Chapter 1

When we started college, Madison Blake offered to manage the living expenses for our little group. She said the rest of us were too careless with money.

My boyfriend, Ethan Cole, agreed first. My older brother, Ryan Bennett, started transferring his money to her. Our childhood friend, Noah Parker, followed.

From then on, Madison was the one who decided how much spending money each of us received every day.

When Ryan wanted new sneakers, she sent him an extra $120 that afternoon.

When Noah had a dinner with his campus club, she asked whether he needed more cash.

When Ethan made last-minute plans with friends, she transferred money without even asking what it was for.

But when my card was declined at the dining hall and I asked her to advance me ten dollars, she posted my entire weekly spending report in our five-person group chat.

"Chloe, you've been spending a little too much lately."

Ryan told me to hold out for another two days.

Noah suggested I learn to budget.

Ethan studied the spreadsheet and said, "Maddie goes through all this trouble to manage our money. She's only trying to help you."

That very evening, the four of them went out for barbecue, using money Madison had released early.

Halfway through dinner, Ethan finally texted me.

*Why didn't you come?*

I stared at the message and laughed.

They hadn't even noticed I was missing.

Fine, then. From now on, I'd control my own money.

And I didn't want any of those four in my life anymore.

I turned my phone facedown and checked my bank account. There were only eleven dollars left.

Madison was still holding more than two weeks of my allowance.

I opened our private chat.

*Send me the rest of my money. I'll manage it myself from now on.*

Hours passed without a reply.

Just before bedtime, a message finally popped up—in the group chat.

*My stomach hurts so much. Guess barbecue really wasn't a good idea,* Madison wrote.

Ryan answered instantly. *Did you take anything for it?*

Noah sent a screenshot of the nearest pharmacy.

Ethan called her directly.

She told them she was fine and they should get some sleep. Instead, all three fussed over her for another half hour.

My request for my own money sat unanswered.

The next morning, my phone buzzed nonstop.

Ryan had already bought Madison stomach medicine. Noah wanted to know what she'd like for breakfast. Ethan said he was downstairs outside her dorm.

I finished getting ready and headed out. I ran into him by the entrance.

He carried two bags of breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, dumplings from the little café Madison liked, and a carton of warm milk.

Everything was for her.

"Heading to class, Chloe?" he asked.

I adjusted my backpack and nodded.

He glanced toward the dorm entrance. "Did you ask Maddie for money last night?"

"I asked her to return my allowance."

His eyebrows drew together. He shifted the bags into one hand.

"She was sick all night, and you still made her worry about spreadsheets? Couldn't you wait a couple of days?"

Anger surged through me.

"I couldn't even afford dinner yesterday."

He hesitated.

Right then, his phone rang. Madison wanted to know where he was.

His whole expression changed.

"I'm downstairs. Don't come out. It's freezing."

After hanging up, he gave me a distracted look.

"We'll talk about this tonight. I need to take her breakfast upstairs."

He'd already walked several steps when he turned back.

"Make sure you eat something, okay?"

I stood there watching the breakfast bags swing from his hands.

During senior year of high school, I'd gotten sick with a fever. Ethan had snuck out to buy me soup. The container was so hot he'd carried it against his chest, and his hands had turned red by the time he returned.

Ryan had called him an idiot, then quietly draped his own jacket over my knees.

Later, they started joking that I was tough enough to handle anything.

I used to laugh along.

The dorm door closed behind Ethan.

I went to class.

At lunchtime, Ryan posted a photo in the group chat. Madison was slumped over a desk with his jacket around her shoulders. Medicine and breakfast sat beside her.

*No spicy food for her today,* he wrote.

I left the group chat.

After my last class, Madison finally answered.

*Chloe, everybody's money is pooled together. It'll take me a while to sort it out. Can I send it tonight?*

She added a sad-face emoji.

Before I could reply, Ryan called.

"Do you seriously have to take your money back today?"

I stopped on the stairs.

"Ryan, since when do I have to pick a special day to get my own money?"

He fell silent. In the background, I heard Madison softly say, "It's okay."

That only made him angrier.

"She's managed our money for all this time. Has she ever shorted you a single dollar? You keep pushing her, and now she's been going over accounts for hours. She doesn't even want lunch."

I tightened my grip on my phone.

"Then give me the records. I'll do the math myself."

"Chloe, what is wrong with—"

I hung up before he could finish.

That night, no payment came.

I opened my laptop and pulled up two months of bank transfers.

Until now, I'd simply spent whatever Madison sent each day. Everyone did it that way, so I'd never bothered to check.

Then I reached last week's group spreadsheet.

*Chloe Bennett — weekly allowance distributed: $125.*

I checked my deposits again.

I'd received only $75.

I saved a screenshot and went back another week.

That one didn't add up either.

Week after week, the numbers were wrong.