Chapter 3The Roster Queen

I knew Ashton was rich. Of course I did. That’s why I pursued him in the first place.

We’d met on a high-stakes mobile game. That game had two kinds of players: whales who drop tens of thousands of dollars without a second thought, and people like me who hustle to sell account boosts for cash.

Ashton was the former. I was the latter.

The moment I saw his game avatar, clad in gear that would cost six figures in real money, I knew he was no ordinary catch. A once-in-a-lifetime sight. I immediately began my calculated pursuit.

Daily dungeon runs, sweet morning and goodnight texts, endless concerned inquiries. I waited patiently, and one night, after he poured out a sob story about the 'pain of his unstable childhood,' I solidified my persona as the ‘Gentle, Understanding Older Woman’—the one stable, maternal figure he needed. The needy, emotionally starved boy was securely hooked.

Perhaps he feared that everyone who got close to him only wanted his money. Ashton had adopted the cover of a cash-strapped, average college student with poor grades and a plain appearance.

He’d often play the pitiful victim, asking me in a small, vulnerable voice, “Babe, am I really worth your love, being so ordinary? I’m so scared you’ll meet the real me, be disappointed, and just… leave.”

I’d be silently rolling my eyes at his full complement of custom, god-tier game gear. For a rich guy, dropping a million in a mobile game is probably like dropping a hundred bucks for a normal person—they don’t even notice the cost. He hadn't even realized how badly he'd exposed himself.

But I’d reply with syrupy sweetness: “Never. In my heart, you are the most special little puppy. I could never leave you.”

Ashton seemed determined to maintain the ‘broke’ narrative. He was incredibly cheap. His coffee orders were from no-name chains, and his gifts were usually nine-ninety-nine-and-free-shipping junk from Amazon.

But his sweet talk was on point, he consistently carried me in the game, and he’d occasionally send me scorching-hot, borderline-explicit photos of his abs. For a while, I genuinely liked him.

Until one time.

I was rushing to a gig on my scooter when I crashed into a road barrier. My right leg was fractured, and a kind stranger rushed me to the ER. The x-rays, the hospital stay, the follow-up physical therapy—it came to over twenty thousand dollars.

I was desperate. I took a picture of myself in the hospital bed, looking pathetic, and reached out to Ashton.

“Babe, can you lend me some cash? I promise I’ll pay you back the second I’m better!”

His response? Silence. For an entire month, Ashton did not reply.

Luckily, I found a new prospect who covered the hospital bill. Otherwise, I might have been permanently disabled.

It was only after I was fully recovered and discharged that Ashton resumed our chat, acting as if nothing had happened—daily good mornings, constant life updates.

The jerk. Why didn’t he just wait for me to die and then send flowers to my grave?

I wanted to dump him then and there. But I couldn't find the right moment. You don’t just casually break up with a guy who can crush you socially or financially without a second thought. A messy exit could have serious repercussions.

So I played along, performing affection while shifting my focus to other men in my portfolio.

Maybe he sensed the chill. Ashton’s neediness and possessiveness exploded. He started relentlessly pushing for us to meet in person.

Absolutely not. Online life is one thing. It can't contaminate my real-world hustle.

I was trying to figure out how to put him off when Phoebe, my convenient roommate, stepped up.

She’d taken this spoiled, demanding idiot off my hands. Perfect. If she could actually manage to get money out of Ashton, that was her skill, not my loss.

At least I had secured ten thousand dollars, cold hard cash.

Since my low-key attitude failed to provoke her, Phoebe dropped the topic of the necklace.

“By the way, Ashton wants to meet up in person,” she said, her eyes flicking to mine. “He said to bring all my roommates—he wants to treat us to dinner and get to know you guys.”

She slowly twisted the knife. “Skylar, you’re free the day after tomorrow, right?”

[Awww, finally, the highly anticipated confrontation! Will Skylar break down?]

[The villainess thinks he’s an ordinary guy, but when she sees our Ashton is a total Greek god in person, she's going to be absolutely demolished!]

[Oh, but I'm worried. What if Skylar decides she wants him back? What if she tries to steal him from our girl?]

[Relax! Ashton is clearly obsessed with Phoebe now. Even if he knows the truth, he’ll choose her without hesitation!]

[If Skylar tries anything, Ashton will protect Phoebe and crush her!]