Chapter 2

Kevin was the textbook definition of someone who resented others' success and mocked their failures. I used to think of him as a friend and helped him when I could.

When he was short on cash for meals, I paid. When he screwed up at work, I covered for him. It turned out that in his mind, I could only do worse than him, never better.

"What's the plan for tomorrow night's dinner?" Celia dabbed her mouth elegantly. "Do you need me to do anything specific?"

"Not really. Just keep up your wealthy heiress persona. He wants to steal you away? Let him try. I want to see just how low he'll stoop."

Celia raised an eyebrow. "Alright, whatever you say, boss."

Just then, my phone buzzed again. It was a private message from Kevin.

"Luke, I'm telling you right now to break up with Ms. Spencer. Otherwise when your cover gets blown tomorrow, you'll be humiliated.

"I'm doing this for your own good. Someone like Ms. Spencer is way out of your league.

"If you're short on cash, I can lend you 500 bucks to pay off your loan interest first. Don't go down the wrong path."

I scoffed. Who did this penny-pinching saint think he was? I ignored him and turned off my phone.

The next evening at Grand View, Celia and I arrived to find Kevin already waiting. He'd obviously put effort into his appearance, his hair slicked back with what looked like half a bottle of gel. When he saw Celia, he didn't even try to hide the fawning look in his eyes.

I stifled a laugh, while Celia subtly moved closer to my side.

Kevin's expression soured immediately.

"Luke, how can you be so shameless in public? If you're with Ms. Spencer, you need to know your place instead of embarrassing her!"

I didn't bother responding. There was no point arguing with a guy this delusional.

When I didn't react, Kevin wasn't fazed. He looked me up and down and clicked his tongue dramatically.

"Wow, coming to such an upscale restaurant dressed this casually… Well, I guess it makes sense. With how expensive this place is, you probably saved every penny for the bill, right? That whole outfit probably cost less than 200 bucks total."

He turned to Celia, his voice suddenly becoming smarmy. "Ms. Spencer, please don't take offense. Luke's always been like this. He has no sense of taste."

Celia gave him a cool glance. "I think Luke looks perfectly fine. He's clean and put-together, unlike certain people who try way too hard."

Kevin's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered his smile. "You're too kind, Ms. Spencer. Always so understanding of him."

Then he picked up the menu, pretending to look out for me. "The food here is pretty pricey. Even an appetizer costs over 300 dollars. Luke, did you bring enough money? If you're short on cash, we could always go somewhere else. There's a decent diner downstairs."

I gave him an amused look. "Go ahead and order. Don't worry about saving me money."

A flash of malice crossed Kevin's eyes. "Alright then, don't say I didn't warn you! Just don't come crying to Ms. Spencer to foot the bill when you can't pay!"

He proceeded to order seven or eight of the most expensive entrees, plus a five-figure bottle of premium liquor. After finishing his order, he shot me a challenging look.

Then he pulled out his phone and opened my social media account. He held the phone up in front of Celia, pointing at one of the photos. It was a shot I'd taken in a garage with a limited-edition sports car in the background.

"Ms. Spencer, take a look at this photo. This car has to be worth millions, wouldn't you say?"

Kevin shot me a glance, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Luke, why don't you tell us where this photo was taken? You snuck into some auto show, didn't you?"

I replied calmly, "I took it in my family's garage."

"Ha!" Kevin burst out laughing.

"Luke, do you even hear yourself right now? Your family lives in some rundown old apartment building. How could you possibly have that kind of garage? You probably don't even have a decent parking spot!

"Is it really that hard to admit you're broke? Why keep up this act?"

Celia spoke up then. "You seem to know a lot about Luke's family situation."

Kevin smiled. "Of course. We were roommates for four years in college. I even saw the paperwork when he applied for financial aid.

"Ms. Spencer, he's got you completely fooled. Why don't we call the waiter over to settle the bill right now? If he can't pay, or if he tries to make you pay, then his identity as a freeloader will be exposed on the spot!"