Rejection & Regret Chapter 2

Meanwhile, the classmate who had so kindly guided me had ducked into a stairwell, where a group of similarly well-dressed teens were waiting.

Becca bounced on her heels, addressing the beautiful girl at the center of the group. “Vivian, it’s done! That new kid is totally clueless.”

“He believed every word I said. I pointed out Iris Thorne and told him the Sterlings went bankrupt and you couldn't even afford to eat. His jaw practically hit the floor.”

“He even saw Iris’s pathetic little bun. I mean, who would want to marry into that kind of charity case?”

“I give him three days, tops. He’ll be begging his dad to call off the engagement.”

Vivian Sterling looked impatient, but she still confirmed, “Are you sure it’ll only take three days? He really bought it?”

“I saw the photo he has. It’s just a side profile of you. It looks close enough to Iris. No one would question it.”

“I also told him that after the bankruptcy, you changed your name to avoid debt collectors. He definitely believes it. If he ever runs into you, just say you have the same name. That way he can’t latch onto you.”

Vivian stuck her hands in her pockets, her beautiful features relaxing slightly. “Some new-money hick from the sticks. Who even does arranged marriages anymore?”

“Exactly! The Sterlings are an established family. If there’s an engagement, it should be with someone from an equally prominent family, like your sister and the heir to the Jenson Corporation. Why are you stuck with some country bumpkin?”

“I know, right? My mom has been throwing a fit about this for days, even went on a hunger strike to try and get my dad to cancel it.”

“But my dad listens to whatever my grandfather says, and the old man is all about honor and loyalty. He’s determined to fulfill some promise he made to an old war buddy.”

“By the way, I think your fiancé is actually…”

Vivian shot her a cold look, and Becca quickly corrected herself. “That country kid is pretty hot. I snapped a picture. Wanna see? Maybe he’s your type after all.”

Vivian scoffed. “Are you kidding me? You know my standards. You really think I’d be interested in someone from the middle of nowhere?”

Becca scratched her head, muttering, “He’s really cute, though. Way better looking than that pretty-boy captain of the football team you used to date.”