I was at my poorest when I met the city’s most notorious playboy. He’d already burned through thirty-five girlfriends; I was number thirty-six. He asked me out three times, and I said no. The fourth time, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed, “It’s you I like, not your money.” Asher Wolfhard held me, deeply moved. But in private, he complained to his friends, “I’ve seen all her tricks before. I’m just playing along because I’m dying to get in her pants.” When I overheard that, I went to bed with him without a word. Unsurprisingly, he dumped me right after. A few days later, my roommate became his thirty-seventh girlfriend. Everyone laughed at me, but I didn’t care. Not long after, Asher was diagnosed with HIV, and I found out I was pregnant. Suddenly, the child in my belly became the most precious treasure of the Wolfhard family. 1 Every Friday, a spectacle unfolded at the gates of Northwood University. A fiery red Maserati would roll up, dropping off a different beautiful woman each time. The car’s owner was Asher Wolfhard, Northwood’s most infamous playboy heir. Every woman who slept with him was said to be left utterly obsessed. But he never went back for seconds, never lingered on any woman for a moment longer than necessary. He would conquer one and, without missing a beat, move on to the next. Three months into the semester, he’d already had thirty-four girlfriends. Number thirty-five was my coworker at the bubble tea shop, Felicity. The moment she got the invitation text, she quit her part-time job on the spot and rushed off to a salon to get her hair and nails done. “Oh my god, my golden ticket finally landed on me,” she said, changing her clothes. “Thank you, universe.” “Willa, seriously,” she went on, “you should buy some nice clothes, maybe get a haircut. Your bangs are too long; they’re hiding your supermodel good looks. That’s why Asher hasn’t noticed you yet.” “If he saw your face and knew you were hiding a rare 36D under that jacket, he’d fall head over heels for you.” I just smiled and said nothing. After she left, I bent down and picked up the panda hair clip she’d dropped. The soft white fuzz trembled in the breeze, just like my restless heart. I was so poor. I’d never owned a single nice piece of clothing in my life. My father was a simple farmer who knew nothing but the soil. My grandmother was sick and needed medicine constantly. My mother… she had left a long time ago. She went to find work in the city, met a construction worker, and never came home. Since I was a little girl, the weight of money had been suffocating me. Now in college, while everyone else was enjoying campus life, I was constantly scrambling for part-time jobs just to eat. The first time I heard the name Asher Wolfhard, a plan began to form in my mind. The Wolfhard family was influential in Northwood City. His mother was a famous entrepreneur, his father a distinguished university professor. Asher was their only child, born late in their lives, and they had spoiled him rotten. A purely physical relationship with him would be fleeting, and I’d be forgotten. Any payout would be minimal. So I waited, biding my time, observing, looking for a better opportunity. The next day, that fiery red Maserati pulled up in front of the tea shop. Felicity got out, dressed in a Chanel knockoff and carrying a designer bag, but her expression was anything but bright. After the car sped away, she grumbled, “I can’t believe it. I didn’t even get his number.” I recalled the fleeting glimpse I’d caught through the car window. “Whose? Asher’s?” “Yes! He slept with me, gave me ten thousand dollars and this outfit, and that was it. The girl from the dance department got twenty thousand! What, am I not as good as her?” I had no answer for that. Felicity sat and fumed for a while longer before her anger finally subsided. “Damn it, I’m so pissed. I need to go get something nice to eat,” she said. “Whatever. With this ten grand, at least I don’t have to work for the rest of the semester. I’ll figure out the rest later.” She smiled at me. “Willa, I’m not trying to lead you astray, but you really don’t have to make things so hard on yourself.” “Just lie back, have some fun, and make some money. What’s so bad about that? It’s a hell of a lot better than shaking bubble tea until your arms fall off for less than three thousand a month.” 2 I didn’t close the shop until 11 PM. On the way back, Felicity’s words echoed in my head. Was I making things too hard on myself? Everyone else was taking shortcuts. Why shouldn’t I? If I couldn’t lock down Asher as a long-term investment, I could just find someone else. At least I could get a quick ten thousand to solve my immediate problems. My head started to ache. I almost laughed at myself. Willa, Willa, you’re getting desperate. The thought of killing the goose for a single golden egg was something I was actually considering. As I turned down a small side street, I saw a car stopped by the road, smoke pouring from the hood. It had crashed into a guardrail. