Megan felt a little dazed.
She had no excitement for the upcoming beach trip, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't suppress the thoughts swirling in her heart.
Scene after scene rose in her mind: almost being harassed by Manager, only for Jason Carter to directly buy the place to stand up for her; at the downtown networking event, Oliv, just to get closer to Jason, made a single phone call that solved a problem her father had been struggling with for two years—a problem that even the second most powerful person in the industry couldn't fix.
Megan didn't think her looks, figure, or personality were any worse than Holly Larson's. In fact, she felt she could offer more emotional warmth. So, if she had stayed by Jason's side, wouldn't she also be the one riding jet skis, sailing yachts, driving luxury cars, and living in a $20 million villa right now?
Lost in thought, Megan walked along the beach with her friend Lily and a few others before heading to board a yacht.
Though they called it a "yacht," it was really just a small boat. There was no helping it—ordinary students pooling their money could only afford this kind of rental.
Truthfully, Megan wasn't interested. She had already been on a super luxury yacht with Jason in Miami. The only reason she came this time was to see how Holly Larson was doing. But since she'd already called Lily to join, she couldn't just back out halfway, could she?
But when they were about to board, an incident happened. The boat owner suddenly reached out his arm to stop them, roughly pushing them back so that they nearly stumbled.
"Easy there, miss. Please step aside," the owner said with a forced grin, waving for a middle-aged couple behind them to board first.
The couple strutted forward proudly, showing no hint of guilt about cutting in line. In fact, they looked smug about it.
"Hey! What's the big idea? We have a reservation—it's our turn!" Lily protested angrily.
The boat owner replied lazily, "They made a reservation earlier. They just got here, so naturally they go first. Don't worry, you won't wait long."
"Bullshit!" Lily snapped. "I just heard him ask you, 'How much for the boat, and how long until we can board?' They clearly didn't reserve anything—you just let them cut because they paid extra! Is that how you run your business?"
"Why are you being so dramatic?" the owner replied, still smiling in that fake, oily way. "They had a prior booking. What's the harm in waiting a bit? Tell you what—I'll give you fifteen percent off."
"Who wants your damn discount? We'll have to wait forever for them to get back!" Lily said heatedly.
"Well, that's your choice. Take it or leave it," the owner said dismissively, turning his attention to the paying couple.
Lily tried to move forward again, but Megan quickly grabbed her arm, worried things would escalate. Though she was angry too, she knew better than to pick a fight with men like that—especially when they were outnumbered and far from help.
"Sir, aren't you afraid this kind of behavior will ruin your business's reputation?" Megan asked coldly.
"Reputation?" The owner snorted. "Lady, this is a tourist spot. Everyone comes here once. What's reputation got to do with anything?"
He wasn't wrong. His business was like most operations at coastal tourist sites—one-time deals. He'd squeeze whatever money he could from whoever showed up.
Just like overpriced food at a theme park—it didn't have to be good, because no one came for the food anyway. And even if it was terrible, if you came back next time, you'd still have no choice but to eat it.
Furthermore, even if the boat owner cared about repeat business, those two wealthy individuals were far more likely to become his returning customers.
"Captain, start the boat already! Why waste time on these broke kids?" the middle-aged woman said mockingly, clearly irritated—and a little jealous, as she caught her husband sneaking glances at Megan.
"What did you just say? Who are you calling broke?" Lily stomped her foot angrily, her voice sharp with fury.
"I'm talking about you people," the woman said snidely. "You look poor from a mile away. If you can't afford nice things, don't try to act like you belong here. It's embarrassing."
Lily was about to explode, and Megan's fists clenched tightly. But what could they do?
This world had always been unfair. Without money, you were always a step behind—always having to swallow your pride.
In that moment, Megan's thoughts drifted back to the days when she was with Jason Carter. If Jason were here, would anyone dare to treat her like this?
Of course not. Jason wouldn't even be caught dead renting a cheap little boat like this. And even if he did, the owner would be falling over himself to please him.
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
"Is that how you run your business?"
Megan turned her head sharply—her heart skipped a beat.
Walking toward them were Holly Larson, Grace, and a few others who had just gotten off their own yacht. They must have overheard the commotion.
Holly's expression was calm but sharp, her tone carrying quiet authority as she looked at the boat owner.
Holly had always been the type to stand up for what was right. She couldn't just watch others get mistreated—especially her classmates.
Of course, Holly knew Megan had once been close to Jason Carter. But she had already accepted, back when things started with Jason, that she couldn't have him to herself. Whether Megan had something with him or not didn't matter. This wasn't about jealousy—it was about fairness.
The moment the boat owner recognized Holly, his face drained of color. He straightened up instantly, his fawning smile returning in full force. "Ms. Larson… may I ask, are these your friends?"
"They're my classmates," Holly said coolly.
The man froze. He did business here often, and of course, he'd heard of Jason Carter—the young investor whose name carried serious weight in the city. Holly Larson was Jason's woman. Everyone around here treated her with respect.
And he had just humiliated her classmates? Was he insane?
The owner's expression changed completely. He turned toward the middle-aged couple and said quickly, "I'm very sorry, but there's been a mistake. They had the reservation first. Please step aside."
"What? We're already on board! We're not moving!" the woman barked, her voice shrill with disbelief.
The owner's face hardened. Then, without another word, he grabbed both the man and woman by the arms. Ignoring their protests, he dragged them off the boat. They stumbled awkwardly, nearly falling into the sand. Their once-arrogant posture was gone—replaced by embarrassment and fury.
The owner didn't want to offend anyone wealthy, but between those two and Holly Larson's connection to Jason Carter, the choice was obvious. The couple probably had a bit of money, but no real influence. If they did, they wouldn't be renting a small-time tour boat.
Ignoring the woman's angry shouts, the boat owner rushed over to Lily and Megan, bowing slightly with a sickly grin. "Ladies, I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding earlier. Please, come aboard. This ride will be completely free of charge."
Lily was stunned speechless. Megan stood frozen, her mind spinning.
It turned out that even without Jason Carter's presence, everything could be turned around with just one sentence from Holly Larson.
The same man who had looked down on them moments ago now acted like a loyal servant.
In that instant, Megan felt the harsh weight of reality. Not only had she drifted away from Jason, but the gap between her and the women still around him had grown into something impossible to cross.
She was just an ordinary woman—while Holly Larson stood there like a princess.
And at that moment, Megan's heart completely collapsed.
There are 140 chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439