Chapter 1

"Today, we sold the waste. I'll give you three..."

While I was on the phone with my mother in the dorm, my roommates burst in and overheard it.

From that day on, they went around telling everyone that I was broke, that my parents were collecting and selling waste to pay my tuition and living costs, and that I was pretending to be rich when I wasn't.

But they had no idea the three my mother mentioned was actually three million dollars.

The recycling company my parents owned was the largest in Trivallie, with an annual transaction amount of 30 billion.

At the start of the second semester of my freshman year, I was alone in the dorm when my mom called me.

She said, "Today, we sold the waste. I'll give you three...."

I said, "Three probably won't be enough."

She replied, "Then I'll send you another three."

Just then, my roommates happened to walk in and overheard the whole conversation.

Back then, everyone at school thought my family was rich, but there were always rumors behind my back—they said my money must be dirty. Otherwise, why would I never mention what business my family was doing?

But what they didn't understand was that I just didn't want to maintain a high profile.

I didn't want to go around telling everyone my parents were the founders of the biggest recycling company in Trivallie.

I didn't want to make a fuss about my brother, Everett Fletcher, being an A-list actor, either.

My mom was sending me three million dollars so I could buy a house near campus outright.

Since freshmen were required to live in the dorms but sophomores could apply to live off campus, my mom sent me seven million dollars in advance so that I could buy my dream place in an upscale neighborhood nearby.

My roommates acted like they had all the evidence in the world, whispering behind my back, calling me a broke wretch, faking the whole rich-girl vibe when I was penniless.

Soon enough, rumors were spreading all over campus that my parents picked up trash and sold scrap just to scrape together my tuition and living expenses.

"I never would've guessed. Catherine looks so innocent, but she's super calculating," someone said.

"She looks loaded, but turns out everything she owns is just a knockoff," another chimed in.

"Even if her stuff is real, she probably got it by hooking up with some sugar daddy," someone else snickered.

"Shame on her. Her parents are out there picking up trash, while she's just living it up at school," someone sneered.

In no time, I was branded as vain, fake, lacking self-respect, gold-digging, and dirt poor.

Since I hardly ever checked the school forums, I had no clue I was about to be buried under a tidal wave of rumors and slander.

On my way to gym class, I could feel all those weird stares, and I was just totally confused.

Just as I was feeling lost, a familiar voice suddenly called out to me from behind, "Catherine."

My eyes curved into a smile as I turned around, lips pressed together, and saw Jacob Hunter's handsome face.

But the moment I caught the obvious disgust and annoyance on his face, my smile froze.

Over the past few months, Jacob and I had been spending a lot of time together—eating meals, attending classes, and going to club activities side by side.

When it came to relationships, I was always a slow burner. After months of getting closer, I thought we were finally about to become something more. But then, he was standing in front of me with that look on his face.

I stared at him in confusion, but before I could say a word, he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I really thought you were so rich, but turns out it was all just an act."

"Money-grubber, gold-digger—I never thought you were that kind of person. You make me sick," he spat.

I found it funny and shot back, "How am I a gold-digger, exactly?"

"How much money have you ever spent on me? When did I ever ask you to buy me anything?" I pressed.

These past few months, all I ever got from him were two glasses of juice and one chicken roll.

But I never thought he was stingy. I knew his family wasn't wealthy, and he was getting by on scholarships, financial aid, and part-time jobs.

The only gift he ever gave me was a scarf he knitted himself.

Back then, even if he was broke, he was still hardworking, driven, and thoughtful in my eyes.

The crowd of onlookers grew, quickly surrounding us, and even my roommates were there, watching the drama unfold.

When I saw the smug looks on their faces, it finally hit me. I remembered that phone call with my mom and realized why everyone had been staring at me as if I were some kind of freak lately.

Jacob sneered, "You're not a gold-digger? If you're so broke, how can you afford all those brands?"

He went on, "Don't tell me you're not fake. Someone whose parents make a living picking up trash, yet you're always eating at fancy restaurants?"

"Someone like you thinks you can just throw yourself at me? I seriously regret all the time, effort, and money I wasted on you. Just being near you makes me feel filthy. Honestly, being friends with you these past few months was just humiliating!" he snapped.

Seeing his ugly side, his true self, my heart turned cold.

Clenching my teeth, I wondered if I was blind or what, to have ever wasted my feelings on a piece of trash like him.

In the crowd, there were even a few guys who used to chase after me, grinning like hyenas, just waiting for me to crash and burn.

To them, I used to be out of their league, but then I was just a rat everyone wanted to stomp on—and I could tell they were loving every minute of it.

I just gave Jacob a calm, confident smile, lifted my chin, and transferred the 80 dollars he had spent on me in the past few months right back to him.

Then, looking at him like he was nothing but trash, I said, "80 dollars? That's not even enough to buy my dog a single outfit. Now get lost. Don't make me sick."

The crowd around us erupted into laughter.