My Roommate's Discarded Boyfriend

My roommate dumped a batch of online boyfriends at the end of every month for not making the cut.

She hunted for rich kids on forums, then sorted them into A, B, and C categories based on how freely they spent. If they sent money, she kept them.

If they were cheap, she deleted them. That day, she was swearing again about broke guys pretending to come from money.

After listening for a while, I finally raised a tentative hand. “Those boyfriends you don’t want… Could I have one?” Chapter 1 I had social anxiety. The severe kind.

If things kept going this way, I might not be able to stay in school. But I couldn’t afford expensive therapy.

My doctor suggested talking to people online more, maybe even trying an online relationship. I was too anxious to add someone on the chat app myself, though.

That was why I’d worked up the courage to ask Alyssa Hamilton. She looked at me in surprise. “You… You can talk?” Um… Awkward.

Also mortifying. “What, you want an online boyfriend too? I guess I could give you one.” She switched to another account. “Here. This one’s on a separate chat account.

Perfect for you. You can even switch it over to your details.” My spirits lifted. I hadn’t expected her to be so nice.

I was just reaching for it when I said, “Ththank you.” She moved her hand out of reach. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m not giving it to you for free. Getting this account took some work.

Give me fifty dollars and it’s yours.” “Huh?” I had to pay? I pulled my hand back. “What did you expect? There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Listen, the guy on this account comes from a wealthy New York family. A little of his pocket change and you’ll make your money back. Do you want it or not?

If not, forget it.” Actually, Alyssa didn’t know whether he came from a wealthy New York family either.

He’d never replied to her messages, never posted an update, and certainly never sent her money. She figured she’d probably been conned. I didn’t care whether his family was rich.

I wasn’t after his money anyway. After a moment’s hesitation, I gritted my teeth and agreed. “Okay.” Alyssa’s eyes lit up.

She immediately showed me her payment QR code. “Don’t worry, Cora Wallace.

I guarantee you’ll come out ahead.” I scanned the code, logged into her account, and updated the details linked to it. When our eyes briefly met, she looked distinctly taken aback.

I quickly lowered my head and climbed into bed. I heard her mutter outside, “Huh. She’s actually pretty.” I didn’t feel any safer until I’d drawn the curtain around my bed.

I opened the account I’d just taken over and stared helplessly at his eagle avatar. How was I supposed to say hello?

Starting a conversation was agonizing when you had social anxiety. Finally, I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk. It was fine. This was online. Nothing to be afraid of.

Nothing to be afraid of. I forced myself to type: [Hi. Are you asleep?] Then, before I lost my nerve, I closed my eyes and hit Send.

I waited anxiously, but he still hadn’t replied by the time I fell asleep. Which was… fantastic! I really was terrified of interacting with anything alive, after all.

Eventually, he became someone I could tell anything without expecting an answer. Chapter 2 As LittleLantern, I sent him these messages: [Good morning!

The steamed buns at school had scallions in them today. Not good.] [Hahaha, I saw two cats fighting on my way today.

The little mottled cat lost.] Before I knew it, I’d been messaging him every day for three months. LittleLantern: [Do you know my favorite sweet treat?] [Ha! Bet you don’t.

You, sweetheart.] Things changed during the three days my phone was broken after I dropped it.

When it was finally fixed and I logged into the chat app, I discovered that he’d actually sent me two messages.

The first message had arrived at midnight on the first day my phone was out of action. m: [?] The other had arrived at midnight on the second day. m: [Out of patience already?] Uh… Every nerve in my body went taut.

He’d been as good as dead. Why had he suddenly come to life? How was I supposed to answer that? While I was still trying to figure it out, my phone vibrated. He was calling me.

An actual voice call. I jumped and hurriedly declined it.

Beside me, Alyssa turned her head, looking suspicious. “Cora Wallace, did your phone just ring?” I couldn’t blame her for being curious.

My phone hadn’t rung once since the start of school. Nobody ever contacted me.

I looked away in a panic and instinctively lied. “It… It was my alarm.” The words were barely out when my phone vibrated again.

She narrowed her eyes and held out her hand. “Let me see it, then.” I refused, so she tried to snatch it.

In the struggle, her bowl of spicy malatang soup tipped over on her desk, staining her dress red. “Ah!” she shrieked. “I paid two hundred dollars for this dress!

Cora Wallace, you’re paying for it!” Social anxiety wasn’t my only problem. I couldn’t control my tears, either.

I’d never argued with anyone before, and my voice caught on a sob as soon as I opened my mouth. “Yyou’re the one who knocked it over. Whwhy should I pay?

I won’t.” Apparently, she hadn’t expected me to talk back. She was furious. “If you’d just given me the phone, nothing would’ve spilled.

This is all your fault.” Our roommate Julia Curtis couldn’t take any more. “Alyssa, is there something wrong with you? Why should she let you look at her phone?

Don’t be scared, Cora. Even if the police get involved, we’ll back you up. She grabbed your phone first.” Zoe Horton joined in. “Exactly.

Don’t be scared.” Alyssa was livid, but she only picked on people who wouldn’t stand up to her. In the end, she headed for the bathroom, still complaining. “Fine!

You’re all just jealous of me, ganging up to bully me like this.

I’m reporting you to the resident adviser!” Once she was gone, I looked up through tearfilled eyes. “Thank you.” They waved it off. “It’s fine.

