Chapter 3The Price of Envy

I rushed to my advisor’s office, certain there had been a mistake with the system. My academic record had been flawless since my freshman year. I’d even felt I performed better than usual on these finals. How could my rank have plummeted so drastically?

The moment I stepped into her office, I noticed the strange way my advisor was looking at me. There was a hint of disdain in her eyes. It was unsettling, but I was determined to sort this out.

After carefully reviewing the grade sheet, I knew something was wrong.

“Professor, these scores can’t be right,” I said, pointing to the paper. “How did I get a 49 in English? I have the highest proficiency score in our entire class.”

My advisor, who was usually warm and supportive, was uncharacteristically cold.

“Don’t you ever have an off day, Sophie? When something goes wrong, you should look for the cause within yourself, not immediately blame the system or your teachers.” Her tone sharpened. “And about that letter of recommendation for your study abroad application… I can’t write it for you anymore. Sophie, I have to say, a young woman needs to have some self-respect.”

Her words left me completely bewildered. What did she mean, no self-respect?

Connecting her strange attitude with Tessa’s recent hostility, a sickening suspicion began to form in my mind.

I found Tessa and confronted her. “What did you do?”

Tessa simply arched an eyebrow. “I submitted lower scores for you. So what? As the student rep, I have the authority. I was just ensuring a level playing field for everyone else.”

Her voice was laced with a chilling self-righteousness. “The interview spot at Vanguard Corp. should go to someone who truly has the skills, not some gold-digging tramp like you!”

So that was it. The internship. Tessa must have heard some rumor that the top-ranked student in our department would automatically get an interview with Vanguard.

Too bad for her, she’d based her entire scheme on a lie.

Tessa knew I was in the middle of applying to graduate programs abroad, that every single grade was crucial for my application. Yet she’d abused her position to knock me out of the running, all for the sake of some twisted idea of “fairness.”

“I told the advisor everything,” she continued, her voice dripping with venom. “About your messy private life, how you stay up every night sexting with some guy. All those designer clothes you wear… they’re from your sugar daddy, aren't they? If I were your parents, I’d die of shame.”

Her words were getting more and more vicious. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had been patient for days, but I was done being a doormat.

I raised my hand and slapped her, hard, across the face.

“Are you sick in the head?” I seethed. “You spend all your time in the dorm spying on me. Are you that pathetic? The man I’m talking to every night is my husband, you psycho. So keep your filthy mouth shut!”

Tessa clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. “Don't give me that crap! That guy sends you thousands of dollars at a time. If that’s not being a sugar baby, what is?”

I almost laughed. The playful little money transfers Alex and I sent each other were, in her twisted mind, evidence of me being a kept woman.