Chapter 2

I was furious at the sudden, baseless accusation, but I tried to keep my cool and explain.

"Tyler, my phone was just stolen, and I don't have any cash on me. Old Hank already gutted and cleaned the fish for me. I can't just walk away and leave him with it."

Hank, the fish vendor, looked at the three of us anxiously, terrified of losing a sale.

Tyler looked at Hank, then back at me. Seeing that I wasn't lying, he let out a dry laugh. "Oh, so that's how it is."

He turned and squeezed Jessica's waist, whispering in a baby voice, "Babe, look how pathetic and miserable she is. Let's just help her out this once. Lend her the $11, and I'll make sure she pays you back double with interest later."

But Jessica shoved him away, her face twisting with sudden rage.

"Oh, so you feel sorry for her, Tyler?"

"Tell me, how much money have you spent on her? Are you keeping her as your side piece behind my back?"

"No wonder you're always telling me to copy her makeup. You two are screwing around, aren't you?!"

Her loud, hysterical accusations immediately drew a crowd. People started stopping, pointing, and whispering at us.

Tyler threw his hands up in panic, desperate to defend himself.

"Babe, I swear! How could I ever like her? She’s been a leech since we were kids. I’ve suffered enough because of her."

"I swear, I only love you. Every other woman is trash to me, including Chloe."

Hearing this, Jessica let out a nasty laugh, intentionally raising her voice so everyone could hear.

"Once you get stepped on by trash, it's hard to shake off."

"Sweetheart, I feel so bad for you. Just walking through a market and you step right into a pile of garbage."

She was clearly calling me garbage.

The crowd got the hint, and several people pulled out their phones to record.

My head was throbbing. I must have had terrible luck today. All this drama over eleven dollars.

Hank, the vendor, was getting impatient. "Young lady, I'm just trying to make a living. I already prepped the fish. You can't just leave without paying!"

I quickly assured him, "Don't worry, Hank. You will get your money."

Then I turned to the onlookers. "Can anyone lend me $11? I'll pay you back immediately."

The crowd quickly dispersed, stepping back to avoid getting involved.

I rummaged through my purse and pulled out a brand new, unused YSL lipstick. I held it out to a young guy, Zach. "Hey, this is a brand new YSL lipstick. It retails for $40. You can keep it as collateral..."

Before I could finish, Jessica snatched it from my hand and slammed it onto the concrete floor.

"What a shameless bitch! First you treat my boyfriend like an ATM, and now you're trying to scam some other guy to pay your bills? You have no dignity."

She pointed her finger at my forehead again, trying to humiliate me. "You dream about finding a sugar daddy every day, but look at yourself. You're cheap. No man wants a gold digger like you. As long as I'm here, you won't get a dime."

Tyler chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "She's always been like this. Flirting with any guy she sees. Look at all the people here, and she specifically targets the cute young guys to beg for money."

Then he glared at me. "Chloe, apologize to my girlfriend right now. Promise you'll never touch my money again, and maybe we'll pay the $11 for you."

The crowd started whispering nastily about me, throwing dirty looks.

I was so angry I could feel my blood boiling. But after a few seconds, a cold calm washed over me.

I smiled at the crowd, waving them closer.

"Everyone, come closer! Today, you're going to see exactly how this guy has been 'sponsoring' me all these years."

I looked at Jessica, my smile turning icy. "It's a rare show, babe. Make sure you watch closely."