Chapter 1
My roommate, Leah Stone, was obsessed with low-budget short drama series.
On our very first day sharing the apartment, Leah excitedly led a deranged vagrant through the doorway. He stank terribly and drooled constantly. Stunned by what I saw, I listened as she proudly explained her "bargain-hunting theory for the underprivileged."
She said, "That's how every short drama goes. A down-and-out vagrant is almost always an amnesiac elite heir from the capital's upper circle. I'm making an early investment. Once he regains his memories, I'll become a billionaire's wife!"
In my past life, out of years of friendly affection, I feared she would be in danger and forced the vagrant out of the flat. Yet that man smashed the window and broke in the middle of the night, beating me to death with a wooden club.
Leah, whom I'd regarded as my closest friend, hid trembling inside the wardrobe. Later, she even tearfully claimed on camera. "It's all her fault. She lacked compassion and provoked the vagrant, completely ruining my chance to marry into wealth!"
When I opened my eyes again, I was transported back to the moment Leah brought the vagrant into our home. I stared at Leah's greedy face, lost in her fantasy of joining high society, and let out a cold laugh.
I dragged my luggage stuffed full of clothes out without hesitation and cleared out the master bedroom that same night. "My dearest friend, to uphold your dignity as a future billionaire's spouse, you can have this apartment to nurture your bond! I'm moving out right away. I won't stay and play third wheel to your cross-class romance."
"But starting today, you will cover every single expense for this vagrant — his meals, waste disposal, and any cleaning fees for floors he dirties." I zipped up my suitcase and glanced toward Leah, who stood in the entryway.
Leah was pinching the vagrant's coat edge with a wet wipe, looking disgusted. She snapped her head up the second she heard my words. "Nora, can you not find it in your heart to show compassion? I'm investing in both of our futures. Once Elias regains his memories, even a tiny fraction of his fortune will support you for a lifetime!"
She planted herself firmly in front of the door and stretched out her hand. "You can move out if you want, but the eight-thousand-dollar shared security deposit stays. It counts as our joint seed investment to support the heir."
I almost laughed at her absurdity and pulled out my phone to open our shared household account. "Seed investment? Leah, take a good look. I've turned off automatic transfers for our shared living fund. I've settled half of this month's utility bills. As for the deposit, the lease clearly states whichever party breaks the contract takes responsibility. If you want to chase your billionaire heiress fantasy, don't burn through my hard-earned money."
Leah's eyes widened. She gritted her teeth and pulled a credit card out of her purse. "Fine, keep your money. Once Elias wakes up, I'll earn tenfold, a hundredfold more!"
Her gaze drifted to the foul-smelling vagrant, blazing with fanatical hope. The vagrant cowered in the corner, drooling murky fluid, arms clamped tightly across his chest.
Leah opened a luxury resale group on her phone and swiped rapidly across the screen. "Don't worry, Elias. I'll order a custom Armani tailored suit for you right away. Even with amnesia, you deserve the dignity of a wealthy heir." As she spoke, she reached to tug off his tattered army overcoat. "Let's get this filthy coat off. I'll give you a bath."
Her fingers had barely touched the coat lining when the vagrant suddenly let out a wild roar. He swatted Leah's hand away, curled it into a ball, and shielded the inner breast pocket of the coat with his grimy hands.
Leah stumbled backward from the blow, yet she was not angry at all. Her eyes lit up brightly. "Did you see that, Nora? Did you see? He'd risk everything just to protect that pocket! This always happens in short dramas. There must be an unlimited-spending Swiss bank black card inside, or a family heirloom belonging to the Elias household!"
Watching her delirious frenzy, I casually hit the record on my cellphone. "If you're so certain, fund his makeover entirely on your own."
Leah turned back to me, completely matter-of-fact. "My cards are maxed out. Lend me twenty thousand for his transformation. Treat it as a loan. Once his identity is revealed, I'll make sure he gives you a million-dollar bonus."
I waved my phone, the recording interface clearly visible. "Speak clearly into the microphone, Leah. State that taking in this unknown man and all the money spent on him are your personal decisions. This has absolutely nothing to do with me, Nora."
Leah stared at the phone, her face turning livid. "Nora Grace, you really know how to split hairs at critical moments. Fine, I'll say it!" She shouted straight toward the device. "I, Leah Stone, voluntarily take him in. I will bear all costs on my own! When I become the wife of a wealthy tycoon, you could get down on your knees begging, and I won't share a single cent with you!"
I saved the recording and backed it up to cloud storage. "Good. Remember every word you just said." I dragged my suitcase past piles of clutter and headed outside. Behind me, Leah immediately set about preparing the recovery room for her supposed heir.
She tore the old bedsheets I'd left in the master bedroom into a ball and tossed them in the trash. "Elias has delicate skin. We need eight-hundred-thread Egyptian long-staple cotton bedding."
I ignored her lunacy, checked off the last valuable item on my inventory list, and called the leasing agent on the spot. "Hello, this is Nora, tenant of Unit 302. I wish to initiate the procedure to terminate our shared lease arrangement. All my personal belongings have been removed."
I hung up and stepped out the door. Leah's cold sneer drifted after me. "Run while you can. One day I'll stand before you with my billionaire husband, and you won't even be worthy of polishing my shoes."
