Even The Weak Can Be Wicked (PLAYBOOK #2)

CHAPTER 5: Pretty Woman

JESSICA

Wednesday.

"I don't understand, I thought you called me here to tell me about my pending payments but instead you're saying—"

"Someone paid it all." Lucy, the school finance and accounts manager prints something and I blink because I am dumbfounded.

Did she say, paid it all?

"All your pending fees. Your tuition for the rest of this semester and the next, your books, meal plans, you name it and it is paid. Even your student loan from the first month, you're officially debt free."

"What do you mean someone?" I rub my head to make sense of it.

Is it Loren? Did she figure out a way to go behind my father's back to help me? He wasn't too happy when I cashed in the plane ticket so I doubt it is her.

Or is it Vecker? I haven't explained the true extent of my situation to her but I wouldn't be surprised if she figured it out. She did top up when I couldn't meet the first deadline.

"A Dr Aleksander Henry, actually." Lucy reads from her ancient computer. "And I see here, that he is now officially your benefactor."

Dr Henry is my what?

"Benefactor?" I choke on nothing but pure shock.

She can't be talking about the same Dr Aleksander Henry I work for, it can't be the same man that looks at me like I am disease. The rude and cold man that dismissed me last night without a word, there is no way it's the same person.

"He said if anything else comes up we should charge everything to an account he set up for you, which means he is responsible for you and your fees. That is what a benefactor is my dear and this Neurobiologist from MIT, is yours."

"Mine?"

So people—he, can just do this? Without any consent or consultation from the beneficiary—me? Is that even legal?

"Lucy, how did Dr Henry become my benefactor over night? How did Dean Banks and the school allow this?"

"He assured us, you were aware. He had all your information from visa details to your identification number and even said you lived with him. I assumed he was your boyfriend or something."

If I had something in my hand, it would have dropped because boyfriend? The man can't stand me and she thinks, we are dating.

"Boyfriend?" I laugh dryly but she smiles politely.

"Yes. You're an admirable and attractive woman and he sounded like an admirable and attractive man."

Sound? So he didn't even bother to show up?

"No." I shake my head, "please Lucy. Check again." I go through my bag to look for my wallet and everything is still there.

There is no way my brooding, ignorant boss did all that. He couldn't even look at me this morning, then again I did see him close to my computer when I let Holly out.

"I did Miss Beer, twice. He made all the necessary transactions earlier today, Dean Banks was elated."

Of course that narcissist asshole was ecstatic, the only time he truly smiles is when money is involved.

"It's all here in black and white," she opens a file, pulls out some papers and taps on the bolded number below.

$110 321.00

"Oh my God," I cover my mouth and my bag falls off my lap. "There has to be a mistake," I shake my head in disbelief.

How does this not raise any red flags? Even if this was my boyfriend, why is she smiling like a man paying over $100k for a student is normal.