The chauffeur’s son went all out, sparing no expense, to throw an extravagant birthday party for his little girlfriend. When it came time to pay, surprise! His credit card was frozen. Fuming, he called me in a fit of rage: “Lila Grant, what gives you the right to freeze my credit card? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to not be able to pay here?!” I chuckled coldly and reminded him, “Have you been drinking too much expired milk formula? That card you’re holding happens to be mine. If I freeze my own credit card, how’s that any of your business?” Please. I’m not like the original lovestruck fool I replaced. Why would I, a rich heiress, stoop to chasing after the chauffeur’s son? I woke up in the world of a cliché romance novel. The original heroine, Lila Grant, was the only daughter of the prestigious Grant family in the fictional city of Avalon. She was raised like a princess, showered with love and attention from all directions. This kind of girl had probably never faced rejection in her life, which is why, when the chauffeur’s son, Austin Chase, turned her down after she invited him to hang out, her obsession kicked in. This guy dares to reject me? He’s so different from everyone else. I love it! And so, from that day forward, Lila became Austin’s shadow. At first, maybe she just wanted to conquer him, to see him fall for her like every other boy at school. But clearly, Austin wasn’t buying it. No matter how much she bribed, threatened, or pleaded, his attitude toward her remained stone cold. Eventually, her feelings morphed into full-blown desperation. She started doing everything she could to win his favor. Her dad bought her a brand-new phone? She gave it to Austin and kept using his old hand-me-down. Her mom bought her a gorgeous new necklace? Austin took it and gifted it to his crush, Mia, for her birthday. Even her monthly allowance—$10,000—was mostly spent on Austin. Everyone at school knew how far Lila was willing to go for Austin. No matter how outrageous his demands, as long as he frowned slightly, she’d immediately lower her head and apologize. Rumors started circulating that Lila wasn’t actually the Grant family’s daughter, but the housekeeper’s kid. Supposedly, the only reason she could attend the elite Westbridge Academy was because Austin’s family sponsored her. Honestly, the original Lila was an absolute fool. Just earlier today, the poor girl heard that Austin confessed his love to Mia at her birthday party. She got so worked up that she literally died of anger. Seriously? What kind of spell did Austin cast on her to make a rich heiress lose her mind like this? But now, I’m the one lying on this luxurious, king-sized bed, staring at the absurd balance in my bank account, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. Being a rich heiress is awesome. Forget Austin Chase or whatever-his-name-is. I’m done. I hung up on Austin and immediately blocked his number. Just as I was enjoying my victory, another call came in. A girl’s tearful voice greeted me: “Lila, I know you like Austin, but he loves me! How could you freeze his credit card just because he doesn’t like you?” “Now the whole class is stuck at the hotel because the bill hasn’t been paid! Stop being so petty and unfreeze his card already!” “And you blocked his number too! Do you know how furious he is? If I hadn’t calmed him down, he’d have ended your friendship by now!” I replied coolly, “Good. Let’s end it then. I don’t care.” “Oh, by the way, did Austin not tell you? That card he’s using is mine. I froze my card. How is that any of your business?” “If he wanted to throw you a party, why didn’t he use his own money? Isn’t he supposed to be some big shot? Can’t even afford a birthday bash? What a joke.” The phone was snatched away from the girl, and Austin’s angry voice roared on the other end: “Lila Grant, stop playing these stupid games to get my attention! I’m warning you—unfreeze the card in the next minute, or you’ll regret it!” Wow. He really thought he was the main character, didn’t he? Too bad. Austin was just the chauffeur’s kid. Before I even had the chance to respond, he hung up on me. Great. Saved me the effort of wasting my breath. I calmly blocked the number, got up, and started putting on makeup. I chose an outfit from my walk-in closet, where the selection was bigger than the living room in my old house. Man, being rich is incredible. Designer makeup lined the vanity, and the closet was filled with the latest high-end fashion and handbags. If it weren’t for the fact that I was starving, I’d have stayed there all day trying on clothes! Austin’s dad, John Chase, is my personal driver. In reality, he was originally my dad’s driver, but because the previous owner had a thing for Austin, he insisted on having John drive him around, and, of course, Austin ended up getting a ride too. Funny enough, even though John was technically my driver, he always insisted on waiting for Austin to show up before leaving. There were several times when I was stuck at school after bombing an exam, and John would pick up Austin and leave without me. I’d end up having to take the bus back home. This happened because when I asked John to come back for me, Austin would scold him: “It’s your fault for not studying properly and failing the exam, why should my dad have to run another errand for you? Can’t you just take the bus back like everyone else?” I opened the back door and slid into the car, just as I heard John on the phone. “I got it, I got it, I’ll ask him.” He hung up and turned to look at me, with a hint of reproach in his eyes. “Lila, did you have a fight with Austin? Why did you freeze his credit card? He’s stuck at the hotel, embarrassed in front of the whole class. