Serendipity

Chapter 8

The girls and I went shopping for the party. I found a white dress that goes to my feet and it has golden jems on it from the chest, and then it disappears about halfway down. To just white. I have white platform heels to match it. They're six inches. I also have dark smoky makeup and soft pink lipstick.

The girls are all dressed too. I insisted on paying for them.

We're in my bedroom now. We go home in three days. We spent our time here shopping and hanging out in the pool, or bowling or something like that.

Now, apparently all the guests are here, and Mom keeps knocking on my door, telling me to come downstairs, but I'm terrified.

I hope to god people from my school aren't here.

I suck it up though, and Delaney, Ari and I all venture downstairs.

My hair is curled and we're all looking wonderful.

I see some of my mother's investors here, and a few random people looking around in wonder.

My heart is pounding as I wander around the property. The girls stay close to me.

I start to calm, not recognizing anybody from school.

I accept a glass of ginger ale from Jeremy, and I see my Mom give me the daggers when I start to ask for the can, but he gives me the glass anyways, and he moves on.

The girls eventually ditch me, and I start to make my way to the roof to get away for a bit.

I feel somebody grab my hand.

Slowly, I turn around, and come face to face with Tyler Cerda.

I stare at him, he stares at me.

The motherfucker that threated the guys next door and followed me out after getting my dorm switched to an apartment.

"Lovely seeing you here." He smirks, sipping his drink.

I glare at him.

"Now, now Carmen, I believe you told the lady at the desk that you weren't related to any Schuler's."

Silence.

"I'm not." I say.

He nods slowly.

"How about we go ask that woman over there."

He gestures his glass to my Mother.

She's laughing happily, and I see her glance at me, and I'm with a guy, and he's still holding my hand.

"Come on, Sunshine. Let's go ask her."

He starts to tug me away from the stairs.

If Mom found out that I've been pretending to not be a Schuler, she might start crying in front of all of these people.

She would be heartbroken.

"Tyler, seriously." I say quietly. "Please don't ask her."

He grins.

"So you are Carmen Schuler, parents being the owner of the second largest retail company in the world. I believe your last name alone is worth, what, 112.6 billion dollars?" he grins like he's just won the lottery. "I bet you alone are worth over half a billion."

He's not wrong.

Since my mother has me invested in a few things, my five hundred million dollars in inheritance has doubled.

I'm easily worth a billion dollars.

I hate it.

I hate it.