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“I got us all the rest of the week off school. I told the principal we were all being featured in an article about the most influential families in New York,” Gulliver says between bites of sandwich.
“Won’t she realize it’s all bullshit when an article doesn’t get published?” I ask.
“It will get published,” Thorn says. “We were all asked to do the article months ago, but we’ve been stalling them. Now they’re over the moon to not only write the article but to also have Gulliver’s beautiful fiancée from the very old and influential Rhodes family included as well.”
“What?” I shriek. “I can’t have photographs taken looking like this.” I flap my hand in front of me, gesturing to my beat-up face.
“It’s fine. We’ll hire our own hair and makeup and have them sign NDAs. Once they’ve worked their magic, no one will suspect that you’re anything but perfect and blemish-free. Plus, this is the perfect way to rocket you back into the public eye,” Kip says enthusiastically.
“We’re going to spin it that you chose to take a step away from the Elite social circle for the last few years, but that with the engagement, you’re ready to retake your position in society. Consider this your coming-out article without the dreadful dancing,” Gulliver says austerely.
“Where is it going to be published?” I ask, a ghost of a grin starting to spread over my lips.
“The New York Times society pages, where else?” Gulliver smirks.
My grin widens, and I can’t help laughing as I shake my head. “My mom is going to lose her mind; she’s been trying to get them to write an article about Penelope since the news about the inheritance came out.”
“That’s just step one, Little Ghost. After that, we have tickets and invites for every club opening, gala, fundraiser, and must-be-seen-at event for the next month, not to mention the ridiculous engagement party I plan to throw. In a matter of weeks, there will only be one Rhodes twin everyone is talking about, and it won’t be your fucking sister,” Gulliver says, a mischievous, seductive gleam in his eyes.
“I need to speak to the principal and try to get my class schedule moved around. I want to be in as many of my sister’s classes as possible,” I say.
“Why?” Davis asks.
“Because if I out my family for having me cheat for my sister, they’ll deny it. They’ll twist it around and make it seem like it’s me who’s cheating or lying. But if Penelope and I are both in the same class, taking the same tests at the same time, then there’s nothing they can do and no way Penelope can fake it. She’ll fail, and I’ll be there to witness it.”
“Which classes have you been taking for her?” Kip asks.
“English, all her math classes, biology, chemistry, physics, and sometimes world history. Sometimes I’d sit for a test or do her assignments for history and social science, but I’ve attended probably eighty percent of her core classes and sat for all the tests for the last three years. To be honest, the only class of hers that I don’t take is French.”
“What about when it was a pop quiz?” Gulliver asks, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees.
“She’d text me, and then she’d ask to use the bathroom or find some other excuse to leave the room, and I’d go back in her place,” I say with a shrug.
“So, you both take the same classes, just in different periods?” Thorn asks, his nose scrunched up as he tries to figure out how I managed to cheat for my sister for so long.
“Basically, yes. Sophomore and junior year, she took a couple of classes that I didn’t, so Mom and Dad hired private tutors to teach me the curriculum so I could step in if I needed to. But for the most part, they just donated enough money to the school to make sure we were never in the same class at the same time and that the teachers didn’t question which Rhodes was actually in the room,” I say, lifting the last bite of my grilled cheese to my lips and humming appreciatively.
“Why not just get Penelope the tutors?” Davis asks, his shrewd eyes accessing me.
“Because they had her parading around in front of all of her potential husbands every night,” Gulliver answers before I have a chance.
I nod. “She did have tutors to start off with, but even with their help, she still struggled to maintain her GPA, and I didn’t. The Rhodes name can’t be sullied with anything less than an A, and Penelope is a B average student,” I sneer sardonically. “Ironically, I still have a perfect 4.0 despite the fact that I rarely attend my own classes.”
“So, without you taking her tests, she’s going to fail?” Thorn clarifies.
“Yep,” I say, smiling as I pop the p. “There’s less than six months until graduation. If she gets one B grade, she could pull it back with extra credit, but two B’s or one C ,and she’s fucked. Bye-bye 4.0 GPA, and bye-bye billion-dollar inheritance.”
Kip starts to laugh, and the sound makes my smile spread even wider.
“The terms of the will state that she has to be a success, and my great-grandfather judged success by results. To inherit, she has to graduate GAA with a perfect 4.0. Before this weekend, I would have helped my family make that happen,” I tell them, looking them each in the eye and finishing with Gulliver. “Now I want to sit back and watch while it’s all taken away from them.”
26
GULLIVER
Everything I thought I knew about Izzy is turning out to be completely wrong, and I feel like a fucking asshole for judging her simply because of her last name. In my defense, the rest of her family are toxic, manipulative liars, and I assumed she was just like them, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Everything that’s happened to her in the last seventy-two hours is entirely my fault. From the moment I saw her screaming her own name, I used her, and I blackmailed her. I made her an unwilling accomplice in my scheme to convince her parents to give up on their ambition of making me their new son-in-law. Then I refused to hear her when she tried to tell me what impact my actions would have on her.
