On the night I add my new girlfriend, Celia Spencer, into my group chat with my friends, my college roommate, Kevin Wright, suddenly posts more than a dozen screenshots in the group chat. Those screenshots feature the fragments of daily life I occasionally post on my social media feed.

"Now here's where things get confusing. We only earn thousands of dollars per month. Where on earth did you get your money from in order to live such a lavish life?

"I've been holding my tongue for far too long. At first, I intended to protect your pride. But now that you're dating such a wonderful, beautiful, and rich woman, I don't have the heart to see her getting lied to."

In the end, Kevin tags Celia in the group chat. His words are filled with regret and pain.

"Ms. Spencer, you're a rich scion, so you might not know anything about the bottom feeders' tactics. A fake scion like Luke who has racked up a huge online debt and brands his social media feed to look rich is very common in society! You have to keep your eyes open, you know! Take care not to get tricked by scammers!"

As I suppress my anger, I respond with, "I never stole nor robbed from others! What's wrong with me spending my own money?"

Kevin quickly retaliates with a lengthy audio message.

"Your own money, you say? Your net worth isn't enough to afford even one segment of that luxury wristwatch in the photo! Why are you still pretending to be rich?"

I just laugh in response. Does Kevin really think that rich people don't wear cheap stuff?

What he doesn't know is that Celia, the so-called rich and beautiful woman he's trying so hard to kiss up to, is actually just someone I've hired to play the part.

I'm the actual scion here, whereas Celia is just a fake heiress.

"Kevin Wright, if you're sick, go see a doctor. Stop having a meltdown in the group chat." I suppressed my anger and sent that message.

Kevin and I were college roommates, and after graduation, we joined the same company.

I usually kept a low profile, wearing only custom-made clothes from tailors my family knew. The pieces emphasized quality fabric and tailoring but had no logos, prioritizing comfort above all else.

On top of that, to avoid my family's arranged marriage plans, I deliberately played the invisible man at the office. I ate in the cafeteria and took the subway to work.

So in Kevin's eyes, I was just another poor working stiff.

The other guys in the chat were confused and jumped in to smooth things over.

"Kev, is there some kind of misunderstanding here? Luke isn't that kind of person."

"Yeah, if he's dating someone, we should just wish him well. Why are you saying this stuff?"

When Kevin saw that no one was taking his side, he instantly lost it and fired off three sneering emojis in rapid succession.

"Look at that account of his. It's full of luxury cars and private yacht photos.

"We all know his background. He makes four and a half grand a month, and after rent, he has two grand left. What's he buying these things with?

"Other than maxing out his credit cards or being a gigolo living off women, I can't think of any other explanation!"

My eyes narrowed. This was the friend I'd known for four years. Just to step on me in front of a woman, he was willing to drag my name through the dirt.

I wasn't letting this slide. I tagged Kevin directly in the group chat.

"Since you're so certain, how about we get together tomorrow night? Bring your evidence and expose me in person."

Kevin replied instantly, "Sure. Ms. Spencer should come too. Since you're supposedly some wealthy heir, let's go to Grand View. You can afford to treat us there, right?"

Grand View? That was the high-end club my family owned.

I set down my phone and rubbed my temples.

Sitting across from me was Celia Spencer, dressed in a sleek business suit that made her look polished and capable. Her face was strikingly beautiful.

Half a month ago, I urgently needed someone to help me deflect my family's marriage pressure. Celia had shown up at my father's company with a business proposal seeking investment, only to be turned away at the door.

I liked her elegant demeanor and sharp mind, but what sealed the deal was how badly she needed the money. So we struck a deal.

I gave her five million dollars in investment, and she agreed to pretend to be my wealthy girlfriend to help me fend off the arranged marriage proposals while also playing along with my charade at the company.

"Mr. Lancaster, your roommate seems to have a lot of hostility toward you."

Celia sounded puzzled, her voice clear and pleasant.

"I kept too low a profile before and never threatened his position. Now that I've suddenly shown up with a wealthy girlfriend, he feels threatened."

