Chapter 4Taking Out the Trash

My parents bought me a huge penthouse apartment in the city, with its own private elevator entrance, right after I got into N.U. What can I say? My family's loaded.

And yeah, they spoiled me rotten growing up.

That's probably why I was so clueless about how nasty people could be.

As I was thinking, Ethan suddenly asked, "Piper, you're not planning to poison me, are you?"

I looked up. He was squinting at me suspiciously. "We've known each other for twenty years. I've never heard about you knowing how to cook."

I gave an awkward laugh. "Learned from our housekeeper. You coming or not? Your loss if you don't."

Ethan quickly nodded. "I'm coming!"

Just then, Jessica ran over. "Piper, aren't you coming clubbing tonight?"

Ha. So she couldn't freeload dinner off me, now she's trying something else.

Annoyed, I put on a sweet smile. "Jess, I'd love to, but you're such a good student, you don't need to study. I'm different. If I don't hit the books, I might not even graduate."

I laid it on thick, playing the innocent card perfectly.

Jessica seemed thrown off. She stammered, "It's okay, Piper, I can help you study."

Before I could reply, Ethan cut in coldly, "Help her study? Please. You're top of the class, and Piper, who hangs out with you all the time, is barely passing? Sounds more like someone's using 'studying' as an excuse to make Piper look bad by comparison."

I always knew Ethan had a sharp tongue.

We went to the same elementary and middle schools; he made me cry more times than I could count.

And just like that, Jessica's eyes welled up. She looked genuinely hurt.

"Hey, don't cry, makes it look like I'm bullying you," Ethan continued, relentless. "Everything I said was true. Aren't you number one? Isn't Piper near the bottom?!"

Me: "..." I kind of felt like I was being manipulated here!

Because of Ethan's words, the people gathering around started giving Jessica weird looks.

Ethan grabbed my hand. "If you need tutoring, ask me," he said with a grin. "You don't need Miss Innocent here. Let's go, time for that home-cooked meal."

Seeing Ethan grab my hand, Jessica, red-eyed, forgot her damsel-in-distress act. She leaned close to my ear, whispering just loud enough for Ethan to hear, "Are you really going to get with Graystone? Didn't you say you'd never marry for connections?"

I scoffed internally. Last time, I listened to way too much of her crap like that. That's why I always turned Ethan down. And while I was out partying, he died in that crash.

Since I got a do-over, I wasn't letting that happen again.

Besides, Ethan's face was visibly darkening.

I squeezed his hand tighter and smiled up at him. "Actually, I think Ethan and I are equals, both well-off. Better to join forces, a power couple, than marry some charity case, right?"

Jessica froze, speechless, unable to reply. I was already pulling Ethan away.

Once we were in the car, I heard the man beside me say cheerfully, "About time you ditched her. Glad you're finally wising up!"

Huh?

I glanced at him, but his eyes were closed, like he hadn't said anything.

A thought suddenly popped into my head: If he hadn't died so young last time, would my future have been different?