My Roommate Stole My Face

When I started college, I wanted a normal college experience, so I refused to use the black card my parents gave me. My roommate, Peggy Slade, was on need-based financial aid. Every day, she did two things. First, she'd sweet-talk her rich, hot online boyfriend and brag about him. Second, she'd make fun of me, the small-town nobody who couldn't even recognize designer brands. All my clothes back home were custom-made, so I honestly didn't know a single logo. I never bothered explaining. Her online romance was more entertaining than reality TV. Then one day, a screenshot of a money transfer popped up on her phone, and I caught a glimpse. 'Wait. She's using my photos for online dating?' Worse, she'd saved her boyfriend under "Arnault Family Heir." 'But the Arnault family in Rivera is my family. And I'm my parents' only daughter.' I immediately called my assistant. "Find out if my parents have an illegitimate kid." Chapter 1 Elena Carlson went dead silent for three seconds. "Ms. Arnault, don't you have anything better to do at college?" I cleared my throat. "Just check!" She sighed. "Fine. I'll look into it. Give me three days." Satisfied, I hung up and congratulated myself on some top-tier risk management. As for Peggy stealing my photos for online dating? If she wasn't worried, why should I be? Just then, Peggy walked in. She grabbed her phone, instantly on edge. "Aria, you didn't go through my phone, did you?" I waved her off. "Why would I? Got some big secret on there?" She relaxed and gave me a smug look. "Fine, I'll tell you. My boyfriend is the Arnault heir. "You know Arnault Corp in Rivera, right? And don't even think about going after him. "He only loves me. He's way out of your league." I smiled. I'd already wondered if something was off with her boyfriend. Now I was pretty sure he was just some bargain-bin romance scammer. I copied one of his favorite lines. "Right, right. He'd pick you over anyone. Even his own mom." Peggy snorted. "Glad you get it." Then she walked out. I flopped onto my bed, weirdly emotional. Two months of following her relationship drama, and somehow I was part of it. Still, watching Peggy put on a show every day was honestly better than bingeing a series. By that afternoon, she'd completely dropped the act. She might as well've had "Mrs. Arnault" stamped across her forehead. I was heading out for my tutoring job while she lounged in the dorm eating chips. "Going to wait tables again? My boyfriend says even the janitors at Arnault Corp make four grand a month. "You should apply after graduation. Since we're roommates, maybe I'll put in a good word." I tied my shoes without looking at her. "I'm good." She scoffed. "Why are you so stuck-up? A small-town nobody who can't even recognize a designer logo would need insane luck just to get anywhere near the Arnault family." I didn't bother answering. 'Guess I was born insanely lucky.' The custom cashmere coat my mom had sent from Milan last week alone could've paid for a lifetime of snacks. But Peggy had no clue. She only recognized flashy logos, and everything in my closet was custom-made. The next night was even better. When I got back, Peggy had her boyfriend on speaker. "Baby, I got you that limited-edition Hermès bag you wanted! "I even checked with the sales associate. It'll be delivered to your school next week!" Peggy practically squealed and shoved her phone in my face. "Hear that? Limited-edition Hermès. You've probably never even seen one, huh?" "I haven't." My mom hated their designs, so we never bought Hermès. Peggy put her hands on her hips. "A broke loser like you will never even step inside Hermès! "Once I marry into the Arnault family, I'll wear each bag once and toss it. Maybe I'll let you dig through my trash." Okay, now she was getting annoying. I turned to grab some water, but she kept going. "What's with the attitude? I'm being generous, and you can't even say thanks?" She grabbed my sleeve. "Be honest. You're jealous, aren't you?" I frowned. "Jealous of what?" "My rich boyfriend! I'm gonna be Mrs. Arnault!" she said like it was obvious. "You bust your ass for a thousand bucks a month. "One of my boyfriend's belts costs more than six months of your pay!" I wasn't wasting energy arguing. "Yeah. Sure." All I cared about was the report Elena was bringing me tomorrow. Chapter 2 I woke up early the next morning. Peggy was already glued to her phone again. Outside the east campus gate, a black Maybach was waiting. Elena stood beside it, waving at me. Duncan Ray, our family butler, was with her. I sighed. "Elena, this is your idea of keeping a low profile?" Duncan opened the door, and I slid in. Elena gave me an awkward smile and handed me a tablet. "Ms. Arnault, the investigation's done. You're the Arnault family's only heir. I personally checked the birth and family records." I leaned back. Well, that settled it. *** Over breakfast, Elena pulled up the investigation records while Duncan caught me up. "Ms. Arnault, your mom arranged for you to meet a lawyer. He just got back from overseas and is a close friend of your dad's, even though there's a pretty big age gap. "It'd be safer to have a professional keep an eye on your roommate situation. She could