My Bestie Called Money ‘Dirty’, Now She’s Watching Me Get Spoiled by Eight Men Chapter 05

My Bestie Called Money ‘Dirty’, Now She’s Watching Me Get Spoiled by Eight Men Chapter 05

Mrs. Whitmore lifted her gaze.

Her eyes passed over the crowd and landed on me, standing at the top of the stairs.

Everyone else followed her line of sight.

I was still holding my English vocabulary book.

Mrs. Whitmore smiled warmly.

“Brynn, we’re here to take you home.”

The entire courtyard went silent.

Mrs. Carter stared at her in disbelief.

“Brynn…?”

Mr. Whitmore stepped forward and handed her a stack of documents.

“These are the placement records, the adoption petition, and the foster-to-adopt agreement…”

Each document he pulled out drained more color from Seraphina’s face.

The other children were just as stunned.

“How is it her?”

“I thought they came for Seraphina!”

“Did the Whitmores make a mistake?”

Mrs. Whitmore heard the whispers. Her expression turned serious.

“There wasn’t any mistake.”

“When we asked Seraphina that day, she gave us a clear answer.

“We respected her decision not to be adopted.”

Seraphina’s head snapped up.

“The words caught in her throat, choked off by all the high-minded things she’d said before.

“Seraphina, you said family shouldn’t be tied to money.”

“We took your words to heart. That’s why we won’t force you into something you’re clearly not

comfortable with.”

Those words hurt far more than any insult. Seraphina’s lips trembled.

Mrs. Carter rushed to smooth things over.

“Mrs. Whitmore, Seraphina’s still young. She just has a sharp tongue sometimes.”

“She didn’t mean it like that. Please reconsider. She’s a much better fit than Brynn.”

Mrs. Whitmore frowned. “She’s fifteen. She’s old enough to take responsibility for her own words.”

“And we think Brynn is a wonderful child.”

Mrs. Carter’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Mrs. Whitmore turned back to me.

“Brynn, would you like to come home with us?”

I walked down the stairs and nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. I’d love to.”

Seraphina suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Brynn… are you sure about this?”

Her eyes were red, as though she were genuinely worried about me.

“Living with a family like the Whitmores isn’t as easy as you think.”

“You’re so focused on money and status. It’s going to get you into trouble, and no one will be able to

help you.”

One of the girls immediately chimed in.

“She’s right, Brynn. Seraphina’s only saying this because she cares.”

“She turned them down because she saw the bigger picture. Why are you still walking right into it?”

I looked at them in silence, my mind perfectly clear.

Mrs. Whitmore’s expression darkened.

“We’re adopting a daughter because we want to give her a family.”

“We have housekeepers, drivers, and a full staff. The last thing a fifteen-year-old needs to worry

about is taking care of us.”

Seraphina had nothing to say.

Mr. Whitmore turned to Mrs. Carter.

“Please let Brynn pack her things.”

I headed back to the dorm.

Seraphina followed me inside.

The door had barely closed before every trace of warmth disappeared from her face.

“What are you so proud of, Brynn?”

“You actually think the Whitmores chose you?”

“They only picked you because I said no. You’re nothing but a backup.”

I opened my locker and packed a few changes of clothes into my duffel bag.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“But they came here for me. Not you.”

Seraphina’s eyes blazed with fury.

“You’ll see soon enough!”

“They call it ‘adoption,’ but it’s just a prettier word for ‘servant.””

“They already have their own family. You’ll never be a real sister to them.”

“Don’t come crying when you realize the truth.”

I zipped up my bag, picked it up, and stopped at the door.

Turning back, I met her eyes.

“Seraphina. Not everyone is like you too scared to admit what they really want.”

“I wanted this. So I went for it.”

Outside, Mrs. Whitmore took my bag from my hand.

She frowned. “Is this everything?”

I nodded. “It’s plenty.”

She gently rubbed my head.

“No. It isn’t.”

“We’ll get you more. One step at a time.”