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Olivia froze, A flush crept up her ears.
Seeing she didn’t move, I took outmy phone, smirking, “Shall I call him for you?”
Her knuckles whitened around her luggage handle.

Grudgingly, she tackled it herself.
The cost? A sprained ankle and shoulders so sore she could barely lift them.
I knew she wouldn’t call Ethan—he’d given her $500 to hire movers, which had vanished into her family's pockets within five minutes.
With no cash, she played her charm to coax someone else, ,but Jason and I turned her down.
Broke and desperate, she restorted to Ethan like a wronged princess as usual.
Right outside the dorm, she pounded Ethan's chest. "It’s Sophie and her brother’s fault. If they’d helped me a little, I wouldn’t be like this.”

Pouting, she sat on his lap, hiking her skirt to show a swollen ankle, “It hurts so bad…”
Then she tugged her neckline to flash her shoulder.
Ethan was really distressed. He rubbed her gently,e choing her.“Yeah, making my girl suffer? Shame on them.”
“I was overwhelmed… it took me over an hour…”

Olivilia continued, ,but Ethan suddenly remembered, "Wait., did I gave you money to hire someone.”
She stiffened, “I…thought it was wasteful…so I asked Sophie and her brother to help me…"
“Besides, shouldn’t men want to help women?"
Ethan fell into silence.
Olivia pivoted, pouting, "I’ve been saving up…”
“Saving?”
“Yeah…you know my family…my parents want me to prove myself ,prep for the family business post-grad. I never ask for extra money.”
“Recently, I wanted an expensive gift for you… that's why I don't spend the money but save it for you…”
As she spoke, her eyes was full with tears.
I marveled at her lies.
From a rural family,fatherless,with a mom slaving in a factory and a deadbeat brother,they lived off her boyfriends.
Yet in her story, she was some "humble heiress", "enduring hardship" to prove her worth.
Softening,he hugged her,patting her back to hush her sobs.
“Really? You can afford your daily necessities?”
I stepped from the shadows,clearing my throat.
Olivia whipped around, face draining of color.
She leapt off Ethan’s lap. “Sophie, stop lying!”
“Lying about what?”
I nearly laughed. “We’ve lived together a year, but we never see you use your own shampoo, you always steal our skincare…”
“You borrow my makeup and clothes for dates…”
“Olivia, care to explain it.”
She trembled, redness creeping from her neck to her ears as tears brimming in her eyes.
“You…how dare you slander me!” She turned to Ethan. “Honey, she’s lying. Don’t believe her!”
Ethan, still on her side, stroked her back to calm her down.
So I led him to our dorm.
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