be a risk." I added Carl McCoy on a messaging app. His profile pic was just a simple sketch. A message came through. [Ms. Arnault, your roommate's online boyfriend is most likely tied to a romance-scam ring. We don't have the full story yet.] [Stay safe, keep your distance, and message me anytime.] [Okay.] When I got back to the dorm, Peggy was sitting on her bed gripping her phone like she'd caught me cheating. "Aria." She stood slowly. "You've got some nerve." I dropped my bag. "What?" She waved her phone. A photo filled the screen. It showed me getting out of the Maybach while Duncan held the door. "So the whole part-time-job thing was a lie? You've had a sugar daddy this whole time?" "What are you talking about?" "You!" She shoved the phone in my face. "This old guy's your sugar daddy, isn't he? "You keep saying you're waiting tables, but you're actually hooking up with him for money?" "Peggy—" "Don't even deny it!" She grabbed my wrist, her voice going shrill. "I got a picture of that woman too. You both got in the same car. You're sharing a sugar daddy? Aria, that's seriously shameless!" I shook her off, already over the drama. "You've got it wrong." She stared at me, then suddenly smiled. "Fine. I won't expose you. But you have to do something for me. "Otherwise... I'll post these pics on the campus gossip page and let everyone see." Okay, now she had my attention. I raised an eyebrow. "What?" "M-My boyfriend's having some cash-flow issues..." She licked her lips. "That new Dior bag you're carrying is worth, what, six or seven grand? Lend it to me so I can help him out!" I glanced at the little black bag on my desk. Elena had practically forced me to take it because I needed something for my stuff. Peggy clearly thought those photos gave her leverage and reached for it. I let her. "Fine. Just remember to give it back." She hummed happily, flopped onto her bed, and sent her boyfriend a voice message. "Zayn, I'm working on the money! Don't worry!" Her voice was suddenly sugary sweet, nothing like the nasty tone she'd used on me two seconds ago. "Oh, Aria." She looked over after sending it. "My boyfriend said he'll get his startup money back the day after tomorrow, then he's coming to see me this weekend. "So make yourself scarce when he's here." I blinked. 'She's been using my pics to date this guy, and now she actually plans to meet him?' Okay. This was getting good. "Then remind me." I flopped onto my bed just as Carl messaged me. [Got the recording. It's saved as evidence.] Beside me, Peggy's voice messages kept playing on speaker. "Baby, you're so sweet. Once we meet this weekend, we'll start planning our wedding! Then you'll officially be Mrs. Arnault!" Peggy kept giggling on her bed. I popped in my earplugs and closed my eyes. 'Once Elena and Carl figure out who this guy really is, the show's over. 'Wonder if she'll still be laughing then.' Chapter 3 Saturday night, Peggy skipped her usual call. Instead, she pulled two wrinkled fifties from her wallet and slapped them on my desk. "Take it. Go to the water park tomorrow. A hundred bucks should cover the whole day." No one had ever thrown money at me before, so I just stared at it. Then she got bossy. "My boyfriend's coming tomorrow. Don't even think about hanging around campus trying to steal him. "And don't come back before nine, or I'm posting those pictures!" So she was paying me a hundred bucks to disappear for the day and keep my face from blowing up her whole lie. 'Looks like the real show starts tomorrow.' Sunday morning, Peggy got up early and spent two whole hours getting ready. Rented designer clothes, cheap perfume, and enough foundation to frost a cake. As I headed out, she glared at me through the mirror. "Nine o'clock. Don't come back early!" "Got it." I snapped a pic outside the water park and sent it to her. Then I went straight back to campus. Their date was at West Gate Café. I pulled on a hat and grabbed a corner seat with a perfect view. At exactly eleven, Peggy's online boyfriend, Zayn Arnault, walked in. He was shorter, heavier, and way less polished than his pics. His clothes looked worn out from too many washes. So much for the rich, hot boyfriend she'd been bragging about. Peggy didn't seem to care. She was too busy picturing herself as 'Mrs. Arnault.' Zayn sat down, stared at her for three seconds, then checked his phone. Probably comparing her to the photos. 'One scammer meeting another. This should be fun.' As I watched, a hot guy slid into the seat beside me. White shirt, black slacks. Maybe two or three years older than me. "Ms. Arnault." He nodded toward the window. "How far along are they?" I was caught off guard but didn't show it. 