My Boyfriend Played Mind Games, So I Played Them Better Chapter 03

My Boyfriend Played Mind Games, So I Played Them Better Chapter 03

No pretty girl with half a brain was ever truly unaware of it.

I’d deliberately hidden behind hacked-off bangs and thick black frames, keeping myself invisible at school because I didn’t need the trouble that came with being noticed.

Until I knew how to protect myself, letting people see what I really looked like would only have made me a target.

That was pure survival instinct.

But things were different now.

It was time the birthday girl and her friends paid for what they’d done.

I returned the birthday gift and spent the refund on a haircut, contacts, and a new, well-fitting dress.

Then I went looking for Julian Hale, the guy every girl at school wanted.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“Huh?” He stopped pushing his bike. “Who are you?”

Of course Julian had no idea who I was.

He was two years ahead of me and lived in one of the houses in the gated section of our residential development.

My family lived in one of the high-rise buildings in the same development, and even those apartments weren’t cheap. We weren’t poor.

I only looked destitute because my parents refused to spend any money on me.

There was no fixing parents who played favorites. I could ruin the happy little family moments they shared with my brother, but I couldn’t force them to spend more on me.

Any time I tried to claim a fair share of what they gave him, they treated me like I was stealing from them.

Julian started pushing his bike away, so I caught the handlebars before he could leave.

“Julian, pretend to be my boyfriend, and I’ll get all those girls off your back.”

He arched a brow.

“You’re not afraid they’ll jump you?”

A group of local girls with a rough reputation had also set their sights on Julian. Their leader showed up every day to hound him, and he was sick of it.

For all her faults, the girl had a code. She didn’t go after guys who were taken.

“No.”

Only then did Julian give me a proper look.

“I’ll give you this. With you on my arm, people might actually believe it.”

When I walked into school with my new look, people immediately started talking.

The birthday girl didn’t seem particularly surprised.

That made sense.

She’d been the first person to see through my disguise.

But when Julian showed up with breakfast for me, the contempt in her eyes finally gave way to anger.

She still smiled at me as though she’d never done a thing and asked sweetly, “Ivy, what’s going on between you and Julian?”

I gave her my sweetest smile.

“He’s my new boyfriend.”

Just like that, she went back to being nice and started cozying up to me.

Whenever Julian and I went out, she insisted on coming, claiming it was for my own good.

“If we all go together, no one can accuse you two of sneaking around.”

I agreed and invited her entire friend group too.

Julian humored me a few times.

“Think that’s enough?”

“That should do it.”

By then, I’d gotten every one of them to follow my burner account.

I never claimed to be Julian. I only posted the occasional photo showing off money and tagged the gated section of our development as the location.

The first girl to confess was the birthday girl’s closest friend.

I replied: [You’re great, but your best friend has been really sweet to me too.]

[Honestly, I don’t know which one of you I like more.]

She immediately sent me a string of backhanded compliments and thinly veiled digs about the birthday girl.

Perfect. Every message was ammunition.

When the birthday girl eventually confessed too, I sent her the screenshots and added:

[I’m only telling you because I’m on your side. You won’t sell me out, right?]

It didn’t take long for the clique she’d built so carefully to fall apart. Soon, they were tearing one another to pieces.

All it would’ve taken was one honest conversation. If any of them had compared messages, they would’ve seen exactly what I’d done.

Unfortunately, none of them were capable of that.

They were friends for a reason.

I laughed under my breath.