Chapter 1I Let My Bully Steal My Billionaire Black Card

My parents just opened a luxury hot spring resort upstate, and they gave me the very first black membership card.

I didn’t have time to use it, so when it went missing from my dorm room a week ago, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it had just slipped behind my desk.

But tonight, my phone buzzed. It was my dad.

"Sophie, sweetie," he said, sounding confused. "Did you forget that your card only provides a discount? It isn't a pre-paid debit card."

I frowned, leaning back against my headboard. "I know that, Dad. Why?"

"Well, there’s a girl here. She says she’s your roommate. It’s her birthday, and she’s currently treating your entire class to a VIP spa night on your 'tab.' She thinks the card covers the balance."

I felt a cold, sharp laugh bubble up in my chest.

"I didn't forget, Dad. And since this 'business' just walked through your front door, you and Mom should definitely take the order. Just... make sure she signs for everything."

* * *

After I hung up, the sheer audacity of it hit me.

My other two roommates, Riley and Tessa, were sitting across from me, scrolling through their laptops. The fourth bed in our suite belonged to Brooke Higgins. She was the only one missing—she’d spent the last three hours preening in front of the vanity before vanishing in a cloud of expensive-smelling perfume.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who stole the card.

I remembered asking them about it last week. I’d mentioned it casually, just wondering if anyone had seen the sleek black card. Riley and Tessa had barely looked up, both giving me a genuine "no."

But Brooke? Brooke had snapped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she’d demanded, her voice rising an octave. "Are you accusing us of being thieves now?"

"I was just asking, Brooke. It’s a new resort—"

"It’s a membership to some tacky spa, Sophie! Who couldn't afford that? You have such a dark, suspicious mind. It’s honestly pathetic."

I had been stunned into silence by her venom.

"I wasn't saying—"

"It’s your property," she’d hissed, cutting me off. "It’s not our job to babysit your stuff. Honestly, some people just love to show off. You act like you’re some billionaire heiress, but the second you lose one little card, you have a total meltdown. Was that card the result of months of your 'savings' just so you could flex on us?"

I hadn't bothered to argue. Brooke had been a nightmare since move-in day. She walked in with a designer tote that was a blatant knockoff of the one I actually owned, and when she realized mine was the real deal, she’d made me her primary target. She lived for the "fake it 'til you make it" lifestyle, constantly dropping names of socialites she didn't know and brands her parents definitely couldn't afford.

I hadn't realized she was stupid enough to steal a card she didn't even understand. She thought it was a limitless gift card.

The irony was delicious.

Riley looked up from her bed, catching the look on my face. "What was that about? I heard your dad mention a roommate. Was it Brooke?"

Brooke had spent the last semester branding herself as the "Queen Bee" of our year, looking down on Riley and Tessa because they didn't wear labels. Naturally, they loathed her.

"Apparently, Brooke is throwing a birthday bash at my parents' resort," I said, a slow smile spreading across my face. "And she invited the whole class... except us."

The two of them exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated interest.

"Is there a disaster brewing?" Tessa asked, closing her laptop. "And can we go watch it?"

"Oh, it's a category five hurricane," I replied, grabbing my leather jacket. "You guys want to see Brooke Higgins finally get her bill?"

They were on their feet before I even finished the sentence. "Absolutely."