Chapter 2

The next morning, the reality of that three-thousand-five-hundred-dollar mansion still sat heavy in Cari's chest as she walked into the lecture hall.

She adjusted the straps of her worn-out backpack and stepped through the doors.

The loud chatter in the room died for a single, heavy second.

Students quickly looked away, shifting in their seats like she carried a disease. No one wanted to be near the disgraced fake daughter.

Cari kept her face blank. She walked up the steps to the very back row and sat in an empty corner seat.

She pulled out a notebook and a pen, resting her hands on the desk.

Professor Theron Wallace walked up to the podium. He tapped his knuckles against the chalkboard.

"Listen up," Professor Wallace announced. "The core film project for this semester starts today."

He explained that the class would divide into groups. They had until next week to secure a filming location that fit the theme of a high-end, luxury lifestyle.

The heavy wooden doors of the classroom swung open.

Harper Zamora walked in, surrounded by three of her followers.

Harper wore a custom-tailored suit that looked simple but screamed money. She smiled softly and waved at the class.

She walked straight to the center seat in the front row, soaking in the jealous and admiring stares from the room.

Rory Corrigan immediately leaned over from the next seat.

"Harper," Rory asked loudly, making sure the whole room could hear. "Where did you go for the weekend?"

Harper lowered her voice, but kept it just loud enough to carry.

"My parents rented a beach house for me in the Hamptons," Harper said casually.

Rory gasped, her voice echoing up the tiered seating. "The Hamptons? The prime lots? The monthly rent must be astronomical!"

Harper covered her mouth with her hand and let out a soft, fake laugh.

"It wasn't too bad, really," Harper said, looking down modestly. "Only about eight dollars a month."

The entire classroom erupted into a collective gasp.

Students in the front rows turned their heads, staring at Harper with pure worship in their eyes.

In the back corner, Cari's hand jerked.

The tip of her pen dug into the notebook paper, tearing a deep line across the page.

Her mind did the math again. A Hampton beach house for eight dollars. This world was completely insane.

Professor Wallace clapped his hands loudly, cutting through the noise.

"Alright, settle down," he said. "Which group wants to share their location plan first?"

Rory suddenly stood up. She turned around and pointed her finger straight at Cari in the back corner.

A nasty smile stretched across Rory's face.

"Professor, Cari should handle the location," Rory announced loudly. "She spent years living in the Zamora mansion. She knows all about luxury."

Every head in the room snapped toward Cari.

Their eyes were filled with mockery and cruel amusement.

Harper turned around in her seat. Her face shifted into a mask of pure pity.

"Rory, don't be mean," Harper said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Cari can barely afford to eat right now."

Harper paused, letting the silence hang before delivering the final blow.

"Cari, if you really can't find a place, I can ask my parents to let you use the maid's quarters at our house for your shoot."

The words "maid's quarters" triggered a roar of laughter from the entire class.

Cari felt the malice hitting her from all sides. Her stomach tightened, but her eyes grew colder.

She slowly stood up from her chair.

Her movements were steady. There was no panic in her body.

She looked straight into Harper's fake, pitying eyes. Her voice rang out, clear and sharp.

"Keep your maid's room, Harper," Cari said flatly. "I will provide a location far more high-end than your cheap little Hampton rental."

Rory clutched her stomach and laughed loudly.

"Are you going to take us to a homeless shelter?" Rory mocked.

Professor Wallace pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked at Cari with a strict frown.

"Miss Butler, if you fail to secure a location, you will fail this course," he warned.

Cari grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

She walked down the steps and out the door without looking back.