Chapter 2Spoiler Alert: The Side Character Wins

I almost laughed out of sheer disbelief. Lost wages? I was the one who sat here for two hours getting my fingers butchered and scammed.

Just as I was about to explode, a familiar voice came from behind me. "Harper? Are you done? I'm here to pick you up for dinner."

The floating text became so dense it almost blocked my vision. [AHHH! The Male Lead is here!] [Lila's savior has arrived!!!] [Let's see the villainess argue now. She better pay up. Lila's time is worth way more than $400!]

Carter Sterling walked up to me, sensing the tension. "Harper, what's going on?"

Lila beat me to it. "Sir, your girlfriend got a full set and is refusing to pay. Her purse costs more than my tuition. Please, just have a heart and settle the bill." She bit her lip, forcing a few crocodile tears to roll down her cheeks.

The "good Samaritans" around us sighed. "Kids these days. So rich but so stingy. Just pay it, man. It's charity at this point."

Charity and extortion are two different things. I have money, but I'm not an ATM. And I'm definitely not paying a scammer because she's crying.

Carter put a hand on my shoulder. "Harper, it's getting late. Let's just let it go." "Can I pay you back later?" he asked me, lowering his voice. "She worked hard for two hours. Everyone is struggling. Take the high road."

The text stream went wild. They were calling me a toxic villainess and praising Carter for being a "gentle king." So, defending my rights makes me a villain? And because I'm not the "protagonist," I have to be a doormat?

Lila wiped her tears. "Sir, you really understand the struggle of the working class. How about this? If your girlfriend buys a $2,000 gift card today, I'll comp the diamonds. And she gets 20% off future visits." "It's a steal. I'm doing this behind my boss's back to help you out. Hurry, before she comes back."

She shoved the card reader at me for the third time. I scoffed and slapped it out of her hand. Clatter.

"You're out of your mind," I said. "Since we can't communicate, I'm calling the police. Let's see if they call it 'charity' or 'theft'."

I pulled out my phone. Carter grabbed my wrist, hissing, "Harper, don't be dramatic. It's on the price list. You should just pay."

The moment I mentioned the cops, Lila wilted. She looked at Carter with big, wet puppy eyes. "Sir... I'm just a student working part-time. My dad is sick in the hospital waiting for surgery money. Why does your girlfriend want to destroy me?" She tugged gently on Carter's sleeve.

The comments erupted. [Omg Lila crying is so cute and sad. I love her.] [If I were Carter, I'd hug her right now.] [Carter, save her!]

Carter ate it up. He pulled his arm away from me and stood tall. "Harper, if you won't pay, I will. But after this? We're done. I can't be with someone this heartless."