Chapter 1Dumped School Hunk, He Regretted Madly

I hired the most popular guy on campus to be my boyfriend.

When Brian took my money, he frowned and gave me a strict warning.

"I just really need the cash. Don't go catching real feelings for me."

I knew he didn't like me. But I was so starved for affection that I just needed someone to pretend. I needed someone to act like they loved me.

That was until his childhood best friend hunted me down and confronted me in front of a massive crowd.

"Kitty, you can't force love," Sienna said, her voice dripping with fake pity. "Brian only has me in his heart."

She smirked, stepping closer. "You probably didn't even know this, but all that money you gave him? He used it to buy me gifts."

A wave of mocking laughter echoed from the students gathered around us.

Instead of crying, I started laughing too. I turned away from them and addressed the entire crowd.

"I am officially taking applications for my next boyfriend. The salary is fifteen thousand dollars a month. There is only one requirement."

I paused, letting my eyes sweep over the stunned faces. "You have to be a good actor. Don't break character and ruin the illusion for me."

The moment the words left my mouth, the entire courtyard went dead silent.

Brian, who had been standing protectively in front of Sienna, instantly lost the color in his face. He stepped forward, his voice tight with panic.

"Kitty, stop being so unreasonable! We both got what we wanted out of this arrangement. Sienna didn't even say anything wrong."

He clenched his jaw, trying to regain the upper hand. "Do you really think throwing a tantrum is going to make me bow down and apologize to you? I'm not going to scold Sienna for telling the truth."

Sienna took her cue perfectly. She leaned out from behind him, her eyes turning red and her voice trembling with manufactured grievance.

"Kitty, I know you come from a lot of money, but you can't just humiliate people like this. Acting this way is only going to make Brian hate you more."

Hearing their little duet, the crowd started snickering again, this time much louder.

"I knew it. There is no way Kitty doesn't care."

"Seriously, everyone knows she's been obsessed with him since the first day of freshman year."

"Brian has it rough. Having to put up with a spoiled heiress just to take care of Sienna."

Listening to the whispers of the crowd, the panic on Brian's face faded, replaced by a sickening look of superiority.

He looked down at me, using a tone that sounded like he was handing out charity.

"Kitty, apologize to Sienna right now. If you don't, I am completely done playing this game with you."

I let out a soft scoff.

He was done playing? Perfect.

I had been wanting to end this incredibly boring arrangement for weeks. Lately, Brian's acting skills had taken a massive nosedive. The affection in his eyes was so sloppy and halfhearted that it totally ruined the fantasy.

I was paying top dollar for the premium girlfriend experience, not to watch a distracted amateur slack off on the job.

While Brian was busy issuing his arrogant ultimatums, my gaze was already wandering through the crowd, scouting for a replacement.

Finally, my eyes landed on a guy standing near the back. He had a clean, refined aura and strikingly handsome features.

I raised my hand and pointed right at him.

"You'll do."

I locked eyes with him. "You. Do you want to be my next boyfriend?"

The guy blinked in surprise, pointing a long finger at his own chest. "Me?"

Before he could even give me an answer, Brian's furious voice cracked like a whip across the courtyard.

"Kitty! You are crossing the line!"

He took a step toward me, his fists clenched. "If you keep acting crazy like this, don't blame me when I actually cut ties with you!"

He was still using a breakup as a threat, acting as if losing him was some kind of devastating punishment.

His sheer delusion almost made me laugh out loud. I genuinely wondered where he got the confidence to think I was helplessly in love with him.

Was it just because of his slightly above average face?

If I hadn't wanted to experience a normal, sweet college romance, a lucrative, zero effort job like this would have never fallen into his lap.

My parents had a standard corporate marriage. For as long as I could remember, they lived entirely separate lives.

When I was little, I didn't understand. I used to cry and throw tantrums, desperately wanting a warm, normal family.

I vividly remembered asking my father about it one night.

"Dad, why can't you and Mom just stay home with me? You had me, doesn't that mean you love each other?"

My father had been in a rush to attend a birthday party for one of his illegitimate children, but he still paused, crouching down to look me in the eye.

"Kitty, my marriage to your mother was simply a highly successful business transaction."

He patted my head. "Love is just a fragile, invisible concept. As long as you have enough money, you can buy as much of it as you want. Only power and profit are eternal. Look at me and your mother. We have plenty of other children out in the world, but none of them will ever threaten your position as the sole heir. Do you understand?"

From that day on, his words became my absolute truth.

Love could be bought.

So, the second I got to college, I couldn't wait to test the theory.

I wanted to know what love tasted like. I decided to buy myself a flawless, picture perfect campus romance.

I only picked Brian because the entire student body had crowned him the hottest guy on campus.

I am a Kensington. If I want something, I only take the absolute best.

It was that simple.