She still had one swap left. I could not risk tipping her off.

I did not go inside. I turned around, went back to school, and immediately started interviewing at other companies.

Along with my new investment banking offer came a furious call from Mom.

"Elisa, what's going on? Didn't you say you got a government job? What's this about an investment banking offer?"

I played dumb. "Mom, I didn't apply for government jobs. I interviewed at an investment bank, but I didn't get in. Did a bank send an offer to your email? Is it my offer?

"Mom, can you show me?"

Mom snapped, "It's not yours!" Then, she hung up.

I stared at my phone and laughed. Who cared if she swapped the offer? Poppy would probably fail horrendously before her probation period ended.

Back when Poppy used my scores to get into a top university, she could not keep up with the coursework at all. She failed multiple classes and nearly flunked out.

Mom only managed to get her a degree by bribing every professor and academic advisor she could.

After graduation, Poppy could not find work anywhere. She moved back home and mooched off Mom. After bumming around for a year, she suddenly got an offer from a top investment bank. She could not handle the fast pace of corporate life at all.

Sure enough, after three days on the job, she came home and quit. She refused to work, and Mom was perfectly happy to support her.

As for me, knowing they had one swap left felt like the sword of Damocles over my head. I constantly worried about when and how they would use it on me. It was like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment and destroy my life.

I needed that bomb to detonate on my terms, within my control.

From then on, I made a point of casually mentioning good things that happened to me. Things like I won $500,000 in the lottery or I bought myself a small condo with my savings. However, Mom and Poppy did not take the bait.

Then one day, I overheard Mom setting up blind dates for Poppy.

Poppy was unhappy with every single match. I knew my opportunity had come.

After careful searching, I finally found James. He was a gift I had handpicked specifically for Poppy, one she would not be able to resist.

A week later, James picked me up in a luxury car. We went to pick Poppy and Ralph up to join us at the airport.

The moment Ralph got into the car, he could not contain his excitement. He took countless selfies with the interior.

Poppy looked furious. She slapped his phone out of his hand. "Can you stop embarrassing yourself? It's just a car. What's the big deal? You're acting like such a hick."

Ralph's excitement vanished after hearing her harsh mockery. He pocketed his phone, sat back down, and did not say another word.

At the airport, James went to find his friends, while Poppy leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Elisa, did James rent this car?"

I shook my head with a shy smile. "He just bought it. His old sports car couldn't fit all of us."

Poppy looked skeptical. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did someone like James even fall for you? You're not feminine at all."

Because of my job, I always dressed in business attire and had developed a no-nonsense management style after years of leadership. Apparently, to Poppy, this professional appearance meant I had no femininity whatsoever.

I smiled and did not respond.

Ralph spoke up instead. "Poppy, how could you talk to your sister like that?"

Poppy kicked him. "Whose side are you on? Don't tell me you're into my sister now."

Ralph's face turned bright red instantly. "No! She's your sister. How could you even think that about me?"

While the two of them argued, James and his trust fund friends were already walking toward us.

"Wow, she's gorgeous!"

"So this is the beauty who landed our boy James!"

"No wonder James has been MIA lately. He's been keeping her all to himself!"

Sweet talk was second nature to James's crowd. Even though we had never met, they immediately started praising me and played up James's status.

Once they learned Poppy and Ralph were my sister and her fiancé, they made polite conversation for a few minutes.

Poppy pulled me aside again and whispered in my ear. "Why are all of James's friends so hot? Are they loaded too?"

I sneered internally but kept a smug smile on my face. "They have some money, sure, but none of them are as wealthy as James. He's the real deal when it comes to being a trust fund kid."

I could not let Poppy shift her target to anyone else. After all, James was the only one I had painstakingly found from the wife-killer club.

On the plane, James's friends were intensely curious about me and asked me a barrage of questions. We chatted about everything under the sun.

Suddenly, Ralph let out a scream. Poppy snapped at him irritably. "What are you doing?"

Ralph looked terrified. "There's thunder and lightning! What if it hits us? I don't want to die!"

One of James's friends laughed. "Relax, man. If the weather was really that bad, the plane wouldn't have taken off in the first place. Planes have lightning protection systems. You'll be fine, don't worry."

Poppy looked mortified. "This is so humiliating!"

Ralph, completely oblivious, just laughed it off. "Hey, it’s my first time flying. Cut me some slack."

A little while later, a flight attendant came by with the meal cart. Ralph perked up with interest. "Excuse me, how much for one of these meals?"

"Sir, meals are complimentary on this flight."

Ralph brightened and grabbed meals for all of us before asking, "Can I get two more? I eat a lot, and one serving won't be enough."

The flight attendant remained patient. "I'm sorry, sir. If there are extras after everyone's been served, I'll bring some over."

After she left, Ralph turned to Poppy enthusiastically. "That flight attendant was really nice. I'll ask her to bring you a blanket in a bit. I saw they have drinks too. They're probably free! Want one?"

Poppy's expression darkened. "Enough, Ralph. Can you stop acting as if you've never been anywhere before? Are you starving or something? Why do you need so many meals?"

Even someone as easygoing as Ralph understood that Poppy was embarrassed by his behavior. He deflated, and the atmosphere between them turned awkward.

James's friends jumped in to smooth things over and changed the subject. "Elisa, when we land in Capdo, James has a surprise for you!"

I knew what it was. James was planning to propose.

Sure enough, on the hot air balloon we got on shortly after landing, James got down on one knee. His eyes were full of tenderness. "Elisa, marry me."

James's friends cheered around us. Looking into his eyes, I almost believed I had found real happiness. However, Poppy suddenly rushed forward, shoved past me, and snatched the ring from James's hand before I could react.

James's expression darkened. He stared at Poppy coldly. "What are you doing?"

Poppy called Ralph over. "Ralph, you took that jewelry class in college, right? Is this diamond real?"

Ralph took the ring and examined it closely. "Wow, look at how clear this is! The clarity, the color… This is top tier! James, this ring must have cost a fortune, right?"

James did not respond, but his friends spoke up.

"Elisa, James went through a lot of trouble to get this ring at auction."

"Come on, you know James wouldn't give anyone a fake."

Ralph picked up on their sarcasm and quickly tried to defuse the situation. "No, no, we're not saying it's fake. Poppy just wanted me to see a real diamond up close. Don't take it the wrong way."

Poppy yanked the ring out of Ralph's hand and scrutinized it closely with wide eyes.

James's voice turned icy. "What? You still think it's fake?"

Poppy seemed to snap out of it. She reluctantly tossed the ring into my hand. "Lucky you."

I gave James an apologetic smile. "My sister is young and immature. Don't take it personally."

James smiled warmly at me, took the ring from my hand, and knelt down again. "Let me propose one more time. Elisa, I love you. Will you marry me?"

I nodded sweetly and let James slip the ring onto my finger.