But fairy tales tend to go wrong in real life.
The business deal fell apart. Her family wasn’t
about to blame their precious princess, so
they took it out on Chad.
They kept picking on their future son–in–law.
If he wanted to be with the princess, he
needed to start doing what he’s told.
Want to keep working? Not a chance! They’re
not going to trust a random guy to oversee
their business.
く
Want to come to parties? Save yourself the
shame, people will be laughing at you and
how you’re taking advantage of the family.
Chad had just graduated, so he hadn’t had
the time to prove himself.
And, so, he sacrificed it all.
Sarah said she’d give him a great life, and he
gave up everything for her.
His career? Who needs it, when you’re the
man of a rich heiress.
He got all insecure. If Sarah talked to a man, he’d get jealous.
Passionate, intense, and impulsive love can’t
replace the human need to dominate
I sighed, looking at Mark, another kid I was
funding.
Now, he’s my right–hand man.
“What do you think of Chad’s plans?”
Mark, unamused, with blatant contempt.
“He’s trying to coast on her money. Never
been a fan of that.”
I asked, “Heard Chad’s got someone on the
side?”
Mark nodded.
“I’ll take care of it.”
After that call I started cutting Sarah off
After that call, I started cutting Sarah off.
I responded to her messages less often.
I made up excuses and started ditching her
hangouts.
This sudden cold shoulder rattled Sarah.
She went to Mark, trying to get me to see
her.
<
Chapter Two
- 5.
Mark sighed. “Didn’t you hear? Chad got
caught hooking up with some influencers.
“Blake’s dealing with it. He’s not really seeing
anyone right now.”
Sarah went pale. Her voice trembled.
“He… how could he?”
Mark realized he’d said too much. “Sorry, I
shouldn’t be talking about this.”
Sarah immediately called Chad, but he didn’t
pick up.
Г
She drove to the hotel he always went to. And
there he was, helping a woman with a ton of
makeup into the elevator.
On the way back, Mark noticed Sarah staring
at her phone in the rearview mirror.
The color was draining from her face.
Someone had leaked Chad’s private life
online.
They said he’d been using her family’s
connections to keep a bunch of models on
the side.
They even posted a picture of him and some
actress at a fancy restaurant.
Г
The internet went wild, calling him a gold-
digging loser.
My friends started calling to congratulate me,
saying the karma train had finally hit Chad.
I played it cool. “He’s in a tough spot. Let’s
not kick him while he’s down.”
That just made me look even better in their
eyes.
The more the drama blew up, the better it
was for me.
It was time to move on to the next step.
When Sarah got home, her parents ripped
into her.
L
“Look at the kind of guy you picked! The
whole internet’s laughing at us!”
“The company’s stock’s tanking! The board’s
questioning my leadership!”
“You need to dump that deadbeat now! Stop
embarrassing us!”
Sarah slumped down on the couch, crying her
eyes out.
On the ride back, Mark embellished the
stories about Chad blowing through the
family fortune.
“He’s got a whole stable of girlfriends. He
spends hundreds of thousands a month just
shopping.”
く
“What’s up?
Sarah sighed.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were working so
hard?”
I shrugged, trying to keep it light.
“No biggie. Just the usual.”
Sarah looked down, hesitating.
“Is what’s going on with me part of the
reason you’re so busy-”
I waved my hand, cutting her off. “Don’t worry
about it. I can handle it.
<
“Hey, you wanna get out of here later, grab
some air?”
Sarah froze, staring at me.
I waved my hand in front of her face, smiling
gently.
“Well?”
