Chapter 9: Savannah Showdown

I stood up to speak for Jessie.

Taylor and the others immediately turned on me.

If not mocking my poor family, then calling me spineless.

I couldn’t out-argue them, so I muted them.

At this moment, Jessie finished her shower and sent me an invite.

I instantly joined her team.

While playing, I carefully asked Jessie:

"They’re spreading rumors about you in the group, aren’t you going to clear things up?"

"Oh, I didn’t see it." Jessie said indifferently, "I’ve been trashed by plenty of people, even my roommate talks crap to my face. I muted the group long ago, it doesn’t bother me."

I blurted out, "How can your roommate dare to talk to you like that?"

Jessie: "Jealous of the rich, I guess."

I didn’t understand: "…There are really people who have a problem with money, but Jess, you’re so rich, and you’re still in school? I thought you were a successful businesswoman."

Jessie said casually: "Yeah, I’m at Savannah University. If you come to Savannah, I’ll show you around, I’ll pay for everything."

Wait, Savannah University? I looked out my dorm window at the campus gate, heart thumping. No way. Small world, huh?

I was about to tell her this good news.

But she hurriedly said in voice:

"Something urgent came up, I’m logging off, I’ll call you next time, no need to return the money."

After that, she left the game.

Me: "…"

No idea what happened to Jess.

She went offline and didn’t log in for over a week.

I messaged her on Facebook Messenger, but she didn’t reply.

A few days later, everyone was chatting in the group.

The captain @-ed everyone:

"Drew got sponsorship from a Savannah e-sports club, invited all team members to dinner this Saturday, it’s our first offline event, everyone come if you can."

As soon as he finished, Taylor and the girls chimed in:

"Drew is awesome, quietly got us a $75,000 sponsorship, unlike some fake princess who only spent a few grand and disappeared?"

"Must’ve run out of money, went to please her sugar daddy, even showing off has a price."

"You think the princess will come to the meetup?"

"No way, if she comes, she’ll be exposed as a fake rich woman. Those sugar babies have a certain vibe, I can spot it right away."

"By the way, Sam coming? Isn’t she at Savannah University?"

"Forget it, she’s so broke, she won’t come, doesn’t she feel ashamed?"

The same old backhanded Midwestern hospitality—just enough to make you want to flip a table, but delivered with a smiley-face emoji. I took a screenshot for the memory box.