Chapter 2Taming The Sisters Who Scorned Me

My mother was the housekeeper for Bennett’s family. I grew up in the shadows of their mansion, the "plus-one" by necessity, never by choice. My mother’s mantra was simple: Make Bennett happy. If he’s happy, we’re safe.

I followed him to the elite private high school on a scholarship that felt more like a leash. That was where I met Maisie.

In that world, wealth was the only armor that mattered. The kids there didn't bother with the "help’s kid," but their lackeys—the ones desperate for a crumb of status—needed someone to kick.

One afternoon, while I was doing Bennett’s chores in the school’s courtyard, a group of them cornered me. They called me Bennett’s lapdog. They laughed about how much dignity a person could sell for a tuition check.

I held my broom and kept my head down. I was the quiet one. Even my mother wished I was more like Bennett—bright, loud, effortless. She never understood that I didn't have the luxury of being reckless.

They started pushing me, bored with my silence, when a girl stepped out from behind a massive oak tree. Her blazer was draped over one shoulder, her tie loosened with a deliberate, messy grace.

"God, you guys are exhausting," she said, yawning. "I’m trying to nap, and all I hear is the sound of insecurity. Move."

That was Maisie. She was the princess I had dreamed about, the one who stepped out of the light to save the boy in the dirt.

I fell for her in that moment. Hard.

Later, she fell for Bennett. She used me to funnel gifts to him, occasionally tossing me a gourmet cupcake as a thank-you. Those tiny crumbs of kindness were enough to fuel a fire in me for years. I hid my feelings so deep they became a part of my DNA. No one knew. Not even the internet—I only wrote about her on a private, anonymous blog, calling her "The Light."

Until Bennett found it.

He walked up to Maisie at a party, slinging an arm around her. "Hey, I’m playing matchmaker. My boy Casey here is obsessed with you. You two should get a room."

I remember the ice that filled my veins. I tried to laugh it off, tried to pull him away.

Maisie’s reaction was swifter. "Are you joking? I wouldn't even date you on a good day, Bennett. Why would I want the guy who disappears into the background the moment the lights come on?"

They laughed. They turned it into a game of tag, chasing each other across the lawn while I stood there, rooted to the spot. I couldn't even look up. I just gripped the hem of my shirt and waited for them to finish, because as long as my mom worked for his dad, I had to stay.

I watched them for years after that. I saw her playfully mess up his hair; I saw him flirt with her and her older sister, Margot, playing them against each other like a deck of cards.

Now, my hair was finally long enough for her to grab, but she wasn't doing it out of love. She was doing it to hurt me.