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The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach
The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach
Author: Vicky

Chapter 1

Author: Vicky
I was just about to take a nap when another text came in from my bestie, Lily Walton.

Lily: [It's the New Year. Come on, we can't be stingy with our cats.]

Lily: [I'm using my bonus. Plus, I'm buying myself a new outfit. We women need to treat ourselves better.]

I didn't even finish reading the rest of her messages.

The number "1,000" alone jolted me awake.

I quickly typed back.

Me: [1,000?]

Lily: [Yeah. Our little cats are princes and princesses. Can you imagine them rolling up in a Maybach? The other cats would be so jealous.]

I stared at the screen, still unable to process what I was reading.

Even I, the cat's owner, had never ridden in a Maybach. And she wanted me to drop 1,000 just to send a cat home in one?

When I didn't respond, Lily immediately sent a voice message.

Lily: [What's your deal? I'm just looking out for you.]

I sighed and forwarded a screenshot of my boss's message from earlier that morning.

I wasn't being difficult.

The company wasn't doing well.

Layoffs were hanging over my head.

Thinking about that, I kept typing.

Me: [Lily, I might lose my job soon. I'm not in the same boat as you, with a fat year-end bonus just landing in your account.]

Me: [I'd love to go home with you, but I really can't afford to split the cost.]

Me: [And honestly, I'd feel bad just tagging along for free.]

The message bubble showed "typing…" for a long time.

Then Lily replied.

Lily: [I wish I could spot you, but my money's barely enough to cover the trip home and a new outfit.]

After I said I understood, she stopped answering.

That night, after working late, I got home.

Mochi let out a soft meow.

I scooped her into my arms.

"Mochi, my little princess, Mommy can't afford to send you home in a Maybach. You're gonna have to go by air freight instead. Sorry you have to deal with that, baby."

The kitten nuzzled against me, and my heart completely melted.

Air freight would cost a fraction of the price.

I'm not rich—why would I choose the most expensive way to get home?

Mochi is my baby. She'd understand.

I felt surprisingly relieved.

I'd just saved myself 1,000 bucks.

That was a whole month of my salary—gone without me eating or spending a cent.

Even in my dreams that night, I was happy.

That money hadn't been wasted.

…

Early the next morning, I dropped Mochi off for shipping and headed home myself.

On the high-speed train, I was already planning how to spend the money I had left—I'd buy gifts for my parents.

By the time I got there, dusk had already fallen.

The smell of my mom's cooking filled the house, and my dad took the gifts from my hands with a huge grin he couldn't hide.

Before I could even sit down to eat, there was a sudden loud, frantic banging on the door, like someone was trying to break it down.

When I opened it, Lily's mom was standing outside. Her eyes were red and scary, her hair all over the place.

"Where is Lily? Where is she?!"

I was completely confused.

"Mrs. Walton, I didn't come back with Lily…"

She shoved right past me, stormed inside, and started opening every door one by one.

"Lily, come out! Mom and Dad are here to bring you home!"

All she got back was silence.

I walked over slowly.

"Mrs. Walton, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I didn't travel back with Lily."
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  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 9

    Lily cried until her face was covered in tears and snot, but I felt not even a flicker of sympathy.Before she saw Sam's true nature, she had even planned to work with him to completely destroy me.That alone was enough for me to never forgive her.Not to mention the fact that she had never truly treated me as a friend.If anything, I was just her emotional dumping ground—someone she only thought of when she needed comfort or support.Her head kept knocking against the floor, over and over, but I still felt nothing.I crouched down and stopped her.Lily looked up at me with sudden hope, but I said flatly, "Forget it. I will never forgive you. The damage you caused me is something I can never make up for in this lifetime."Lily was taken away by the police. Her defamation was undeniable.In the end, she was sentenced to three years in prison.The police cleared my name with the facts.The incident blew up online again, but this time public opinion completely shifted in my fav

