He Thought I Was Poor, I’m the Heiress

When internship season arrived, our academic advisor asked everyone to fill out a family background form. Under "Parents' Occupations," I stared at the blank line for a long time before writing three words: seafood market vendors. Vanessa Whitmore, a senior Evan Clarke knew, glanced at my form and burst out laughing right there in the classroom. "Seafood market vendors?" she said, turning toward Evan with a mocking smile. "Your girlfriend's family sells fish at the public market?" I let out a quiet breath. "What's wrong with selling seafood?" The classroom burst into laughter the moment I said it. "A fishmonger in a finance program? This is too good. How did some fish-market girl even get in here?" "No wonder she always smells like fish." "I heard her parents fish at 3 a.m. Their hands are always cracked and bleeding, and they still barely scrape together her tuition. How does someone that broke even get in here? She might as well go home and sell fish. Maybe she can help them upgrade to a bigger stall." Even the academic advisor, Mark Ellis, smirked. "Enough," he said, waving a hand as if he were being generous. "Nora, if you really can't find an internship, I can introduce you to the grocery store near my place. They're looking for a cashier." That same night, Evan, my boyfriend of two years, broke up with me. I could not understand why. His voice was cold. "Nora, we're not right for each other," he said. "You're not cut out for my world. Dating and marriage are different." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Her father is a vice president at Rivergate Capital Group. He can give me a job. What can you give me? Another fish on my family's dinner table?" I found it absurd. To be honest, I did not know exactly how much money my family had. But I did know one thing. My family controlled the entire seafood market in the entire Eastshore region. And Fairbridge University? They'd begged my father for a talent partnership just to stay relevant. The next day was the job fair. Evan Clarke and Vanessa Whitmore walked into the hall side by side, with Vanessa's hand resting naturally on his arm. The moment Vanessa noticed classmates looking over, confused, she smiled. She looked poised, radiant, and completely at ease, as if she had been waiting for this moment all day. "No need to guess, everyone," Vanessa announced. "Evan and that fish-market girl have broken up. I'm his girlfriend now, and we plan to get engaged after graduation." She lifted her chin slightly and added, "That fish-market girl lied to Evan. I had to tell him the truth." Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward me. Whispers broke out all around. "So he didn't know she was a fishmonger? She tricked him for two years?" "She's wearing Dior—probably fake." "Our department produces future finance elites. How did she get in? Maybe she got in on a fishing scholarship?" Laughter swept through the room, sharp and cruel. From that day on, I lost my name. They called me the fish-market princess. I ignored them. The job fair was about to begin, and I had no interest in wasting time on them. When Vanessa saw that I did not react, her smile deepened. "What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve?" she asked. "I suppose that makes sense. Fish-market girls aren't exactly known for being articulate. All they know how to do is scale fish. Right, Boss Sutton?" Hearing that, Evan laughed beside her. "Good one, Vanessa." When Evan had first pursued me, he had shown me a very different side of himself. Back then, he came looking for me every day. He told me Vanessa was too annoying, too spoiled, and too stupid. She didn't even get in on her own—her family bought her a spot. I had always known Vanessa hated me. She had chased Evan for two years, but he had never agreed to be with her. Instead, he had confessed to me. In Vanessa's eyes, a fish-market girl had stolen the man she wanted. That alone was enough to humiliate her. Now, Vanessa looked at me in smug satisfaction. I knew she'd take every opportunity to humiliate me today. It would be a lie to say it did not hurt. Only two days ago, Evan had dragged me to a hotel the second class ended and didn't let me go till dawn. But if one internship fair was all it took to show me who Evan and the people around him truly were before graduation, then perhaps this humiliation was not a disaster after all. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.