For three years, my sister Isabella’s boyfriend Aiden’s only gift was a $52 transfer. Then he invited her to a hotel. Furious, Isabella decided to dump him. I could’ve celebrated, but I took a cab and knocked on his door. “It’s me, baby, your girl!” In my past life, Isabella thought Aiden was poor and mistreated him. When she met a rich classmate, she two-timed him. I tried to warn her. I’d seen Aiden get out of a limited-edition Porsche. She ignored me, swore she wouldn’t break up. That night, she drugged me and left me for frat boys. The next day, my photos were everywhere. My parents threw me out; the university expelled me. Lost, I walked to a lake. Isabella pushed me in. As I fought in the water, she sneered, “You like charity cases? Let me make you one.” “I’m marrying rich. I don’t need a goody-two-shoes sister holding me back!” I died full of rage. When I opened my eyes, I was back on the day Aiden got drunk. 1 In our dorm room, Isabella was pampering herself with some ridiculously expensive two-hundred-dollar face mask Carter had bought her. “I’m telling you, this stuff is magic,” she cooed, admiring her reflection. “My skin is already a shade brighter. No wonder everyone wants to date a rich guy.” Our other roommates chimed in, sucking up to her. “It’s not just the mask, Bella. You’re just naturally gorgeous. You make everything look good.” “After Carter sees you tonight, he’ll be obsessed. Next, you’ll be asking for a Birkin bag, and he won’t even blink!” They all knew Isabella had been with Aiden for three years, but they actively pushed her toward Carter. A happy Isabella meant a shower of luxury gifts for them, too. I listened in cold silence, saying nothing. I just watched the clock. A second later, right on cue, Isabella’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the message and slammed her phone down on the desk with a crack. A roommate clutched her chest in mock horror. “Whoa, what’s wrong? That’s the new iPhone! It’s over a grand!” Isabella scoffed. “It’s just a stupid phone. Carter can buy me a new one.” She shoved the screen in their faces. “Look at this! That broke loser Aiden actually had the nerve to text me, asking me to go to a hotel with him!” “He’s on student loans to pay his tuition! Where does he get the audacity?” “Three years we’ve been together, and the most I’ve ever gotten from him is fifty-two bucks! And I have to waste my time texting him back all day, giving him ‘emotional support.’ Even a hooker gets paid more than this!” The roommate snickered. “Seriously! When you add up the cost of your makeup, your outfits, and all the time you waste on him, you’re basically paying to be his girlfriend.” “Don’t compare yourself to a hooker. At least they don’t lose money on the deal.” “So, Bella, are you going?” In my past life, that question was my cue. I had rushed in, telling her that Aiden wasn’t who he seemed, that I’d seen him with a Porsche. Isabella had lost it. She accused me of wanting her to be miserable, of wanting her to be stuck with a charity case. Everyone at school knew Aiden was a broke pretty-boy with nothing to his name. If he had a Porsche, it was because some rich old cougar was keeping him. Before I could argue, she fired off the breakup text and left to meet Carter. Aiden, after being dumped, found out the truth and unleashed his fury on Carter’s family. In a matter of weeks, their company was in ruins. Isabella, oblivious, had even taken out millions in online loans in her own name to help Carter. And me? I died in a lake, my body never even recovered. This time, I wasn’t getting involved. But then, Isabella’s eyes landed on me. “Lily? Why are you so quiet?” “Usually, you’re the first one to complain about me getting close to Carter.” I quickly put my phone down and forced a smile. “What? No way.” “I was just worried Aiden would find out. Dating a broke guy is dangerous. He has nothing to lose.” “But I can’t believe Aiden, seriously. After all this time, he expects you to sleep with him for free? Even if you wanted to go, as your sister, I wouldn’t let you!” She snorted, turning back to the mirror to apply her makeup. “Glad you finally see it my way.” “Carter booked a room tonight, too. He said it’s a surprise for our hundred-day anniversary.” “Don’t worry. Once I marry into his family, I’ll introduce you to some rich guys.” I laughed silently to myself. Right, introduce me to be some rich man’s mistress, just like you. How thoughtful. A roommate picked up Isabella’s cracked phone and handed it to her. Without even looking, Isabella tapped the screen and sent a voice message. “Aiden, let’s break up. I’ve thought about it, and we’re just not right for each other.” After sending it, she tossed the phone aside, the screen still glowing. I memorized the hotel room number she’d shown us earlier and quietly booked a car on my phone. Isabella, if you’re going to throw away a golden ticket, don’t blame me for picking it up. I had just changed into a simple but clean outfit and was about to head out when a hand grabbed my wrist. Isabella leaned in, her face cold. “Lily, where do you think you’re going? You’re not acting like yourself today.” 