He Exposed Me With My Girlfriend Watching

On the night I add my new girlfriend, Celia Spencer, into my group chat with my friends, my college roommate, Kevin Wright, suddenly posts more than a dozen screenshots in the group chat. Those screenshots feature the fragments of daily life I occasionally post on my social media feed.

"Now here's where things get confusing. We only earn thousands of dollars per month. Where on earth did you get your money from in order to live such a lavish life?

"I've been holding my tongue for far too long. At first, I intended to protect your pride. But now that you're dating such a wonderful, beautiful, and rich woman, I don't have the heart to see her getting lied to."

In the end, Kevin tags Celia in the group chat. His words are filled with regret and pain.

"Ms. Spencer, you're a rich scion, so you might not know anything about the bottom feeders' tactics. A fake scion like Luke who has racked up a huge online debt and brands his social media feed to look rich is very common in society! You have to keep your eyes open, you know! Take care not to get tricked by scammers!"

As I suppress my anger, I respond with, "I never stole nor robbed from others! What's wrong with me spending my own money?"

Kevin quickly retaliates with a lengthy audio message.

"Your own money, you say? Your net worth isn't enough to afford even one segment of that luxury wristwatch in the photo! Why are you still pretending to be rich?"

I just laugh in response. Does Kevin really think that rich people don't wear cheap stuff?

What he doesn't know is that Celia, the so-called rich and beautiful woman he's trying so hard to kiss up to, is actually just someone I've hired to play the part.

I'm the actual scion here, whereas Celia is just a fake heiress.

"Kevin Wright, if you're sick, go see a doctor. Stop having a meltdown in the group chat." I suppressed my anger and sent that message.

Kevin and I were college roommates, and after graduation, we joined the same company.

I usually kept a low profile, wearing only custom-made clothes from tailors my family knew. The pieces emphasized quality fabric and tailoring but had no logos, prioritizing comfort above all else.

On top of that, to avoid my family's arranged marriage plans, I deliberately played the invisible man at the office. I ate in the cafeteria and took the subway to work.

So in Kevin's eyes, I was just another poor working stiff.

The other guys in the chat were confused and jumped in to smooth things over.

"Kev, is there some kind of misunderstanding here? Luke isn't that kind of person."

"Yeah, if he's dating someone, we should just wish him well. Why are you saying this stuff?"

When Kevin saw that no one was taking his side, he instantly lost it and fired off three sneering emojis in rapid succession.

"Look at that account of his. It's full of luxury cars and private yacht photos.

"We all know his background. He makes four and a half grand a month, and after rent, he has two grand left. What's he buying these things with?

"Other than maxing out his credit cards or being a gigolo living off women, I can't think of any other explanation!"

My eyes narrowed. This was the friend I'd known for four years. Just to step on me in front of a woman, he was willing to drag my name through the dirt.

I wasn't letting this slide. I tagged Kevin directly in the group chat.

"Since you're so certain, how about we get together tomorrow night? Bring your evidence and expose me in person."

Kevin replied instantly, "Sure. Ms. Spencer should come too. Since you're supposedly some wealthy heir, let's go to Grand View. You can afford to treat us there, right?"

Grand View? That was the high-end club my family owned.

I set down my phone and rubbed my temples.

Sitting across from me was Celia Spencer, dressed in a sleek business suit that made her look polished and capable. Her face was strikingly beautiful.

Half a month ago, I urgently needed someone to help me deflect my family's marriage pressure. Celia had shown up at my father's company with a business proposal seeking investment, only to be turned away at the door.

I liked her elegant demeanor and sharp mind, but what sealed the deal was how badly she needed the money. So we struck a deal.

I gave her five million dollars in investment, and she agreed to pretend to be my wealthy girlfriend to help me fend off the arranged marriage proposals while also playing along with my charade at the company.

"Mr. Lancaster, your roommate seems to have a lot of hostility toward you."

Celia sounded puzzled, her voice clear and pleasant.

"I kept too low a profile before and never threatened his position. Now that I've suddenly shown up with a wealthy girlfriend, he feels threatened."