Kevin was the textbook definition of someone who resented others' success and mocked their failures. I used to think of him as a friend and helped him when I could.

When he was short on cash for meals, I paid. When he screwed up at work, I covered for him. It turned out that in his mind, I could only do worse than him, never better.

"What's the plan for tomorrow night's dinner?" Celia dabbed her mouth elegantly. "Do you need me to do anything specific?"

"Not really. Just keep up your wealthy heiress persona. He wants to steal you away? Let him try. I want to see just how low he'll stoop."

Celia raised an eyebrow. "Alright, whatever you say, boss."

Just then, my phone buzzed again. It was a private message from Kevin.

"Luke, I'm telling you right now to break up with Ms. Spencer. Otherwise when your cover gets blown tomorrow, you'll be humiliated.

"I'm doing this for your own good. Someone like Ms. Spencer is way out of your league.

"If you're short on cash, I can lend you 500 bucks to pay off your loan interest first. Don't go down the wrong path."

I scoffed. Who did this penny-pinching saint think he was? I ignored him and turned off my phone.

The next evening at Grand View, Celia and I arrived to find Kevin already waiting. He'd obviously put effort into his appearance, his hair slicked back with what looked like half a bottle of gel. When he saw Celia, he didn't even try to hide the fawning look in his eyes.

I stifled a laugh, while Celia subtly moved closer to my side.

Kevin's expression soured immediately.

"Luke, how can you be so shameless in public? If you're with Ms. Spencer, you need to know your place instead of embarrassing her!"

I didn't bother responding. There was no point arguing with a guy this delusional.

When I didn't react, Kevin wasn't fazed. He looked me up and down and clicked his tongue dramatically.

"Wow, coming to such an upscale restaurant dressed this casually… Well, I guess it makes sense. With how expensive this place is, you probably saved every penny for the bill, right? That whole outfit probably cost less than 200 bucks total."

He turned to Celia, his voice suddenly becoming smarmy. "Ms. Spencer, please don't take offense. Luke's always been like this. He has no sense of taste."

Celia gave him a cool glance. "I think Luke looks perfectly fine. He's clean and put-together, unlike certain people who try way too hard."

Kevin's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered his smile. "You're too kind, Ms. Spencer. Always so understanding of him."

Then he picked up the menu, pretending to look out for me. "The food here is pretty pricey. Even an appetizer costs over 300 dollars. Luke, did you bring enough money? If you're short on cash, we could always go somewhere else. There's a decent diner downstairs."

I gave him an amused look. "Go ahead and order. Don't worry about saving me money."

A flash of malice crossed Kevin's eyes. "Alright then, don't say I didn't warn you! Just don't come crying to Ms. Spencer to foot the bill when you can't pay!"

He proceeded to order seven or eight of the most expensive entrees, plus a five-figure bottle of premium liquor. After finishing his order, he shot me a challenging look.

Then he pulled out his phone and opened my social media account. He held the phone up in front of Celia, pointing at one of the photos. It was a shot I'd taken in a garage with a limited-edition sports car in the background.

"Ms. Spencer, take a look at this photo. This car has to be worth millions, wouldn't you say?"

Kevin shot me a glance, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Luke, why don't you tell us where this photo was taken? You snuck into some auto show, didn't you?"

I replied calmly, "I took it in my family's garage."

"Ha!" Kevin burst out laughing.

"Luke, do you even hear yourself right now? Your family lives in some rundown old apartment building. How could you possibly have that kind of garage? You probably don't even have a decent parking spot!

"Is it really that hard to admit you're broke? Why keep up this act?"

Celia spoke up then. "You seem to know a lot about Luke's family situation."

Kevin smiled. "Of course. We were roommates for four years in college. I even saw the paperwork when he applied for financial aid.

"Ms. Spencer, he's got you completely fooled. Why don't we call the waiter over to settle the bill right now? If he can't pay, or if he tries to make you pay, then his identity as a freeloader will be exposed on the spot!"

