Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Austin Carter, had a female childhood friend he grew up with. On his birthday, I rushed back from a business trip just to celebrate with him.

She looked me up and down, letting out a sharp scoff.

"I’ve seen plenty of girls like her. Straight out of some cheap socialite boot camp!"

"They target rich guys like you, Austin. She’s probably memorized all your likes and dislikes. This whole relationship? A tailor-made trap!"

Hearing this, I smirked. She was only half right.

I was indeed a high-society heiress. But Austin? He wasn't worth the effort of a "tailor-made" trap.

I walked over, sat directly opposite her, and sneered, "And which Madame trained you, then? You seem to know an awful lot about that industry."

Hearing this, she grabbed Austin’s arm, whining, "Austin, I told you we shouldn't have invited her! But you insisted I help you check her out!"

Austin glared at me, his eyes cold and stern. "Chloe, that’s out of line!"

I couldn't believe my ears. It wasn't out of line when she insulted me, but the moment I fought back, I was the bad guy?

"Austin, did you leave your brain at home today?"

"You asked her to 'check me out'? What, is there something about me you don't know that you need her as your consultant?"

Austin stood up, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Chloe, stop pretending. Tell me, where did all your designer clothes come from? And that luxury car you drive—the one you swap out every few weeks? Where did you get the money for that?"

"You told me your family was in business, ranked in the top three of the city's wealthiest. But guess what? There’s no one named 'Sterling' on that billionaire list!"

"Chloe, you've disappointed me so much."

With every word he spoke, my fists clenched tighter.

But when he mentioned that there was no "Sterling" on the billionaire list, I almost burst out laughing.

I took my mother’s last name. Is that a crime?

Ashley Vance, his little green-tea bestie, sighed dramatically. "Austin, forget it. It's good you saw her true colors early. Some gold diggers just don't know their place."

I raised an eyebrow. "Gold digger?"

Austin cleared his throat. "Alright, Chloe. Now that we’ve exposed you, stop acting. Today is my birthday. Don't make a scene."

"Make a scene? Austin, I cut my business trip short and flew back just to celebrate with you, and you bring this toxic snake to slander me?"

"I must have been blind to ever date you. You really think you're something, don't you?"

Before he could reply, I grabbed my wine glass and splashed the red wine right in his face!

"You want a scene? I'll give you one. And remember—I'm dumping you!"

Ashley screamed in horror. "How dare you splash him!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot about you!"

Before she could react, I swung my arm and delivered a harsh, echoing slap right across her face!

Then, I grabbed her jaw, forcing her mouth open, and poured a dirty glass of ashtray water right down her throat!

"Clean your mouth out. It reeks, and I wouldn't want it ruining your precious Austin's night."

Ignoring her gagging and hysterical screams behind me, I slammed the door and walked out.

In my world, Chloe Sterling never wastes time arguing. If I can swing a punch, I do.

Otherwise, a loser like Austin would have never gotten a chance with me in the first place.

On my drive back, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Austin: "Chloe, you've gone too far! Ashley is calling the cops. Just you wait!"

I let out a cold laugh. Did he really think I was afraid of the police?

What a coincidence. I was going to report them too. Slander has consequences.

I spun the steering wheel and drove straight to the police station. As soon as I walked in, I saw Ashley. Her face was swollen, tears welling in her eyes as she hid behind Austin.

Seeing me, she whimpered, "Chloe, physical violence is wrong. I only pointed out the truth. You are psycho!"

The officer nearby turned to me. "Ms. Sterling, this lady is filing a report against you for assault."

"I did it. I hit her," I admitted outright. "But..."

I paused, pulling out my phone. "...it was with provocation. She defamed me and tried to seduce my boyfriend—well, ex-boyfriend now. That's why I reacted."

I pressed play, and Ashley's voice from the VIP room echoed through the station.

"She claims I went to a 'socialite boot camp.' Unless she can present solid proof, I will be suing her for defamation. Sure, I slapped her. At most, I'll pay a minor fine for a misdemeanor. But as for her swollen face? Who knows how many times she slapped herself to make it look worse for the cops."

"Why don't we check the venue's security cameras?"

Ashley's face paled instantly. "No! That's... that's not necessary. We're all friends here."

She tugged at Austin's sleeve. "Austin, it's your birthday. It's all my fault we ended up at the police station."

Austin’s expression softened immediately. "It’s not your fault, Ashley."

He then looked at me coldly. "Chloe, Ashley is being generous enough not to press charges. Let’s just drop this."