Chapter 1

Sophomore year, I became infamous in the worst possible way.

My best friend, Rachel Lewis, asked me to meet her at a hotel. I went, and from that moment, my life spiraled into a pit of no return. Not only did I lose my dignity, but they ripped my clothes, took compromising photos, and spread them around.

Those indecent pictures were sent to everyone—my classmates, even my professors. Soon, I became the hot topic of gossip: "The president of the Student Government, selling herself for money."

Overnight, I became the scandal everyone talked about.

My parents couldn’t handle the public shame. They divorced, and my mom, unable to bear the humiliation, overdosed on pills.

From that day, I had to transfer schools. I changed my face, my name—everything. But I could never forget Rachel's smug face that night. She orchestrated the whole thing. I wasn’t going to let her get away with it.

I worked my way into Rachel Lewis’ graduate program. I sold my mom’s house, the only thing I had left, and reinvented myself as a rich girl, blending into Rachel’s elite circle, pretending to be her closest friend.

Rumor had it that her boyfriend, David Lawson, came from serious old money, was super handsome, and head over heels in love with her.

David was going to be my first move. He would be the first "gift" I’d give to Rachel.

Getting close to a guy like David, one who’s loyal and high-quality, wasn’t easy—but I had to try.

Soon enough, my chance came.

On Rachel’s birthday, she got into a fight with David and ignored all his calls. Desperate, David reached out to me.

“Emily, is Rachel with you?” David asked.

I lied. “Yeah, she’s with me.”

He hesitated, then said, “We had a bit of a misunderstanding. She won’t pick up my calls. It’s her birthday tonight, and I want to surprise her. I need your help.”

“What do you need?” I asked.

“Could you lend me your apartment key?” he asked.

Rachel, despite her average background, always pretended to be a rich girl. She claimed she couldn’t stand living in the dorms, so I had to split the rent on an expensive apartment just to stay close to her.

“What do you want to do?” I asked, playing dumb.

“I want to set up the apartment for a proposal.”

My heart sank. Rachel, this fake and vain woman, was about to marry David, this incredible guy? Back in sophomore year, she was willing to destroy me just for the title of Student Government President. How was it fair that someone like her could marry into wealth?

“Sure, I’ll help,” I agreed with a smile, even as a dark plan started forming in my mind.

The birthday dinner was at a bar near Brentwood University. I made an excuse about traffic and turned around, heading back to our apartment.

When I got there, David was already waiting outside with a large box. He was tall, about 6’2”, dressed casually in a black T-shirt and baseball cap, but even without expensive accessories, you couldn’t miss his aura of wealth and class.

I walked over, smiling. “Been waiting long?”

He didn’t say much, just looked at me with deep, intense eyes. “Not long.”

I took him inside, helped him set up a romantic scene for the proposal, and when we took a break, I pulled out a few bottles of sake from the fridge. In one of them, I slipped a little something extra before handing it to him.

The alcohol wasn’t strong—just a popular drink you’d find in bars. David barely glanced at the bottle before tipping it back.