'So this is Carl McCoy. The big-shot lawyer who's somehow friends with my CEO dad.' "They just got started." He showed me his phone. The surveillance feed was being transcribed live. Zayn's voice came through loud and clear. "Baby, you're even prettier in person than in your pictures..." My mouth twitched. I glanced at Carl. "Is this even legal?" "It's authorized." He nodded. "Your roommate owes ten grand in online loans. Her payments are about to come due." A little later, Zayn's face changed. He turned his phone toward Peggy. Her smile instantly froze. Carl clicked his tongue. "He figured out she used your photos. Now he's blackmailing her." "Perfect match. They both love blackmailing people with pictures." I glanced over. Peggy had gone pale and looked seriously wronged. Zayn sat there with his legs crossed, still talking like nothing happened. Their voices came through clearly. "Zayn, I was just insecure..." Peggy said softly. "I was scared I wasn't good enough for you. "But I really do love you! I have a bag worth six or seven grand! "I'll sell it and give you the money. Give me a few more days, and I can get another five thousand!" Zayn sounded heartbroken. "Baby, since you love me that much, I'll forgive you. "Just send me the money ASAP. Once my company gets through this cash crunch, we'll get married!" The bag I'd lent her had magically become hers. 'She's on financial aid and already drowning in online loans. Where's she gonna get another five grand?' I was about to look away when Peggy suddenly turned. She froze. Two glass windows separated us, but she spotted me instantly. Shock. Panic. Then pure rage. "Aria!" She stormed upstairs, shrieking. "Aren't you supposed to be at the water park? You lied to me?!" "It wasn't fun." "You followed me?!" She was shaking now. Then she saw Carl. Her eyes went wide. "And you brought someone?!" "We were just passing by." "Bullshit!" Peggy lunged for a cup, but Carl blocked her. That just pissed her off more. "You knew Zayn was coming today! You came here on purpose to mess this up!" Carl held up his phone. The recording screen was still running, red light on. I glanced at him and nodded. Then I grabbed my bag, dodged Peggy's hand, and headed for the door. "Aria Arnault! Stop right there!" I looked back. "Peggy, someone's picking up that bag tomorrow. Make sure it's clean." She froze. Then came the screaming. "You're gonna regret this!" Chapter 4 The campus forum exploded the second I got back to the dorm. [Design Major Aria Arnault Is Living Off a Sugar Daddy—and Tried to Steal My Boyfriend!] [Being broke is one thing, but some people are just trash. I have pics to prove it. Stay away from her!] She'd posted the Maybach photo. Thousands of comments were already piling up. I skimmed a few, then put my phone down. 'Did everyone online just lose their brains?' Peggy walked in looking smug. "See? That's what happens when you don't know your place." "You made those posts?" "So what if I did?" She crossed her legs. "You tried to ruin my shot at marrying rich, so I'll make sure you get kicked out of this school." I smiled at the recording on my phone. 'Wow. She's basically collecting evidence for me.' When she saw how calm I was, she pulled out a state ID and waved it in my face. Mine. It had still been in my bag that morning. "I'm borrowing your ID for a few days," she said smugly. "You'd better behave, or the Arnault family won't go easy on you." I stared at her. "You know that's illegal, right?" She rolled her eyes. "Don't try to scare me. I've got Zayn backing me. What do I have to worry about? "You should be worried about yourself." The next second, my faculty adviser, Lauren Carter, called. "Aria Arnault, get to the president's office. Now." As soon as we hung up, I messaged Carl and Elena. Peggy leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, grinning. "Want me to come with you? "If you beg, maybe I'll put in a good word." I ignored her, grabbed my bag, and left. Of course, she followed. The office door was already open. University president Howard Bennett sat on the couch, with Lauren standing nearby. "Aria." Dr. Bennett gave me a hard look. "You've seen the forum posts?" "Yeah." "This is serious!" He slammed a hand on the desk. "Having a sugar daddy and going after someone else's boyfriend completely violate this university's values! "Ms. Slade says you've been involved in shady deals off campus for months. And that Maybach—" "It's my family's car." The room went dead silent. Dr. Bennett frowned. "Your family's?" "My assistant and butler picked me up for lunch." Peggy scoffed behind me. "Her clothes don't even have brand names. She hasn't even bought new sheets. "And her family owns a Maybach? "What, Aria? You're your own sugar mama now?" Dr. Bennett's face darkened. His voice dropped. "Aria, mess with the wrong people and there are consequences. "Do you know Ms. Slade's boyfriend, Zayn Arnault? He's the Arnault heir in Rivera." I burst out laughing. "Then I definitely don't know him." Lauren sneered. "Of course someone like you wouldn't. "The Arnault family in Rivera has been rich for generations. You're not even in their league." Dr. Bennett sighed. "Enough. You're here to sign the paperwork. "We're revoking your scholarship, putting you on disciplinary probation, and expelling you. "You'll also have to compensate the university for damaging its reputation." I laughed and checked my phone. "And what if I don't accept your decision?" Dr. Bennett frowned. Lauren grabbed my arm. Then Peggy seized my hand and tried to force me to sign, her nails digging into my skin. "Stop being ridiculous. You think refusing to sign changes anything? "Zayn Arnault could crush you with one finger!" The office door suddenly flew open. "Who the hell is bullying my boss?!"