Chapter 4 LILY BLACKWELL

Three days after the call with Damian Blackwell, I walked out of the campus bookstore with a brand new MacBook in my arms.

It wasn't technically mine. Lily had bought it, smiling as she handed over her platinum credit card like it was no big deal.

"You're going to need something decent if you're tutoring me properly," she had said, casually sipping on a caramel macchiato that cost more than my weekly grocery budget.

I had hesitated...barely. "You're sure?" I asked, trying not to look too eager.

"Of course," she waved me off. "Think of it as an investment. You're helping me pass, I should do this much for you."

I was helping her, wasn't I?

So, I didn't say no. I didn't push her hand back or insist on buying a second-hand laptop. I let her do it. And maybe, just maybe, it felt a little too easy.

That's how it started.

The laptop led to other "necessities".

Like noise-cancelling headphones for late-night study sessions, then a few textbooks she ordered without even checking the price tag. Before I could blink, I had access to a lifestyle I'd only dreamed of.

Lily didn't seem to mind. In fact, she welcomed the company.

We weren't just tutor and student anymore, we became a unit-inseparable.

She'd drag me along with her to lunch dates with her fellow rich friends, and eventually, I started joining her on weekend parties.

The first time I slid into her custom red Porsche 911 turbo S, my breath hitched. I'd never ridden in a car that expensive, let alone had someone open the door for me. Her driver nodded at me like I belonged there.

It was addicting.

At the party, people greeted her like royalty. Lily Blackwell was the kind of girl who owned a room without trying. And suddenly, I was standing beside her, introduced as "her brilliant tutor and roommate" and not just another broke freshman.

I played the role well.

"Is it true you scored highest in the scholarship exam?" one guy asked, handing me a glass of something fruity.

"Top 1, we were more than a thousand students," I replied smoothly, smiling like I belonged there.

Lily leaned into me, drunk on cocktails and attention. "See? I told you she's a genius."

I soaked it in, the warmth of admiration, the shine of recognition.

Something whispered to me...Why are you using her?

But I pushed the thought aside.

Lily didn't mind, right?

Because I was tutoring her. Every night after the day's activities or parties, we'd sit at her desk, textbooks spread out, notes highlighted, coffee brewing. I explained every theory, broke down every case study, and made sure she understood before we called it a night.

I noticed that Lily was smart, she was only just distracted.

"You actually make this stuff interesting," she told me once, eyes wide with realization after I explained a business strategy concept using her favorite shopping mall as a model.

"You just need to stop zoning out when things get boring," I told her.

We had fun. We had moments. And slowly, I felt myself falling deep into the lifestyle that could never be mine.

Still, I couldn't ignore the perks.

The day I mentioned I'd need a printer for some research, she bought a high-end one the next morning. When I commented offhandedly about needing new shoes because mine were worn down to the sole, she took me shopping that weekend and got me bags of clothes and shoes.

At first, I justified it all.

She offered. I never asked.

But eventually, I got comfortable suggesting.

"I heard there's this expensive database for management research," I said one night. "It'd really help if I could get access."

She handed me her credit card without blinking.

One time, there was an elite business networking event exclusively for final year students. I really wanted to attend so I told Lily that it was important for our studies and research. She used her influence and money to get us into the event venue.

I stood in front of the mirror before that event, staring at the designer dress she'd picked for me. It hugged my body like a second skin, the tag price making my stomach twist. It was beautiful.

"I don't know if I can wear this," I murmured.

"Why not?" she asked, applying her lipstick. "You look amazing."

"I'm not like... you," I said quietly.

She turned to me, her expression serious. "El, I like having you around. You're the first real person I've met in this school. So stop acting like you don't belong."

I nodded slowly, biting back the guilt. Because deep down, I wasn't sure if I was real. Or if I was with her for the benefits.

My old cracked phone was replaced with the latest model. Another gift from Lily after she caught me squinting at my screen during a study session.

"I can't have you going blind while tutoring me," she had teased.

I should've said no.

But I didn't.

And while our friendship grew, so did the unease in my chest.

And all these didn't affect my payment for tutoring her.

Damian Blackwell sent it directly to me when it was due. Sometimes, Lily would add in a word or two for me and her father would add extra pay for my services.

Every time she bought something for me, a voice told me that I wasn't her friend, I was a parasite.

But I ignored it, again and again, convincing myself that I was earning my place. That I was giving her real value in return, real friendship.

I told her about Jason's infidelity and she broke up with him immediately. Even though I tutored her, she made me do her assignments and wandered off to a party or to see a new guy.

Lily always had a new guy.....and she made me promise not to tell her father.

Why would I?

I liked this world too much....the comfort, the ease, the way she made my life so easy.

And that was when crazy ideas began creeping into my mind.

If I could get this much from Lily, what more could I get if I clawed my way into the Blackwell family?

My life would probably change for good, right?