  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 8

    Even if Lily and Sam had grown close, she couldn't possibly have been completely without caution. So she called me, her voice trembling."Chloe… I'm a little scared…"I had resented her deeply for how she treated me—so much so that I once wished I could tear her apart with my own hands—but hearing her, usually so arrogant and sharp-tongued, speak like that still made me tense up."What's wrong? Tell me slowly. I'll call the police for you."But after a few words from Sam on the other end, her attitude shifted instantly.She laughed and cursed at me through the phone."You idiot, what do you know? I'm about to live the good life. You can just sit there and be jealous of me. You'll never reach my level in this lifetime."Anger surged through me. Whatever sympathy I had just felt vanished without a trace.The moment Lily saw me in person, she broke down completely, crying uncontrollably."Chloe—it's all your fault! You ruined my life!"Her mother shot me a sharp glare the second

  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 7

    Sam told Lily that he shared a deep bond with his grandparents.Lily, however, had no sense of danger at all. Instead, she was caught up in a strange kind of excitement the whole way there—constantly checking her reflection and touching up her makeup in the mirror.Her thinking was simple. If she could win over his grandparents' approval, her marriage to Sam would be one step closer.Did Lily truly love Sam that much? Not really. But she had personally broken up with her college boyfriend of four years for him, even going so far as to turn against me just to take him away.Wasn't all of it for marriage—and a life of luxury as a wealthy wife?She never imagined that this would become the final arrangement she ever made in her life.The moment she stepped through that gloomy, lifeless gate, an uneasy feeling crept over her."Grandpa? Grandma?"She called out tentatively.No one answered.She instinctively clutched Sam's arm, trying to steady her fear.But the oppressive silenc

  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 6

    The internet, however, showered Lily with praise, calling her generous and kind.I couldn't understand it—how did a few words turn into "kindness"?Lily was profiting off my suffering like blood money. Not only did she successfully grow her social media account from it, but her relationship with Sam also seemed to get stronger.As for me—if it hadn't been for my boss's daughter parading me around the office so people would stop daring to bully me—I'd probably still be living in hell.Candice Robinson held Mochi in her arms while gently brushing her fur."So, what are you planning to do now?"I sighed and shook my head.I'd grown up under my parents' protection. Their only wish for me was to be safe and stable.I followed that path and became a well-behaved, obedient daughter. But the cost was that I knew nothing about social politics, nothing about how people really worked. I didn't even know how to fight back in a situation like this.Candice frowned."Even though things onl

  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 5

    The heiress was completely obsessed with my Mochi—so much so that she came over almost every week just to see her.That little detail slipped out one day while she was casually petting the cat.It was just a passing comment, but it stuck with me.For a moment, I instinctively felt worried for Lily's safety.But the next second, I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.Whatever happened to Lily wasn't my problem anymore. All I needed to do was focus on my own life.What I never expected, though, was that Lily would stoop so low as to send me photos of herself in bed with Sam.Different poses—but the same constant details: the man's unmistakable profile, and the woman's face twisted into a mocking sneer.Lily: [Chloe, my boyfriend says he doesn't even know you. Are you just imagining things?]Lily: [I get that he's handsome and rich—it's normal to have a crush. But you shouldn't just make stuff up.]Lily: [Here's the thing: since you like my boyfriend so much, I've already poste

  • The Friend Who Vanished in a Maybach   Chapter 4

    In truth, I didn't not know where Lily was—I simply couldn't be sure.Lily and I had been friends for over ten years. We told each other everything, no secrets.But things started to change last year.I met a rich heir at a friend's party. He was generous, charming, and endlessly patient with me.For someone like me, who had never really been loved before, I fell for him almost instantly. I went into that relationship thinking about marriage and told Lily every single detail.I never expected that just a week later, he'd suddenly go cold on me. Not only did he break up with me without any real explanation, but he also said I wasn't "feminine enough."And then, Lily was suddenly in a new relationship.At first, I couldn't put my finger on the uneasy feeling creeping into my chest. But I still told myself she was my best friend, and that wasn't someone I should suspect.Until I pieced something together from bits and pieces of her social media posts.The boyfriend she kept showi

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