chapter 1

I walked into Sapphire Lounge, a famous and expensive bar in New York. The colorful flickering lights and the girls in skimpy clothes dancing seductively, when was the last time I came to a bar?

“ Hey! When you said we’re going clubbing, I thought you meant a regular club,” my best friend, Cario tugged on my gown.

“ I thought you said we were going to have fun tonight?. Are you having second thoughts now?” I frowned, slightly disappointed. “ I might even snag myself a man for the night,” I laughed eccentrically.

“ That’s obviously not it and you want to have a fling? Anyway, my problem here is how are we supposed to afford anything here?” She pointed at the expensive lounge we had entered. “ We’re college students,” she reminded me.

“ Have you forgotten that I’m from a wealthy family?” I turned around to look at her.

“ How can I not remember? That’s even how we were able to get in to begin with,” she folded her arms.

“ I plan on using my allowance tonight so you don’t need to worry. For tonight, I’ll be Isabella Genovese,” I stated as I continued walking, weaving my way through the people around.

“ I thought you said you wouldn’t use your dad’s money ever!? Isn’t that why you’ve been working part-time and even got a scholarship?” She followed me behind.

I stopped abruptly in my tracks. “ Yes, I said that but I’m really feeling out of it right now. It’s like my heart has been torn into shreds,” tears gathered in my eyes as I expressed. “ Can’t I just let loose for once?” The moment I asked, I felt a hand on my back.

“ You don’t have to explain yourself to me, I understand,” she moved her hand from my back to my hair, ruffling it. “ Come on, let’s party till daybreak!” She said enthusiastically.

“ You can’t say no to a party, can you?” I laughed.

“ You know me too well,” she winked. Grabbing me gently by the wrist, she took me to the counter to sit. “ Two bottles of Smirnoff vodka Red,” she ordered and the bartender stared at us awkwardly.

“ Hey! Are you planning on embarrassing us here?” I pulled her hand down and whispered.

“ What did I do wrong?” She whispered back, her voice hinting impatience.

“ Look around you, we’re at a luxury lounge. We’re going to look like bums here if you order a fifteen dollar drink,” I said in a hushed tone.

“ It’s twenty dollars though,” she pouted with folded arms.

“ I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. My friend here isn’t all that familiar with the drinks you have,” I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. “ We’ll have two bottles of Diamond is Forever Martini,” I gave a warm smile, hoping he hadn’t already begun suspecting us.

“ If you don’t mind, I’d like to verify who you are,” the bartender said. I knew he was wary of us now.

I took out my ID and handed it over to him.

“ I’m Isabella Genoveseand I came here to have a good time with my friend,” I said as he looked at it.

“ I-I’m sorry for bothering you,” he bowed his head in apology. I guess being a Genovese wasn’t all that bad.

“ It’s fine so just get us our drinks,” I waved it off. I just wanted to cry my heart out and everything and everyone keeps ruining the mood to be depressed.

He came back in a few minutes with glasses and two bottles of what we ordered. I and Cario started drinking without saying a word to each other.

“ What?! He cheated with who?!” Cario raised her voice as I narrated everything to her in my tipsy state. “ I always knew he was nothing but trash,” she spat.

I had just been dumped and to make it worse, my boyfriend, Levi, had been cheating on me with my sister.

“ I feel like garbage,” I smacked my head against the counter in agony.

“ I thought things like this only happen in movies,” Cario clenched her glass. “ To think he’d do that to you after all the years you’ve spent together,” she was angry. Maybe even angrier than I was since she had never liked him.

I and Levi had been dating for five years now and even our families were aware of it. Just like I was, Levi was also from a wealthy family and we even promised to get married after we’re done with uni.