Chapter 16
205words
"James, do you know why I hate wealthy people so much?"
I realized we'd never really talked about this.
He knew about my aversion to the rich.
But he didn't know the root cause.
His eyes, which had been closed, opened to look at me.
"In school, I was dirt poor. The other kids never let me forget it."
"After school, everyone would hit the convenience store with their allowance."
"Everyone except me."
"For dance recitals, all the other girls had these beautiful costumes."
"I just wore my regular school uniform, every single time."
"I didn't really get the whole rich-poor divide back then."
"But during a parent-teacher conference, I overheard a mom in the hallway saying—"
"That poor little girl—I hope poverty isn't contagious. I don't want my Brittany catching it."
I pressed my face against his chest as the memory stung fresh.
"So I swore I'd never end up with some rich jerk. That entitled attitude they all have—it makes my skin crawl."
James exhaled slowly, his hand moving in soothing circles on my back.
"I promise you'll never feel that way again. Whatever you want, whatever you need—it's yours."