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious. I ran to the driver’s side and saw it was Asher Wolfhard. There was no time to think. Terrified the car might catch fire, I started pulling him out. I wasn’t strong enough. It took all my strength to drag and haul him to a safe distance. While I was on the phone with 911, Asher started to come to. He looked at my face, a flicker of surprise and awe in his eyes. “You…” I quickly pressed him down. “Your head is bleeding. Don’t move.” I used my handkerchief to apply pressure to the wound. Soon, the paramedics arrived and loaded him onto a stretcher. I used his phone to contact his family, then turned and walked back to campus. A few days later, as I was leaving class, Asher blocked my path, holding a bouquet of flowers. He still had a bandage on his forehead, and his lips were pale, but his eyes were shining. “You were the one who saved me the other day, right, Willa?” I nodded. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” “How could I not? You saved my life. I’m a pretty big deal, you know. So what you did was a pretty big deal, too.” He thrust the flowers into my arms and then held out a credit card. “There’s ten thousand on here as a thank you. I was wondering if you’d do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight?” He was asking me out. I looked into his charming, almond-shaped eyes, a thousand thoughts racing through my mind. But after a few seconds, I shook my head. “I can’t have dinner with you. I have to go to my part-time job.” “What’s so great about that job? I’ll just give you the money.” “No, thank you. I have hands and feet. I don’t need to take advantage of you.” I fought to keep my racing heart in check, coolly rejecting his offer before turning to leave. I knew he was watching me, probably seeing right through my act. But I was playing the long game. Even if the chances were slim, I had to try. 3 Sure enough, at 7 PM, Asher showed up at the bubble tea shop where I worked. He’d probably never been rejected by a woman before, and he didn’t look happy about it. His face was a thundercloud when he saw me. “You turned me down to work in this dump?” he sneered. “How much do they pay you an hour? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty?” My expression turned even colder than his. “That’s none of your business. Either order something or get out. I don’t have time to play games with you.” Asher was taken aback. He took a deep breath. “I’ll give you one last chance. Ten thousand an hour. Are you coming with me or not?” My face was a mask of indifference. “Get. Out.” Furious, Asher spun around and stormed off. But he only made it to the door before whirling back. He slammed a card on the counter, followed by his hand, slapping it down with a sharp crack. “Everyone in here gets the most expensive drink on the menu. My treat.” “You like shaking bubble tea so much? Tonight, you can shake until you drop.” He was ruthless. For two straight hours, I made over 180 drinks. My hands were trembling, but I didn’t say a word. His face grew darker and darker. When he saw me shaking as I tried to carry in a new container of toppings, he blocked my path. “Fine, that’s enough. Stop.” “There are still three drinks left on your order.” “So I’m canceling them! Just stop, damn it. I’ve never seen anyone so stubborn.” Asher turned and left, and this time, he didn’t come back. Not only that, but he had tipped five thousand into the shop’s account. The ten-thousand-dollar card was still on the counter. On my way back, I stared at the card, a storm of emotions churning inside me. So this was what a shortcut felt like. The money came so fast. What had I been doing all those years, working myself to the bone? Just then, I saw Asher sitting on a bench on the side street. The late autumn night was cold, and he was still in his hospital gown, his head bowed. I had already walked past him, but I hesitated, then turned back. “Here,” I said, holding out the card. “You forgot this at the shop.” Asher looked up, his face deathly pale. “It’s for you.” I pushed the card back into his pocket. I started to walk away but couldn’t stop myself. