Yeah, you heard me—I went shopping with my boyfriend. We actually just made it official this afternoon.
Emily nodded, a small smile on her face.
"It's true, Emily…" Rose started to say something, but Jasmine jumped in before she could finish.
Wait, your boyfriend—is it Evan?
Jasmine stared straight at Emily, clearly dying to know if it really was him.
Evan? Jass, isn't he your boyfriend's roommate? No way he's Emily's boyfriend, right? Didn't your boyfriend say Evan's just some regular guy?
Rose cut in first.
Jasmine stayed quiet, eyes glued to Emily.
"Yeah, it's him. He's my boyfriend now." emily nodded, looking right back at Jasmine.
No way. It's really him!
It's actually Evan!
Jasmine just stood there, stunned. She'd only asked for his information last night, met up with him at noon, and now—suddenly—they're dating?
What's going on with Evan's family? How did this even happen?
Jasmine felt totally lost.
"No, Emily, I don't get it. Why are you with him? What's special about him…? And that LV bag? Did you go shopping at LV?"
She tried to piece it together, but nothing made sense. Finally, she just blurted out the question, unable to hold back anymore.
But before she could even finish, her eyes landed on the LV bag Emily was holding, and she froze.
She was honestly shocked.
"It's really an LV bag! Emily, did you go to an LV store?" Rose noticed too, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Isabella, though, she'd seen the LV bag even earlier, but she kept quiet. Instead, she just watched with a thoughtful expression, like she was finally putting the puzzle together. Now it all made sense why Emily suddenly wanted to know about Evan yesterday, and why they became a couple today.
Clearly, Evan wasn't just some "average guy" like Nathan had claimed.
...
"Yeah, I stopped by the LV store," Emily said with a nod.
"Wait—did Evan buy you something there?" Jasmine asked, unable to help herself. She wasn't stupid. She'd known since their first month at school that there was no way a normal college student could afford LV.
So it had to be Evan who bought it.
Looks like Nathan was way off about his background.
He bought her LV!
And thinking about it, they barely even added each other yesterday, and today he's already buying her an LV bag?
That's… impressive.
"Can I see what he got you?" Jasmine tried to sound calm, but she was burning with curiosity.
"Emily, I want to see too. I've never actually touched an LV bag before," Rose chimed in, her excitement much more innocent than Jasmine.
Rose just wanted to see a real LV up close. But Jasmine, she was looking for clues about Evan's real financial situation.
"Sure, here—it's a handbag."
Emily glanced at Jasmine,totally aware of what was going on in her head, but she didn't care. She pulled the LV handbag out of the bag and held it up.
"This is an LV bag. It looks so expensive." Rose leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.
Jasmine stood off to the side. The moment she saw the bag, she recognized it right away. It was a brand-new style, just released this summer.
She couldn't afford it herself, but she'd been eyeing this exact handbag online.
The price? $13,500.
Almost $14,000.
Evan is loaded.
A bag worth $14,000, and he just gives it away like it's nothing.
Jasmine clenched her fists, eyes glued to the LV bag in Emily's hands. Jealousy hit her hard—there's no hiding it. I mean, who wouldn't be jealous? That's a year's salary for some people, just hanging off Emily's arm.
And the more she thought about it, the more unreal it felt. Evan could just hand over something that expensive, like he's handing out candy. How did I not see he was this rich?
Jasmine practically burned holes into that bag with her stare.
"Emily, did Evan buy this for you?" Rose reached out, touching the LV bag like it might bite, then asked, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, he bought it for me…" Emily said
Rose's jaw dropped.Honestly, for a second, Rose really wondered if she'd gone deaf.
"Is it made of gold or something?" Rose muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. She snatched her hand back from the bag, like she might break it just by touching it.
"No way I can afford to replace it if something happens," she said, backing away.
Emily laughed. "Relax. It's not made of paper. It won't fall apart that easily." She shoved the bag back into Rose's hands. "Go on, touch it. It's not going to bite."
Rose panicked. "No, no, no! Take it back. I'm not touching it. Seriously, take it."
She clutched her own bag like a lifeline, eyes darting between Emily and the LV like she was in trouble.
Emily took the bag back, still smiling. Rose finally let out a breath.
"Emily, is Evan's family really that rich? Just gives away a $14,000 bag like it's nothing. That's real money right there," Rose said, sounding more than a little envious. Who isn't, honestly? Money means everything these days, and Rose knew it.
Deep down, she wished she was Emily right then.
$14,000 on a single bag—if that doesn't scream rich and generous, what does?
"I'm going to the bathroom,"Emily said, tossing her bag back on the bed before slipping out.
Rose turned to Jasmine,"Jass, didn't your boyfriend say Evan's family was just normal? That's clearly not true. He just handed over a $14,000 bag. I mean, come on. He's loaded."
She waited for an answer.
Jasmine just gritted her teeth, saying nothing. What was there to say? If she'd known Evan was this rich and generous, she would've gone after him herself instead of sticking with Nathan.
"Jass, what's wrong? Cat got your tongue? You're usually chatty."
Jasmine forced a reply through clenched teeth. "I'm tired. Need a nap." She turned away and lay down.
