Chapter 1
My stepbrother hated me, but I just loved clinging to him.
He once spent 3,000 dollars just so I would not walk home with him after
school.
Then, he dropped another 30,000 dollars to have me transferred to a
different class.
But no matter what he did, I always found my way back to him.
After the SAT, he transferred a huge amount to my bank card and said. coldly, “This is 800,000. Go study abroad. And don’t ever show up at my house again.”
My eyes turned red as I looked down and whispered, “Okay.”
Yes!
He finally took the bait!
***
I caught Erik Svensson trying to kiss a girl from a poor family.
Inside the dim room, he was slouched on the corner sofa, half–asleep, hist sharp features hidden in the shadows.
The girl in the white dress stood next to him, hands on either side of hist legs, slowly leaning down like she was working up the nerve.
When I pushed the door open, she jumped and looked at me like a deer in headlights, eyes all shiny and panicked.
Chapter 1
“Hallie, I…”
I ignored her and walked straight to Erik. “The driver’s here. Uncle told. me to take you home too.”
He grabbed his jacket, threw it on, and followed me out. The hallway was mostly empty as it was late.
He shut the door behind him but did not move. Instead, he just leaned against it casually.
She almost kissed me,” he said.
I kept quiet. He sounded a little annoyed. “She’s super shy. Probably took all her courage to even try.”
I unlocked my phone, pulled up the time and the message my stepdad had sent, and showed it to him.
“He really did ask me to pick you up.
He glanced at it. “Oh.”
“I’m an adult now, and the SAT is over. He can’t boss me around anymore. You telling on me won’t change anything.”
The overhead light shifted slightly, lighting up his face and eyes. His cheeks were flushed–he was drunk.
I clenched the sleeves of my hoodie, my voice barely a whisper. “But…”
“You can go back alone,” he cut me off. “And-”
He tapped something into his phone.
“This is 800,000. Go study abroad. Don’t come back to my house.”
“Let’s just stop seeing each other.”
Chapter 1
“Hallie Nilsson, I really hate you.”
He meant it. He never wanted to see me again..
My eyes stung instantly. I ducked my head, trying to keep it together.
“Okay.”
He turned, walked back inside, and slammed the door.
I opened my banking app and saw the numbers. Then, I could not hold myself back anymore.
I squatted down in the hallway, hand over my mouth, and burst out laughing.
Heck yeah!
He finally fell for it!
