Chapter 2The Price of Envy

Tessa yelped, startled. She quickly snatched her hand back, hiding whatever she was holding.

“God, Sophie, can’t you walk like a normal person?” she snapped, her voice shaking.

She was the one doing something shady, but somehow, I was the one in the wrong?

My brows knitted together. “What were you looking for in my bed? You can’t just go through my things without my permission.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, her face a mask of annoyance. “Do you have a persecution complex or something? You think you’re so special? Nobody wants to touch your stupid stuff!”

With that, she stormed out of the room.

That afternoon, during our department meeting, Tessa leaned against the whiteboard, her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on me.

“Lately, there have been a lot of stories online about college girls selling their bodies to feed their vanity,” she announced to the room, her voice dripping with meaning. “We should all learn from their mistakes and uphold our integrity.”

She tilted her chin in my direction. “Right, Sophie?”

A few of the guys in the class snickered, their laughter grating on my nerves. I saw a couple of them looking me up and down with smug, knowing smiles.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to explode.

“Who are you trying to call out, Tessa?” I said through gritted teeth. “Show some respect.”

She pretended not to hear me. “You all probably don’t know this, but Sophie spent nine hundred dollars on a single concert ticket. Her skincare products cost thousands, all imported. Even her underwear is designer, costing hundreds!”

Oh my god, this woman had absolutely no shame.

A hot, uncontrollable rage surged through me. I kicked back my chair and shot to my feet. “What is wrong with you? Who talks about their roommate’s private life in front of the entire class? If you can’t control that mouth of yours, I swear I’ll shut it for you!”

Tessa just smirked, her voice rising with excitement. “As student representative, I propose that her academic scholarship be revoked and the money divided among the students on financial aid! Sophie can clearly afford it; that three-thousand-dollar scholarship is less than what she spends on a concert ticket!”

She paused for dramatic effect. “But for students like us, that money means more hot meals. It means less of a burden on our families!”

Tessa was on financial aid. In fact, her entire influencer persona was built around being a poor, hardworking student who was pulling herself up by her bootstraps. Her sob story had gained her a lot of sympathy online.

As soon as she finished, a murmur of agreement spread through the classroom.

Divide my scholarship? Without even asking me?

I was furious. I grabbed the nearest textbook and hurled it at her. “Are you deaf? I earned that scholarship with my grades! It has nothing to do with you. What gives you the right to give it away?”

I then turned to the rest of the class. “And don't you dare try to guilt-trip me! There are programs for students who need financial assistance. If you want money, earn it with your own merit!”

After my outburst, I stormed out of the room, leaving Tessa fuming and stomping her foot behind me.

As I crossed the main campus quad, I saw a large poster for Vanguard Corp.’s on-campus recruitment drive. The anger I’d just started to let go of came roaring back.

I had been the one to convince Alexander Knight to hold a trial recruitment event at our university, begging and pleading with him to give my classmates a chance at a top-tier company. And this was the thanks I got.

Fine. If they were going to be like that, I didn’t need to waste my energy.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Alex’s number.

His assistant, Mark, picked up. When I told him to cancel the campus recruitment drive, he agreed without hesitation.

“Honestly, Mrs. Knight, the candidate pool wasn’t quite aligned with the corporation’s needs anyway. It’s better to cancel before we officially begin. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything.”

“Oh, and by the way, Mrs. Knight,” he added, “Mr. Knight knows you’re going to the concert. He had a dress custom-made for you. I’ll have it delivered later today.”

“Thanks, Mark. Tell Alex to call me when he’s free.”

Hanging up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. No more trying to do good deeds for ungrateful people.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I glanced down and saw a notification that made my stomach drop.

[Dear Ms. Reed, your ticket refund has been processed successfully!]

What the hell? I’d stayed up all night for that ticket. There was no way I would have refunded it.

I was about to call the ticketing agency when a message from our academic advisor popped up in the group chat. It was a picture of the final rankings for the semester. My eyes scanned the list, and my heart stopped.

I, who had never placed below first in my entire college career, was now at the bottom of the list.