Chapter 1: The Doormat's Payday

My ex-girlfriend is rich. Like, crazy-rich. And me? I was her doormat, hoping for a piece of her world, even if it meant swallowing my pride day after day.

I played the role so well—always available, always agreeable—until some pretty boy waltzed in and changed everything.

The day we broke up, I rubbed the back of my neck, stalling. "Rachel, about the apartment you gave me before, you..."

She shot me a glare. "Just get out of my face, Noah."

She was furious. The sun was beating down on the cracked sidewalk, sweat already pooling at the back of my neck. My heart hammered so loud I was sure the whole block could hear. For a second, I almost expected her to chase after me, but she never did. I stuffed the deed into my backpack and took off, sneakers pounding the pavement, half-laughing, half-breathless, like a kid who just got away with something. In the distance, an ice cream truck played its jingle, but I didn’t slow down for second thoughts.