Kevin's outburst drew stares from several nearby tables.

The restaurant manager hurried over. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Kevin pointed at me and announced loudly, "This gentleman says it's his treat. Let's settle the bill right now!"

He crossed his arms with a smug grin. I sighed and pulled out a card from my wallet.

It was the unlimited black card Dad had given me and was linked to his account. I rarely used it because it attracted too much attention.

When Kevin saw the card, he scoffed. "What is that, some knockoff you got online? One that's made to look like a black card? Who are you trying to fool? Scammers these days really have all the props, don't they?"

The manager took the card and glanced at it. His expression changed instantly.

Martin Harris had worked at Grand View for years. He knew what he was looking at.

And more importantly, the card belonged to someone with the surname Lancaster. The chairman of the company that owned that club also had the same surname.

"Right away, sir. One moment please." Martin held the card respectfully and headed to the front desk.

Kevin kept running his mouth. "Ms. Spencer, just wait and see. In a minute, the manager will come back saying there's insufficient funds or the card is invalid. Then we'll see how he gets out of this!"

I ignored him. He was nothing but a clown performing for an audience.

Celia leaned closer and whispered, "Mr. Lancaster, that card is real, right? You're not actually going to make me pay, are you? I'm broke right now."

I glanced at her. "Relax. I've got it covered."

Two minutes later, Martin returned quickly. Two servers followed behind him, each carrying a bottle of premium vintage wine.

Kevin's eyes lit up. "Well? Wouldn't go through, would it? I knew it!"

Martin didn't even spare Kevin a glance. He walked straight to me and bowed slightly.

"Mr. Lancaster, we had no idea you were visiting today. Please forgive our poor reception!

"Your father has instructed us that everything is complimentary whenever you dine here. He also sent these wines specifically to apologize for the argument you had last time."

The smile froze on Kevin's face. "What happened? Sir, you've got the wrong person! He's broke! Did he pay you to put on this act?"

Martin looked at Kevin coldly. "Sir, watch your tongue. This club is owned by Mr. Lancaster's family."

Kevin was completely stunned, but after a few seconds, his arrogance returned.

"I get it now. The owner of this restaurant must be another one of your sugar mommies, right? That has to be it! Someone who applied for financial aid couldn't possibly own a restaurant! You're just a kept man!"

What an idiot.

I said coldly, "You were the one who submitted my financial aid paperwork, weren't you? I'd lost my ID at the time, and you volunteered to help me with the replacement process.

"Later, my advisor told me my application had been switched to a poverty grant. I didn't feel like explaining, so I just donated the money."

Kevin hadn't expected me to know about it. He hesitated.

But he quickly became self-righteous. "So what if I did? I was doing you a favor. You were always so stingy, and you thought applying for aid was embarrassing. I was just trying to help you out."

I scoffed. People never seemed to run out of energy for bad behavior or excuses to justify it.

I didn't want to waste any more words. I stood up.

"Mr. Harris," I called out.

Martin, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward. "Yes, Mr. Lancaster. What can I do for you?"

"This meal is complimentary for us. As for this gentleman…"

I smiled slightly. "He was the one who insisted on ordering all the food and alcohol on the table.

Kevin shot to his feet and shouted, "Luke! What do you mean? You said you were treating us!"

"I said I'd treat my friends to dinner." I took Celia's hand. "But you don't qualify."

That said, I left with Celia. Kevin tried to chase after us, but the security guards blocked his path with expressionless faces.

Through the glass window, I saw Martin slap the bill down in front of Kevin with a cold expression. "Sir, your total comes to 53,800 dollars. Cash or card?"

Kevin panicked completely. He grabbed Martin's sleeve and shouted, "I'm Luke Lancaster's good friend! He's your guy. Go ask him for the money! Why should I have to pay?"

Martin shook his hand off with disgust. "If you refuse to pay, we'll call the police right now."

Kevin's confidence crumbled. In the end, he maxed out three credit cards to scrape together the money.