2 A jolt of panic shot through me, but I kept my face neutral. “Where else? The cafeteria. I don’t have a boyfriend to buy me dinner, and it’s Friday night. The line is going to be insane…” She scanned me from head to toe, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’d better not be getting any funny ideas. If you dare run to Aiden and tattle, you’ll regret it.” With that, she turned away to pick out her outfit for the date, already cooing into her phone to Carter. “Really? The one that’s eighty-eight hundred a night? Baby, you’re too good to me! We’re not even officially together yet, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you…” “It’s just eight grand, not even what I spend on dinner. Anything for my future girlfriend.” “So, since I’m putting in all this effort, maybe we can… move things forward a little tonight…” Isabella’s face flushed. “Stop it! What are you saying? My roommates are here.” I didn’t wait to hear more. I slipped out the door. The car was already waiting. I gave the driver the hotel address. As I pressed the doorbell, my heart hammered against my ribs. I’d barely spoken to Aiden before. Our only interactions were me passing on Isabella’s excuses. It was always “My sister is busy with class” or “She has to study at the library.” In reality, she was out shopping or at a club with Carter, and I was her cover. What if Aiden got the breakup text and took his anger out on me? I wouldn’t know what to say. Thankfully, the door opened quickly. Aiden didn’t look angry, just drunk. His face was flushed, his eyes hazy. “Lily? Are you here to laugh at me?” I glanced past him into the room. On the way over, I’d looked up the hotel. It was eighty bucks a night, a world away from the eight-thousand-dollar suite Isabella was going to. I’d never understand why rich guys pretended to be poor, but I had to play my part. “No, you’ve got it all wrong.” “I came to apologize on my sister’s behalf.” Sensing I wasn’t a threat, Aiden stepped aside to let me in. The moment I sat down, he grabbed another bottle of beer. An empty takeout container sat on the table, clearly ordered after he got the text. “She already broke up with me. What’s the point of an apology?” “I know why she did it. She thinks I’m poor.” “I might not have money, but I’m not stupid. It’s been three years. You think I didn’t notice?” “I was trying my best to give her a good life. I even spent my entire semester’s living expenses on a diamond ring. I was going to give it to her tonight, but…” He let out a bitter laugh and chugged the rest of the beer. The alcohol was hitting him hard, and his words started to slur. “Isabella…” “You have no idea… what I’ve given up for you…” The dim light cast sharp shadows across his handsome face. Even without his family’s money, a man who looked like him would never be ordinary. It was a shame Isabella couldn’t see that. I put on a sympathetic face and handed him a glass of water. “Aiden, there’s actually another reason I came here tonight…” I closed my eyes, as if summoning all my courage. “I’m in love with you!” “I’ve loved you for a long, long time!” “I know my sister just broke up with you, and… this is my chance. I’ve waited three years for this. I don’t want to miss it.” The room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. After a long moment, I heard his cold, mocking laugh. “Love me for what?” “Don’t tell me you’re into charity cases. Do you really expect me to believe that?” I moved closer, about to explain, but he shoved me away, his expression turning to ice. “Did Isabella put you up to this? Is this another one of her games?” “She breaks up with me after playing me for three years, and now she sends her sister to confess her love? What’s the plan? You play me for three years, then dump me too? Just so she can be sure I’ll never forget her? She’d love that, wouldn’t she?” “Get out. Before I really lose my temper.” 3 He practically roared the last words. I didn’t leave. I just stood up and gently wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m not like Isabella.” “You chased her for three years. I’ll chase you for three years—” Before I could finish, he grabbed my wrist and threw me onto the bed. “Is that so? You love me? Fine. I’m going to sleep with you, right now. And then I’m not going to be with you. Are you okay with that?” I could see the cruel challenge in his eyes. Without a second thought, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down, and kissed him. “I’m okay with it.” “As long as I can be with you, I’ll do anything.” Aiden’s body went rigid for a moment. Then, maybe it was the alcohol, he finally relaxed into me. When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. Aiden was asleep beside me, completely naked. I slipped out of bed, got dressed, and left, playing the part of the silent benefactor to the very end. I was in such a hurry that I didn't notice his eyes flutter open just as I closed the door. I had just gotten to the lobby when I ran straight into Isabella and Carter, who were leaving the hotel across the street. The moment she saw me, Isabella pointed a finger and shrieked, “Lily! What are you doing with Aiden?” Her eyes darted to the cheap hotel behind