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” Asher stared at me for a long time. “I’m fine. Just a headache.” He pursed his lips, looking unhappy. “Leave me alone. You don’t have to care. It’s not like anyone cares if I live or die.” What a load of crap. His parents doted on him, and he had a legion of girlfriends who would have done anything for him. I didn’t argue. I just moved behind him and started gently massaging the back of his neck. “It’s a side effect of the accident. You should be resting, not running around and getting angry.” He grabbed my hand, his voice weak. “If you hadn’t refused to go out with me, I wouldn’t have gotten so worked up.” “…Then I guess you’ll just have to stay angry. I don’t have time for this.” The Wolfhard family car arrived to pick him up. As he got in, he pushed the card back into my pocket, a rare look of disappointment on his face. “This money is just to thank you for saving my life. Please, take it.” “Okay.” The car sped away. I turned, a small smile playing on my lips. Inside the luxury car, Asher was smiling too. “Sly little fox, playing hard to get with me. We’ll see who’s better at this game.” He closed his eyes and inhaled. “A faint, milky scent… soft 36Ds. Even though I was out of it, I couldn’t have been mistaken. She’s a masterpiece.” The driver had seen it all before. “If you like her, sir, just go after her. There’s no one you can’t have.” Asher chuckled. “What do you know? Beautiful women are a dime a dozen. But a sly fox like her… that’s rare. I haven’t met a woman who could get under my skin like this in a long time. I’m going to have some fun with this one.” 4 When I got my paycheck of three thousand, I sent two thousand home. My grandmother’s heart was getting worse, and she was back in the hospital. My father had no money, so her medical bills fell to me. After paying a school activity fee and buying some necessities, I was left with only five hundred dollars. I lay on my dorm bed, staring at the credit card, my mind at war with itself. I knew its owner, Asher Wolfhard, was also waiting for a notification that it had been used. Just then, the door opened, and my roommate, Tara, walked in. She’d been out at a club all night and reeked of smoke and stale alcohol. The smell quickly filled our small room. A moment later, she stumbled to the bathroom and started vomiting violently, leaving the door wide open. The sour stench was overwhelming. I wrinkled my nose. “Tara, can you please close the bathroom door? The smell is awful.” No answer. When she was finished, she staggered out, ripped open my bed curtain, and snarled, “Mind your own damn business!” Then she collapsed onto her bed and started snoring. Sleep was impossible. I went to the library to catch up on my studies. Time passed, and I almost forgot about Asher. Then one day, as I was leaving the tea shop, I saw him leaning against his car, holding a bouquet of flowers and a cake. “Happy birthday, Willa,” he called out. My eyes welled up. No one had ever celebrated my birthday before. How did he know? As if reading my mind, he said, “Don’t ask how I know. Just come make a wish and blow out the candles.” My first instinct was to walk away, but then I saw the little panda drawn on the cake. My nose stung. “Why a panda?” “Because when you saved me, I saw you were wearing a panda hair clip. I thought it was cute.” “…Thank you.” We found a spot on the curb, made a wish, and cut the cake. We sat side-by-side, and I asked him, “Is your head all better?” “Yeah, it’s healed.” “Let me see.” I leaned in close to look at the wound on his forehead. The stitches were out, leaving only a faint red line. Without thinking, I blew on it gently. I looked up and saw that Asher was blushing. He cleared his throat, his eyes shining. “What… what are you doing?” I quickly looked away, embarrassed. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to.” We were both a little flustered. We finished the small cake in silence. I stood up, brushing off my pants to leave. Asher grabbed my hand and pointed to his red sports car. “Let me drive you.” I pursed my lips stubbornly. “No. I won’t get in.” I knew how many other women had sat in that passenger seat. Asher seemed to understand. His eyes flickered, and he ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek. After a moment, he pulled out his phone. “Fine. But can I at least get your number?” 5 I had finally gotten Asher Wolfhard’s number. His social media was simple: a few birthday photos, an occasional picture of his car or a party. None of the thirty-five other women had ever made an appearance. I casually liked one of his posts. A message came through almost immediately: [Home yet?] Me: [Yeah.] [Get some rest.] [Okay.] [Want to get dinner sometime?] [We’ll see. I’m a little busy lately, picked up another tutoring job.] [Let me know when you’re free.] [Okay.] I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. There was no tutoring job. I just needed more time to figure out my next move. Asher stared at the screen, a smirk on his face. This damn little fox. One lie after another. He’d given her the card over a month ago, and she hadn’t spent a dime. Her clothes were frayed, her shoes were falling apart, but she was still playing her game. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested. The way her eyes faintly gleamed whenever she saw his car, the way she unconsciously touched her nose when she lied—Asher had been around the block enough times to know. She was playing the long game. And even knowing that, he wanted to see what this seemingly innocent girl would do next.
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