Riches in Disguise

"Hey, you..."

Before I could say anything, Crystal grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs.

I wanted to shake her off and explain everything to the crowd right then and there. However, doing so would utterly embarrass Crystal. Not only would I become the subject of their ridicule, but Crystal would also become a permanent laughingstock among them.

I couldn't do that to her.

It wasn't until we reached a room on the second floor and stepped inside that I pulled my hand away. Just as I opened my mouth to clear things up, Lily barged in, leading a group of people right behind her.

"Crystal, what are you saying? How could you possibly pick someone like him to be your boyfriend?"

"Exactly! Stop joking. We'll accept that this loser is your friend, but don't tell us he's your boyfriend just to spite us."

"You turned down Maximus, but you'd settle for this liar? I'd never believe it, not even if you paid me!"

On the other hand, Lily looked between Crystal and me with a smug expression.

I had a feeling that Lily was always overshadowed by Crystal. Even though they appeared to be friends, there was no denying that Lily must've felt sidelined most of the time.

With Crystal claiming a "loser" like me as her boyfriend, Lily probably thought Crystal's reputation among these trust fund kids would plummet. When that happened, Lily might finally feel like she was one step ahead.

Her delight was practically written all over her face.

Suddenly, one of the rich kids shouted, "I've figured it out!"

Everyone turned to him in surprise. "Oliver, what's going on?"

"Yeah, spill it! There's no way Crystal-the most famous heiress in the elite circle -would choose this loser as her boyfriend. I'd rather believe in ghosts!"

"There's definitely something fishy about this!"

Oliver squinted and kept glancing between me and Crystal.

"You all know Maximus has been chasing after Crystal for a long time, right? Lately, he's been pestering her nonstop!"

The group nodded eagerly. "Of course! He even threatened us, saying he'd beat up anyone who dared get close to Crystal."

Oliver smirked. "Yet, Crystal's not interested in him. She rejected him several times, and that pissed him off."

Everyone nodded again. "That's right, that's how it happened."

"Exactly!" Oliver declared triumphantly, and a smug grin spread across his face. "This guy is just Crystal's decoy boyfriend to make Maximus back off!"

The crowd suddenly understood. "That makes sense!"

"Now it all adds up. No wonder this guy's pretending to be a trust fund kid and making all those ridiculous claims. It's all to scare Maximus off."

"Tsk tsk, Crystal, come on. If you needed someone to pretend to be your boyfriend, you could've asked me! Why'd you pick such a loser who can't even lie well? You're just making yourself look bad." noveldrama

I stood off to the side, listening to their wild theories, trying not to laugh.

They had huge imaginations, that was for sure. Had they watched too many movies?

Suddenly, Crystal stepped forward, her face fed with anger. "Stop talking nonsense! What fake boyfriend? I'm telling you, I like him! I really like him, and want him to be my boyfriend. It has nothing to do with Maximus!"

Oliver waved his hand dismissively "Yeah, yeah, we get it. You like him. Sure, we believe you. Calm down, Crystal. The more you try to explain, the more guilty you look."

"I'm not guilty, you idiot!" Crystal snapped.