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” “Mr. Chase, I call you Mr. Chase out of respect, but you need to know your place. You’re just my driver. Lila is what my parents call me, not what you should be calling me.” “And just so you understand, the credit card your son is holding is mine. I froze MY credit card. What does that have to do with you guys?” John stared at me, his face going through a range of expressions, almost like a painter’s palette. He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. I gave him an address, closed my eyes, and pretended to nap. But when the car stopped, I realized that John had driven us straight to the hotel where Austin was throwing a birthday party for Mia. “Lila, I know you’re upset about Austin being with Mia, but we can’t force feelings, right?” “This hotel was your booking for Austin. You paid for it, and now you’re trying to skip out on the bill. Do you really think that’s the right thing to do?” “Now the whole class is stuck at the hotel because of your actions. Stop throwing a tantrum and just pay the bill.” I stared at John for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, but you have to come with me.” John hesitated, wanting to refuse, but when he saw the look in my eyes, he reluctantly agreed. We walked in, me first, and before we even reached the private room, I could hear the noise and complaints inside. “Lila Grant must’ve lost her mind today—she actually blocked Austin’s number.” “Yeah, Mia tried to call her and she blocked her too. Is it because Austin and Mia are together? Is that too much for her to handle?” “Don’t worry. This happened before, remember? She only lasted an hour before she gave in and apologized to Austin. I bet she’ll last an hour today too.” I pushed the door open, and all eyes turned toward me. I could hear the same two voices laughing as they spoke again: “See, I told you she wouldn’t last. Now she’s rushing to apologize to Austin!” Austin looked at me with a mix of disgust, his smile vanishing in an instant. “Lila Grant, so you decided to show up after all!” He gave me a once-over, then sneered. “It’s Mia’ birthday, and you came empty-handed? Where’s your gift?” When I didn’t answer, he went on, “Fine, no gift? Just send me 100k, and I’ll pick out a bag for Mia. That’ll be your present to her.” I laughed and walked up to him, meeting his gaze directly. “How strange, Mr. Chase. Where would the daughter of a maid like me get 100k to buy Mia a bag?”3 His face shifted, and he stammered, “But, but wasn’t that the salary I gave you?” I raised an eyebrow, about to say something when Mia interrupted. “Forget it, forget it, no gift, no problem. Lila Grant, just pay the bill already, we’re heading out to karaoke!” I blinked in surprise. “What? Why do I have to pay the bill? I’m just the daughter of a maid. Where do you think I’m getting the money to pay for all of you?” I purposely said it loud enough for everyone to hear. “It’s not your money, it’s the money Austin left with you,” someone piped up. “You’re letting your pocket money be managed by your maid’s daughter?” I shot back, dripping sarcasm. The person fell silent. Austin pulled me to the side, lowering his voice: “Lila Grant, what are you trying to do? Why is it so difficult for you to just pay the bill?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “I’m not doing anything, I just suddenly realized I don’t want to be your doormat anymore.” I turned and looked directly at John Chase, who had been trailing behind me. “Mr. Chase, your son’s too broke to pay for his girlfriend’s birthday dinner, seems like you—his dad—should pick up the tab, right?” The moment Austin and John locked eyes, their expressions were… odd. Of course, the rest of the class looked even more bewildered. “Austin is the heir to the Chase family, right? Why is his dad dressed so… plain?” “That suit doesn’t fit, and it’s all wrinkled. Definitely not custom-made.” “No way… this is Austin’s dad? He doesn’t look like a rich guy at all. What’s going on?” The whispers buzzed, and Austin’s face was all shades of green and white. I took the opportunity to deliver the final blow, “This is our driver, Mr. Chase. Austin is his son.” “Mr. Chase, if you’re short on cash, I can call my uncle and ask for a discount.” “Oh, and by the way, you’re fired. As of today, you’re no longer working for my family.” With that, I waved my hand casually and turned, strutting away. This is too funny—thought they could make me the sucker to foot the bill? Not a chance! With that money, I could donate it to kids in the mountains—what’s better than earning some good karma?4 The next day when I went to school, I opened the car door to get in, but before I could even sit down, Austin tried to climb in right behind me. “What do you think you’re doing?” I grabbed the door and stopped him. “Move, we’re going to be late,” he said, shoving me aside before climbing into the car and sitting next to me. He then turned to the driver and said, “Dad, like usual, stop by to pick up Mia first, then take us to school.” The driver turned around, confused, and looked at Austin. John Chase had been fired yesterday. To make sure he didn’t think I was all talk, I’d called my dad to tell him about it. My dad said that his other driver, Mr. Harris, was available and would be picking me up and dropping me off from now on. “Austin Chase, have you lost your memory? I fired your dad yesterday.” “You—get out! Now!” I kicked him hard, sending him tumbling out of the car.
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