While picking up my parcel from the mailroom, I run into Ivan Judd, an underprivileged student from my grade who is working part-time there.

While we chat, he finds out that I'd spent 128 thousand dollars during the Black Friday sales.

Dumbfounded, Ivan cries, "I've never even seen that kind of money in my entire life! And you're spending it so casually? Did your mom send you to college to study or to blow money like this?"

He yanks the parcel out of my hands and physically blocks the exit. "Return it immediately! Kids like you never understand how hard it is for adults to earn money! If you're this wasteful now, what man can afford to marry you in the future?"

I can't help but laugh angrily at Ivan's ridiculous attitude. I retort, "What does me spending my mom's money have anything to do with you?"

"How does it not?" He looks completely justified when he says, "I'm dating your mom. Every cent you spend counts as our future marital assets!"

I am shocked.

Isn't Mom a lesbian? Since when did she start liking men?

Ivan Judd continued babbling, "I know you're still young, you don't know what real hardship is. But I'm not like you. Kids who grow up poor have to grow up fast. I understand how hard your mom's life is way better than you do!"

He stepped closer, spit flying as he talked. "You blew 128 thousand dollars with a tap of your finger just like that, but do you have any idea how hard your mom has to work for that kind of money? She's had to put on a smile, down drink after drink, and spend countless nights working till dawn.

"Outsiders don't see the struggles of a lone woman fighting her way through the world alone. But you're her daughter. Shouldn't you, of all people, understand?"

I couldn't help but laugh from sheer anger watching Ivan look so heartbroken.

Disregarding the fact that Mom practically forced 200 thousand dollars into my hands as a monthly allowance, she even bought me a 1.28-million-dollar car for my 18th birthday two years ago. I had only casually asked for it, but she hadn't even blinked before agreeing.

Mom's favorite saying was, "Making money is way too easy. I was afraid I'd have no one to help spend it, so I had you through IVF just to help me out in the spending department."

How we spent our money was a family matter. Since when did some outsider get a say on it?

"Pick it up!" I glared at the parcel Ivan had grabbed from me and thrown on the ground, frowning hard. "Intentionally damaging someone's property is a crime. Touch my stuff again, and I'll call the cops!"

"Hah!" Instead of backing off, he doubled down. "You brat! You're ignoring me when I'm trying to talk some sense into you?"

Ivan stepped forward and grabbed my arm. His tone was threatening when he said, "I'm warning you—your mom and I are about to register our marriage. So, that makes me your stepfather legally! As your parent, I'm ordering you to return all this useless crap right now! Or else—"

Scoffing lightly, I smacked his pointing hand away with the parcel. "You're so eager to play dad. Do you even know my mom's full name?"

Ivan folded his arms and replied confidently, "Of course, I do! Charlotte Livingston, the chairwoman of Livingston Group who made her fortune in fashion. Who doesn't know her?

"Not only that, but I also know that your biological dad died young, so your mom raised you all on her own. That's what Lottie personally told me when we started dating! Still don't believe me?"

I wasn't stupid enough to believe in Ivan. After all, what he said was literally a simplified version of the fake info I'd filled up for my college enrollment record just to save myself the trouble.

He must've peeked at it the day he helped our advisor sort through the records.

I only made up a cover story about my father passing away early so people wouldn't pry into the fact that I was an IVF baby. I wasn't expecting Ivan to take advantage of that.

Judging by how unhinged he was acting, I figured this wasn't his first day being like this.

I lost my patience in dealing with Ivan as class was about to start. I bent down to pick up my parcel before turning to leave.

Soon enough, I heard him barking into the phone. "That's right, it's me! Freeze all bank cards under Mindy Livingston's name. Every single one! Let's see if this will teach her a lesson today!"

I rolled my eyes after hearing Ivan's words. He must've been watching too many trashy TV shows lately to be imagining he was the top dog. College had absolutely melted his brain.

But my phone started buzzing in my pocket just as I was about to step out of the mailroom's doorway.

A bad feeling shot straight through my chest.

I pulled my phone out, and on the screen was an urgent notification from the bank.

I quickly schooled my expression, trying to hide the momentary shock of seeing my account frozen.

But Ivan still managed to catch it. "What's wrong? Now you can finally see what I can do, huh?"

He looked at me with a smug expression. "I told you, Lottie and I are close. You think being her daughter means anything? She wouldn't let it slide even if God himself talked back to me. How about this—"

Ivan deliberately paused for a dramatic effect, then waved his phone as if he was about to be magnanimous. "You apologize to me in public, right now—admit that you disrespected an elder. Then return everything you bought during the Black Friday sales, and send the refunds to my card.

"Consider it a gesture of respect—something like an offering to smooth things over. As long as you do that, I'll have Lottie unfreeze your account. How about it?"

There were many people coming and going through the mailroom during lunchtime. Our conversation drew a crowd fast.

"I didn't know that the life of a businesswoman could be so wild. He really lucked out landing himself a sugar mommy even before he'd even graduated. That'll save him decades of effort!"

"Ivan might be broke, but he's good-looking and charming. Maybe Mindy's mom has been lonely, and he's exactly her type."

"But don't you think the young woman seems like she's unaware?"

"That's normal! Her mom's new fling is her daughter's classmate, who'll likely become her stepfather. It's only normal for her to hide it."

