Not a Gold Digger, Just Thirsty

Every time I knelt, my legs felt as though they were sinking into cotton. I kept losing my balance and banging my knees against the sharp edges of the steps.Only three steps remained.Like a walking corpse, I dragged myself forward, one step at a time. A trail of bloody marks followed me up the staircase.At last, I reached the summit.Trembling, I lifted my arms and croaked, "The rosary…" The priests in the chapel stared at me as though I were some kind of monster."Oh, my God, she actually made it to the top!""Quick! Ms. Lachey said she has to light a candle and pray before we can give it to her. Get the candle!""Good grief, she really is stubborn. We told her to climb all the way up, and she actually did it…" They hurried to light a candle for me, then nervously explained, "M-Ms. Sabella, y-you need to make a wish and say a prayer before you can take the rosary."I gritted my teeth and struggled to light the candle."Make a wish, huh?" I thought. I hoped I'd find s

Nadia greeted me like she owned the place. "You're supposedly not interested in money, right? Then, you can stay in the maid's room.""I never said I wasn't interested in money," I protested."Right." Nadia sneered. "You're just more interested in Tyler himself, aren't you? I used that trick ages ago. Couldn't you come up with something new?""Just move her somewhere else," Tyler said impatiently.Dejected, I carried my bedding into the maid's room. I'd barely put my cup down when Tyler called me into the living room.He sat on the couch, his expression condescending. "I'm giving you one last chance. What is it you really want?"I felt wronged. "You promised me 200 dollars and lemonade.""Layla, enough already." Nadia scoffed. "You're taking this act too far. Do you think we're stupid? What kind of gold digger settles for lemonade? You're after the title of Mrs. Farrell, aren't you?"I looked at Tyler, but his eyes were cold.I lowered my head in disappointment. "If you do

Henry scoffed. "Nadia, don't think I don't know what you're up to."Whenever there's another woman around Tyler, you call her a gold digger and then cause a scene under the pretense of looking out for him."And you call that loyalty between friends? Do you really think we're stupid enough not to see what you're really after? We're just watching you make a fool of yourself."Nadia looked flustered. "You're talking nonsense!"I was focused entirely on my lemonade. I had no interest in gossip about Tyler, so I tugged at Henry's sleeve."Can we leave? I…" I lifted my lemonade to show him."You two can sort out your own mess," he said to Nadia, taking my hand. "I'm leaving."Tyler stepped forward to grab my hand, but I quickly dodged, leaving him grasping at air.Nadia grabbed Tyler's hand, furious."Tyler, believe me. She's a gold digger. She's definitely trying to get your attention on purpose."You know what kind of family Henry comes from. How could that possibly be more tempt

Tyler looked like he meant what he said. I tried struggling against his grip, but I wasn't strong enough to break free. Henry saw what I was trying to do. He grabbed Tyler's wrist and squeezed hard enough to make him release me in pain. Then, he quickly gathered the bank cards from my arms and shoved them back into Tyler's hands."Layla has nothing to do with you now," he said through gritted teeth. "You have to respect her choices. She doesn't like you now.""That's impossible!" Tyler refused to believe him. "She was willing to climb all those steps on her knees, praying at every step, just to get a rosary for me. She must have feelings for me!"Henry, you must've put some kind of spell on her. I have more money than you do. If she's only after someone's money, then she should be after mine!"I'd only just arrived in this world, so I didn't know how the original Layla had felt about Tyler. But those feelings had nothing to do with me. If she had died and I had ended up in he