me, and her face turned crimson with rage. “No wonder you didn’t try to stop me from breaking up with him! You wanted him for yourself all along! Have you no shame? Aiden was my boyfriend!” “Are you that desperate? You’d even steal from your own sister? What kind of monster are you?” I turned and was surprised to see Aiden standing right behind me. “It seems you really are different from Isabella,” he said quietly. “I misjudged you last night.” I didn’t have time to respond. All I could feel was white-hot anger at Isabella’s hypocrisy. Before I could speak, she beat me to the punch, clinging to Carter’s arm and bursting into tears. “See? I told you he cheated on me! You didn’t believe me, but now you see it with your own eyes!” “Lily Murphy, you’ll get what’s coming to you for wrecking people’s relationships! Just you wait!” With that, she ran off, sobbing. Carter shot us a venomous look. “Aiden, your taste in women is pathetic. But thanks for dumping Isabella. It gave me my chance.” He quickly ran after her. Aiden was looking down at his phone, texting someone. I did my best to look like a fragile, innocent victim. “Don’t worry about it,” I said softly. “She wasn’t mad at you, she was mad at me.” “I don’t regret what happened last night. But if you don’t want to see me again, I’ll just head back to school.” I didn’t give him a chance to stop me. I hailed a cab and left. In the rearview mirror, I saw him watching my car drive away, a thoughtful expression on his face. People always want what they can’t have. That seed of guilt was all I needed to shift his affection from Isabella to me. I had just stepped onto campus when my phone rang. It was my mother. Before I could even say hello, she started screaming. “Lily, where the hell have you been? You get your ass home right now!” “Your sister told me you stole her boyfriend! That you two spent the night in a hotel?” “We raised you for twenty years, and this is how you repay us? Have you no shame? What kind of cheap tramp did I raise? Do you have any idea how much your sister was crying on the phone?” “You just turned eighteen! You’ve never even been in a real relationship, and you’re already jumping into bed with men! If people find out, how are your father and I supposed to show our faces in public?” In the background, I heard my father smash something. The sound of shattering glass was sharp and ugly. “Stop wasting your breath on her! Tell her to get her ass home now! If she doesn’t know how to act like a decent human being, she can drop out of school! All she’s good for is being some man’s mistress anyway!” My father snatched the phone. “Lily, I don’t care where you are. You have ten minutes to get here. You’re grounded for a month. You’re not leaving this house without my permission!” My eyes burned. I dug my nails into my palm so hard I couldn't feel the pain. Just because Isabella was prettier, because she was better at sweet-talking them. My whole life, they had always favored her. At school, when we had parent-teacher conferences, they could have each gone to one of our classrooms. But all it took was a little pouting from Isabella, and they both ended up at her desk, leaving mine empty. The kids in my class used to taunt me, calling me an orphan, a bastard with no parents. I fought them. When the teacher called my parents, they came, listened to the story, and then slapped me across the face. “Ugly people just love making trouble. You’re in the same class as your sister. How come nobody bothers her? Did you start it?” “What are you standing there for? Apologize to your classmate!” There were so many stories like that, so many that they swarmed my mind whenever I closed my eyes. In my last life, I lived in Isabella’s shadow. After I died, my parents scraped together every penny they had to pay off her million-dollar loans. Not one of them ever thought of me. All it took was one sentence from Isabella: “Lily probably ran away because she found out about my debt and was afraid I’d drag her down.” And my parents’ grief turned to endless resentment. “If we had known she’d turn out like this, we should have just given her away at birth! It would have been better than raising an ungrateful snake!” Tears streamed down my face. For the first time, I found the courage to scream back into the phone. “You think I have no shame? At least I’m not a two-timing cheater!” “You believe every word Isabella says! If you trust her so much, then why do you even need me as a daughter?” My father lost control. “How dare you! How dare you talk back to your parents! Is this how I raised you?” “You can forget about your allowance for the rest of the year! Go beg for money from your men! If you love selling your body so much, go ahead! Just don’t come crying to us when you get some disease!” He hung up. I stood at the school gate. The wind felt like it was cutting straight to my bones, and I shivered. I never knew a parent could say such venomous things to their own child. I never knew that not all parents in the world love their children. I managed to drag myself to my dorm. As I stepped onto the front stairs, a voice snarled from above.
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