Today was the first day of the new semester. Anika and Tessa drove to campus together; after classes, Anika would finally move into the dorms, freeing the Murphy family from any burden. Adrian had been tied up lately, and Anika hadn't caught a single glimpse of him during her stay.
Their luxury car pulled up at the school gates, and the two stepped out. All around them, students buzzed with gossip about Lorelai Wells, the newly crowned campus queen—a beauty and a social media influencer everyone either envied or obsessed over.
Tessa muttered under her breath, "Lorelai has zero shame. That account was yours, and yet everyone thinks it's hers. Look at 'em—all starry-eyed and envious. That recognition should've been yours. Don't you think?"
The more Tessa dwelled on it, the hotter her blood boiled.
Just then, a male student walked up to Anika, holding out a love letter. "You're our idol Lorelai's sister, right? I'm, like, her biggest fan. Could you pass this to her for me?"
Anika was flooded with disbelief.
Tessa cut in instantly. "If you've got the guts to write a love letter, why can't you hand it over yourself? Beat it before you really piss me off."
The guy was stunned. He'd only asked Anika to deliver the letter—never expected this kind of blow-up. With a dismissive wave, he shot back, "Our idol Lorelai is drop-dead gorgeous and has a voice like honey. I get it—being her sister's gotta be rough, but no need to be this jealous."
"Leave. Now." Anika's voice came out low, but it cut like steel.
"Pure jealousy, that's what it is. Just jealous of our idol Lorelai." He shoved the letter back into his pocket and stalked off.
Tessa was livid, practically steaming. "You better believe I'll slap you next time! What the hell is wrong with people? Ridiculous. Sis, don't waste your breath on them. They’re so not worth it."
Anika just gave a soft smile, slipping an arm around Tessa's waist. "Do I look upset to you?"
"That's my girl."
As they headed to class, they spotted Lorelai holding court by the door, surrounded by classmates. Her sidekick, Paige Wheeler, was handing out candy on her behalf. "Lorelai's treating everyone! Don't be shy, grab some!"
Lorelai basked in the attention, soaking up every drop of admiration. Ever since she'd set foot on this campus, she'd been the only topic of conversation. No one had figured out that Sugar, the internet's favorite voice, was actually their own Lorelai Wells.
From day one, girls had been green with envy and guys had been chasing her nonstop. She was drowning in flowers—way more than any ordinary campus beauty—and people were actually asking for autographs. Sugar's star power blew the campus queen title right out of the water.
Lorelai was beyond grateful. Thank God she'd shown her face on those streams; otherwise, all this adoration would've been Anika's. Just the thought made her stomach twist.
Standing at the classroom door, Tessa was fuming. "Sis, does Lorelai have a single drop of shame? She knows exactly how she got that 'voice goddess' title. How can anyone be this shameless?"
"It's not exactly news, is it? Just now figuring that out?" Anika remained calm, looping an arm over Tessa's shoulders. "Don't sweat it. Weren't you just comforting me a second ago?" Besides, Anika wasn't the type to be played easily.
The prouder Lorelai stood now, the harder she'd crash. Just wait and see.
"You're right," Tessa agreed, following Anika toward their seats. They were seatmates, but right now, their desks were taken over by Lorelai's little fan club, all busy singing her praises.
Tessa nudged Paige Wheeler aside. "Move it, move it—clueless people, step aside."
Paige shot back, "Who are you calling clueless? Tessa Grant, was that aimed at me?"
"If the shoe fits," Tessa said, raising an eyebrow, "then yeah, I'm talking to you."
"Tessa, you…" Paige lifted her hand, ready to strike.
Lorelai slipped in smoothly, her voice calm and her smile picture-perfect. "Tessa didn't mean that. She's just, you know, really upfront. Don't take it to heart." With Lorelai playing peacemaker, Paige had no choice but to fall back to her side, still shooting daggers at Tessa.
Lorelai turned to Tessa. "No hard feelings, Tessa. Paige didn't mean anything by it either. You're both just blunt. Let's not let a tiny thing ruin our friendship. Oh, by the way, Evan invited me to lunch today. Care to join?"
Truth was, Lorelai had invited Evan Murphy herself. Since Thanksgiving, she hadn't heard a peep from him, and his silence had her feeling seriously insecure. Dragging Tessa along felt like the safer bet.
Tessa shut her down flat. "No can do. I'd rather hang with my real sister. And we are not close enough for you to call me by a nickname. Use my full name." She linked her arm through Anika's, driving her loyalty home.
Lorelai kept her smile firmly in place. "How about you, Anika? Want to come? The more, the merrier."
"Not interested." Anika shot the idea down cold.
"No worries. Maybe another time." Lorelai returned to her seat, and within seconds, she was swarmed by classmates, all bombarding her with questions about her streams and why she'd been MIA lately. Everyone was dying for her next broadcast.
Lorelai flashed a smooth smile and explained she'd been swamped with family stuff over the holidays, but she'd be back to streaming in a few days.
Tessa couldn't help but scoff. "So fake. It's not even her account. Like she could even stream. Sis, what's she gonna do when she can't go live? How's she gonna handle that?"
Suddenly, it clicked for Tessa—Anika's calm wasn't weakness; she was just waiting for Lorelai to smash into a wall.
That afternoon, Anika planned to hunt for a part-time job.
"Sis, if you need cash, just hit me up. I can support you—no need for a part-time gig. It's exhausting!" Tessa protested, latching onto Anika's arm. If she were half as hardworking as Anika, her parents wouldn't be so fed up with her.
Anika just smiled. It wasn't about money. She just wasn't the kind of person to lean on anyone. She had her own goals to chase.
**
At Murphy Enterprises, in the CEO's office, Adrian Murphy sat in his tailored black suit, looking razor-sharp and exuding a cold, commanding aura that demanded respect. His long fingers flew over his phone's keyboard: "Streaming tonight?"
He'd gotten used to falling asleep to Anika's streams. Ever since his accident, he'd been wrestling with brutal insomnia. A few months back, he'd stumbled onto her stream, and her voice had hooked him instantly.
"No streams for now, Mr. M. I won't be using this account for a while," she replied.
"What are you up to right now?" Adrian shot back.
"Job hunting," she answered.
"Do you need money?" he asked.
He'd been swamped lately, and since signing the marriage agreement with Anika, he hadn't checked in on her finances. Looked like he needed to fix that.