At that, a guy who seemed pretty chummy with Ivan bumped his shoulder and said meaningfully, "Damn, Ivan. Freezing your stepdaughter's account whenever you want, huh? Seems like you've secured your spot in the family. Should we start calling you Mr. Chairman now?"

Seeing their sleazy smirks and nosy stares, I scoffed coldly before pointing at a few of the loudest gossipers. "Spreading rumors and defamation are both crimes. Want me to call Livingston Group's legal department over to give you all a quick legal lesson?"

The chatter fell immediately. Those who were talking the loudest earlier went pale.

At that, Ivan let out a sigh. "I really didn't want to make a scene, Mindy. But—"

His tone shifted, sounding disappointed when he said, "I can't just watch you fall into the trap of capitalist consumerism. We're about to be family, you know. You have to think about—"

I hurled the parcel in my hand straight at Ivan before he could even finish. "Family, my foot! Stop flattering yourself! Even if my mom went blind, she still wouldn't look at you twice!"

"You can't talk like that! That's too much!"

"Even if you don't like your stepfather, you can't stop your mother from pursuing happiness!"

The crowd buzzed back to life the moment I threw the parcel.

Just then, the bell for class rang.

I pulled out my phone. "I wasn't planning to prove anything, but I don't have time to waste on all of you. I'll be holding everyone who chimed in earlier accountable—all of you!"

Ignoring the panicked looks flashing across their faces, I called Mom, who was abroad on a business trip.

There was no answer.

I hung up and called again. Still, no one picked up.

I frowned. The crowd, who had been about to disperse out of fear, stopped in place again.

I called Mom three times in a row, but the only response I managed to get was the cold, mechanical voicemail prompt.

Just then, Ivan leisurely pulled out his phone and smiled. "Looks like Lottie's busy. It's okay, I'll give her a call. She told me my number has priority alerts. She'll always pick up no matter how busy she is."

He started dialling under everyone's curious gaze. The call connected instantly.

Ivan deliberately put it on speaker, and a slightly rushed female voice came through. "Hello, Ivan? What's wrong? I'm in a meeting, so keep it short."

My mind kept replaying the phone call between Ivan and that woman even after class had ended.

The woman's voice and tone sounded so much like Mom. Anyone who didn't know Mom's phone habits would have believed the person on the other end was Charlotte Livingston, the chairwoman of Livingston Group.

But I knew that Mom would answer every call in a foreign language whenever she was abroad for a business trip, no matter who it was from. It was a negotiation instinct she was hard-wired into after years of dealing with business internationally.

But that woman had clearly omitted this detail. Her tone when she spoke our native language was superficial. She also didn't have that sharp, decisive edge Mom always carried when she was working.

So, who was the woman Ivan claimed he was about to marry? Did she have anything to do with my account being frozen?

Once I went back to the dorm, I forced myself to calm down and dialed Mom again. Still, it went unanswered.

I could only send her a long voice message detailing everything that happened at the mailroom, asking her to call me back as soon as she could.

Troubled, I opened my laptop and tried to distract myself by finishing the application for my exchange program. Just as I logged into the college's application system, my phone rang.

Overjoyed, I grabbed it immediately, only to find a familiar campus office number. It was Ms. Warner, my advisor for the exchange program.

"Hello, Ms. Livingston," Ms. Warner said, sounding a little confused and worried. "I just got a call from someone claiming to be your father. He requested to cancel your application for the exchange program. I just wanted to check with you if something urgent has happened at home."

…

I rushed to Ms. Warner's office, and I saw a familiar figure there.

"Can you stop your nonsense already, Ivan?" I yelled.

Ivan shrugged, looking completely unfazed. With a righteous confidence, he claimed, "I'm currently dating Mindy's mom. By seniority, that makes me her stepfather. I have every right to cancel her exchange program application. The reason is—"

He dug out his phone and pulled up the surveillance clip of me throwing my parcel at him outside the mailroom during the noon. "I don't think my stepdaughter is able to control her own emotions. She's not fit for an exchange program right now."

My vision went dark. "Please don't listen to him, Ms. Warner! My mom and I have nothing to do with him! And she'd never agree to cancel my exchange program application!"

"Mindy!" Ivan turned around and looked at me helplessly. "You saw it for yourself. I was the only one who could reach your mom. Why are you still being so stubborn?"

Ms. Warner looked between the two of us, her brows pulled tight. "Mr. Judd, you kept claiming that you're Ms. Mindy Livingston's stepfather and that you're speaking on Ms. Charlotte Livingston's behalf.

"Do you have any documentation? Like a marriage certificate or an authorization letter from Ms. Charlotte Livingston?"

Ivan's smile froze for a moment, but he recovered quickly. He spread his hands casually. "Lottie and I are about to get our marriage registered very soon, Ms. Warner. It's just a matter of time.

"As her soon-to-be legal husband, is it really wrong for me to care about her daughter's education? As for the paperwork, I'll naturally provide it once we register our marriage."

"We cannot accept your claims without proper documentation." Ms. Warner's tone turned serious as she continued, "Ms. Livingston's exchange program application will move forward as planned. Please stop interfering in her affairs as if you were her parent, Mr. Judd."

Ivan's face darkened instantly. He shot me a vicious glare. "So, you insist on learning the hard way, huh? You're going to regret this, Mindy."