Rose raised an eyebrow but let it go.
The dorm fell quiet again.
Isabella sat at her desk, cool and collected. She shot a glance at the LV bag on Emily's bed, then looked away. She knew those bags were expensive, but this? That's on another level.
Rich people, she thought, and let out a silent sigh, then went back to her phone. She'd found a new book yesterday, something right up her alley. But just as she started reading, a message popped up from her mom.
Mom: bella, are there any boys from wealthy families at your school? Maybe you should try to get close to them.
Isabella stared at the message, sighed, and ignored it.
Dorm bathroom,
Today was like a roller-coaster of emotions. It didn't start that great, but everything else that followed was like a story out of a fairytale book.
Emily stood in front of the mirror, cheeks flushed. She stared at her reflection, thinking back to what happened in the car just now. She give him a quick kiss, but before Evan respond, She ran away, smiling Honestly, she was in a great mood. She could tell—Evan was just as nervous as she was.
…
As Evan drove out the school gate, he couldn't help but think about it. He smiled, then started chatting with the system in his head.
System, what's this "love fund" anyway?
Evan couldn't help blurting out the question. Just a few minutes ago, right after the of kiss of Emily, he suddenly heard that familiar system notification in his head.
Apparently, he'd just scored a "love fund" of $100,000. Not that he had the presence of mind to ask how or why at the time.
The system made it simple: "Host has established a romantic relationship with Emily. Issuing a $100,000 love fund. This money can only be used for Emily."
So that's it. The money's just for her. Dating expenses, basically.
Honestly, a $100,000 just for dating? That's insane. Most college graduates would have to work half their lives to save up that much.
Emily shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He pulled over by the curb, grabbed his phone, and fired off a message to Lena.
"I'm on my way to pick you up. Should be there in about twenty minutes."
She replied almost instantly—definitely glued to her phone.
"Okay, I'll come downstairs to wait for you."
Then, another message: a selfie emoji pack. She'd edited her own photo, hands framing her face, striking a cute pose for the camera.
Honestly, she was adorable. And, well, he couldn't help but notice her figure, too. She wasn't showing anything off, but her curves were hard to miss.
Evan stared at the photo for a few extra seconds before typing back a quick "ok," and saved her selfie sticker.
He was just about to put his phone away when another message popped up—this time from Emily.
That brought everything from earlier rushing back. His heart skipped. Sweet didn't even begin to cover it.
Trying not to dwell on it, he sent back a silly emoji and slid his phone into his pocket.
Then he let out a long sigh.
He couldn't ignore it anymore—the truth hit him hard. He was acting like a total jerk. He'd just made things official with Emily, even kissed her, and now he was heading out to dinner with Lena. And the system's next task? Steal Lena's first kiss.
The worst part? He didn't even feel bad about it. Lena was gorgeous, and her figure was seriously tempting.
Money really does change how people think. He never thought he'd be the type to want two girls at once, but here he was, not even pretending to resist.
Evan shook his head again, refusing to think about it any more, and started driving toward the address Lena had sent him earlier.
So what if he was a scumbag? With a system like this, isn't it normal to have a few girlfriends?
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Silverbrook Community sat on the edge of Riverton City, looking tired and a little forgotten. Built back in 2003, it had definitely seen better days. The paint was faded, the facilities felt stuck in another era, and the hallways creaked with every footstep, like they'd just given up trying to be new.
Most people who could afford something better had already moved out, leaving their old places behind as rentals. That's how Silverbrook turned into a home for people just starting out—fresh grads, young professionals, anyone willing to put up with peeling walls in exchange for cheap rent.
Lena and her best friend Lara shared a two-bedroom apartment here.
Right now, Lena was sitting on the edge of her bed, fiddling with her phone, anxiety written all over her face. Lara sprawled out nearby, watching her.
"He said he's already on his way and'll be here in twenty minutes. Lara, do I look okay in this?" Lena's voice wobbled a little as she finally put her phone down and looked up.
"Trust me, he'll love it, no question." Lara nodded, a little too hard. She took in Lena's outfit—a white floral dress that somehow made her look even slimmer, her features annoyingly perfect.
Honestly, it was hard not to feel jealous. Even as another girl, Lara sometimes wondered what exactly Lena ate growing up to end up looking like that. Genetics had definitely played favorites.
"Seriously, he'll like you no matter what you wear," Lara said, trying to hide her envy.
"Wait, why?" Lena looked up, genuinely confused.
Lara rolled her eyes. "Come on. With your looks? What guy wouldn't be into you? Plus, you're beautiful. It's a no-brainer." She poked Lena's arm for emphasis.
Lena blushed and swatted her hand. "Stop it. You're being ridiculous."
"I'm not! I honestly don't get how you turned out like this," Lara said, shaking her head, but she let it drop when she saw Lena's face go even redder. Lena always got shy about these things.
"Lena, you know I'm jealous, right? You've got some rich guy chasing after you, and you drive a brand-new BMW right out of the gate. Your family's definitely well-off. And you're, what, a few years younger than most of us?"
Lara remembered Lena telling her about Evan just last night after work. She had to admit, she was a little envious. You don't realize how much money matters until you're out there on your own.
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