I’ve been sick of her for ages.” “Same here.” I thanked them again, climbed into bed, and picked up my phone. My world—collapsed.

I’d actually answered his call! “Done arguing?” What kind of unholy thing was that?! I hung up immediately. m: [What? Lost the argument and now you’re crying?] Ugh.

I could die of embarrassment. LittleLantern: [No, you just… startled me.] m: [Okay. Sorry.

My fault.] m: [Busy these past three days?] Oh… So this was because I hadn’t messaged him for three days. Chapter 3 LittleLantern: [No, my phone broke.

I only got it fixed today.] m: [If it broke, why didn’t you get a new one?] Wow. A little rude. Obviously, if I hadn’t replaced my broken phone, it was because I couldn’t afford to.

LittleLantern: [The old one still works.] It took him five minutes to wrap his head around my decision. Then— m: [Sent: $10,000. Go get a new phone.] All those zeros made me dizzy.

My hands shook. I thought I’d run into a scammer. [No, no, you don’t need to. My phone really does still work.] m: [Don’t get the wrong idea.

I just thought your daily greetings were pretty entertaining.

It felt strange when they suddenly stopped.] Uh… Was this what people meant by keeping a streak alive? m: [Get a new phone and keep it up.] I was a little stunned. [Oh.

Okay.] m: [Sent: $10,000.] My hand jerked, and I dropped my phone onto the bed. I scrambled to pick it up. What? m: [Get yourself a dress. Not a twohundreddollar one.

A twothousanddollar one.] This was terrifying. Was this some kind of romance scam? But… I didn’t have anything worth scamming me out of.

I ventured a question. [What are you…?] m: [You have a nice voice. I have insomnia.

If you’re willing to read me stories every night to help me sleep, I can pay you ten thousand dollars a month.] I thought I must have read it wrong.

I reached up and pinched my cheek. It was real! This was fantastic. It could help my social anxiety, and I’d make money too. Only an idiot would turn that down.

LittleLantern: [You got it, boss.] That was the start of my daily assignment.

The first night I answered his call, I did my best to keep my voice from shaking with nerves. “Good evening, boss.” “Mm. Go ahead.” His voice was deep and clear.

So sexy it made my ears tingle.

I cleared my throat and opened the Grimm’s Fairy Tales I’d gotten ready beforehand. “Once upon a time, there was a princess…” A month passed like that.

My bank balance went from three figures to $50,038.28. My boss kept tipping me, and thanks to him, I now had five figures in savings.

Having money even made my social anxiety a lot better. One day after class, I was hurrying to the dining hall for food when I rounded a corner and bumped into someone.

I kept my head down. “Sorry.” A guy beside us said, “Shit, I told you we shouldn’t come to this crappy dining hall. You okay, Martin?” My heart lurched.

That familiar suffocating pressure filled my chest. My social anxiety was acting up again. The other guy spoke. “You bumped into me.

Here.” He raised a hand and pointed at his chest. My head was buzzing. Instinctively, I followed his hand, lifting my head enough to glance at his chest. “II’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to.” He was incredibly tall. At five foot three, I barely came up to his chin. He was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly bent down.

An intimidatingly handsome face appeared right in front of me, startling me into dropping my head again.

With his long fingers, he took the book I was clutching. “Alyssa Hamilton…” Huh? Why did I have her book? But I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

All I could do was hope they’d leave me alone and go. The weight of the book returned to my hands. “Come on.

Didn’t you say you’d take me somewhere else to eat?” Chapter 4 The other guy answered quickly. “Right, right. Let’s go.

You probably haven’t had Chinese food in ages while you’ve been abroad…” Still talking, they got into the Maybach parked outside the dining hall.

Only after the car had driven away did I let myself relax. My back was already soaked with sweat. I got my food and was just leaving the dining hall when I ran into Alyssa.

She was rather dressed up. “Hey, did you see that Maybach parked outside?” Oh. She was here for that guy.

I shook my head and walked around her, heading back to the dorm. “No.” She stamped her foot in disappointment. “Why did he leave already?

I heard it was Martin Pierce, from that rich New York family. He’s finally back in the States…” Back in our room, I washed my face first.

I’d just sat down to eat when my phone vibrated. m: [What are you doing?] LittleLantern: [About to eat.] m: [Okay.] LittleLantern: [Have you eaten, boss?] m: [I’m eating too.

Do you like seafood?] I thought about it. I didn’t think I’d ever had any, but it was probably like crawfish, right? In that case… LittleLantern: [I do.] m: [Okay.

Go eat.] LittleLantern: [Okay.] After all this time, I could finally talk to m normally. That night, after I’d washed up, I was about to call him when his call came in first.

I answered without thinking much of it—and found myself looking at a guy’s sharply defined jawline. My face flashed across the screen. I jolted and hurriedly hung up.

Why had he suddenly videocalled me?! He called again, voice only this time. m: [Sorry. Tapped the wrong button.] I let out a long breath. So it had been an accident.

LittleLantern: [Oh, okay. It’s fine.

You… didn’t see anything just now, did you?] m: [See what?] As long as he hadn’t seen me. “Nothing,” I said. “Let’s start the story.” When I finished, his end was quiet.

He was probably asleep. I was about to hang up when I heard his low voice. “Little Lantern, let’s date.” The sound sent a tingle through me.

I wondered if I’d heard him wrong. “What?” He repeated himself. “I said, let’s date. I think… I like you.” Countless fireworks went off in my head, leaving my mind completely blank