Chapter 3

They replied with an OK immediately.

Ron stared at the fourth jewelry store of the day, on the verge of a breakdown, and turned to Jessica Lane.

"Is gemstone nail art seriously this popular right now?"

Jessica blinked her big eyes and shook his arm playfully.

"Of course, honey! Look, this video has a million likes."

"All my friends already have them. Don't tell me my boyfriend can't even keep up with theirs?"

Ron looked at his bank balance scraping rock bottom. He gritted his teeth until they nearly cracked, but he still couldn't afford it. He put on a soothing voice for Jessica.

"Babe, the company's been having some cash flow issues lately. Can I make it up to you next time?"

Once his next prank video went viral, he'd rake in another wave of donations.

Jessica yanked her hand free from Ron's grip, glared at him, and turned to walk away.

Jessica was stubborn and demanding by nature, and Ron had worked incredibly hard to reel her in.

The catch hadn't paid off yet, so Ron certainly wasn't about to let her go. He chased after her immediately.

"Babe! That was my fault! Sure, the company's cash flow is a little tight, but your man's not broke!"

"Come on! Let's go in. Pick whatever you want, and your man will cover the bill! I'll make sure you put all your friends to shame!"

Only then did Jessica give a satisfied smile, plant a kiss on Ron's cheek, and dash inside to shop.

Ron watched as Jessica told the saleswoman.

"This one, this one, and this one. Wrap them all up. My boyfriend can afford it!"

After the jewelry store, all four of us posted our hauls in the group chat.

Looking at the screen full of sparkling jewelry, I felt a deep, satisfying rush of payback.

In a much better mood, I logged into my burner account and lurked in Ron's group chat.

Ron started by bragging about how obsessed we all were with him, then got all mysterious.

"Special mystery package today. Just fifty bucks, and you get to see a goddess."

A bad feeling twisted in my gut. I immediately messaged Ron privately and sent him fifty dollars.

Soon enough, Ron sent me a short clip of Mary Collins in the shower.

Right after, he sent a voice message.

"How about that, bro? Fifty bucks well spent, right? A smokin' hot babe like that? You'd normally have to pay a lot more."

The camera angle was clearly hidden. I was so furious I wanted to march straight over and beat him senseless.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm, downloaded the video, and sent it to Mary privately.

Mary immediately bombarded me with voice messages.

I reassured her.

"Don't worry. I'll have a lawyer compile all the evidence."

"When this is over, I'll make sure he rots behind bars!"

After checking with Mary, I gave the other girls a brief rundown of what had happened.

Thankfully, it appeared to have been recorded on a phone. None of us had hidden cameras in our homes.

But after this, we all agreed on one thing: the plan had to move up.

I called Ron right away, asking him on a date.

That evening, I took him to an upscale restaurant where dinner cost over three thousand a head.

Ron paid the check without blinking, and was about to suggest we head to a hotel when Mary called.

"Baby, the power just went out at my place. But the bill's paid, and nobody else on my block lost power. I'm scared!"

Ron tried to make an excuse, but Mary kept crying.

He had no choice but to ditch me and go to Mary instead.

But the moment he reached Mary's state, she called back to say the power was already fixed.

Ron wasn't about to make the trip for nothing and tried to head to Mary's place, but then both Jessica and Jennifer called.

And in between, some of Ron's other girlfriends called too.

Over the next several days, Ron and his wallet both took an absolute beating from us.

He was stretched so thin he couldn't keep up anymore, and decided to make his move on me first.

Ron called me, his voice low and serious.

"Babe, remember when I said I had a surprise for you?"

"Clear your entire schedule tomorrow. I'm picking you up, and I'm going to give you the most unforgettable birthday ever!"