your looks, it wouldn't be hard for you to land a trust fund baby."

What the heck was he even talking about?

I seriously couldn't make sense of any of it.

Finally, like he was making some grand statement, Deacon said with a self-righteous tone, "No matter how many posts you put up on your feed, I'm never getting back with you.

"And if you keep telling people I'm dead, my company's legal team will come after you for slander."

With that, he took Flora by the hand and marched off.

I just sat there, stunned, my mind a jumble.

I was hit with so much at once, I could barely wrap my head around it.

Wait, Deacon was not dead?

So three years ago, he really cheated?

But in my memory, he was dead.

And if he wasn't dead, then who the heck has been popping up in my dreams every single night, driving me crazy?

When the Moore family—the richest folks around—showed up at my door, I felt like I was floating, totally out of it.

Martha Moore, the regal and sophisticated matriarch, was nearly in tears, treating me like I was some kind of hero to the Moore family.

She said, "Maddison, the way you care about my son is just so moving.

"When Luca was alive, tons of girls liked him. But now that he's gone, you're the only one who still loves him so much."

I was totally confused. "Who is Luca?"

But Martha didn't even pay attention to my question. She was just overflowing with gratitude.

She said, "Maddison, if you don't mind, I'd love to take you in as my goddaughter. From now on, you'll be the Moore family's heiress."

The Moore family's heiress? The richest girl in town?

I was so thrilled that I could barely think straight, and honestly, I didn't even care who Luca was anymore.

That night, my place was packed with gifts from the Moore family.

I was so hyped I couldn't sleep a wink.

Halfway through the night, I jolted awake, sat up, and smacked myself in the face.

"Luca is the one who's been haunting my dreams," I blurted out.

Excited, I opened WhatsApp and found Deacon's chat, which I'd kept pinned for three years but never actually messaged.

I sent him 1,000 dollars.

I said: [Thanks for the favor.]

If it weren't for his cheating, I never would've ended up as the Moore family's heiress.

Deacon replied instantly: [Maddison, I told you. Knock it off with these petty tricks. Stop trying to hit on me. Flora and I are really happy together.]

I frowned and deleted him right away.

I didn't care what he was saying.

Not just anyone got to add the Moore family's heiress on WhatsApp.

For someone like me, once I hit it big, I was definitely ditching the old crew.

I called up my bestie, Polly Watts.

I blurted out, "Guess who I just ran into? It's Deacon!

"Didn't you say Deacon got hit by a car and died? I was so devastated. I cried for ages. I even made it my mission to visit his grave every single day.

"And now he's threatening to sue me if I keep telling people he's dead."

Polly was mumbling, sounding totally guilty on the other end.

I instantly realized it. "You did this."

Polly admitted helplessly, "Ugh, I was just scared you'd lose it or do something crazy. That idiot must've been stupid. He had a girlfriend as pretty as you and still cheated."

She tried to cheer me up. "But hey, look at you now. Time's passed, and you never had to go through that whole heartbreak phase with that jerk. You barely even care about him anymore."

I grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, I really owe you big time. I was bawling at the wrong grave and ended up crying over the crown prince of Ebonville instead.

"Couldn't snag him when he was alive, but now that he's dead, I've landed his family. Maddison Johnston 2.0, deluxe edition—the Moore family's heiress."

Polly was instantly bowing. "The Moore family's heiress! Bestie, take me with you."

I patted my chest and promised, "Don't worry. As long as I've got food on my plate, you'll always have a dish to wash."

Polly said, "Really?"

From the bits and pieces Polly let slip, I finally pieced together the truth I'd forgotten about what happened three years ago.

Back then, graduation was right around the corner, and every day I was drowning in thesis deadlines and job applications—my nerves were shot.

Meanwhile, Deacon had started seeing Flora.

The reason was obvious. Flora was loaded; she was the only daughter of a CEO of a publicly traded company.

Dating Flora meant he could skip a lifetime of struggle and go straight to the top.