Chapter 5: Childhood Confessions and Public Humiliation

“Yeah, yeah, whatever my sister says goes.”

Only then did Bella give a satisfied, smug smile. She wanted to use this to lock in her rich heiress image, and she thought she’d just won another round.

I smiled too. Let’s see whose name is really on that multi-million dollar house, princess.

—

After a round of quick intros, the crew suggested an ice-breaker game. The tension in the air loosened a little. Everyone was curious to see what would happen next.

“The rules are simple: everyone says something only they’ve done. If someone else hasn’t done it, they lose a point. Lose three points and you’re out.”

Everyone had a little scoreboard in front of them, names written in bright marker.

Hannah went first, excitedly saying:

“I’ll go first! I’ve won a gold medal at an international dance competition!”

Bella jumped in right away, her voice just a little too eager. Girl couldn’t wait to one-up Hannah.

“What a coincidence, I’ve also won gold in ballet three years in a row.”

Except for her, the rest of us lost a point. The scoreboard dinged, and the chat started whispering about Bella’s humblebrag.

Next up was Alex.

“I’ve starred in a top-rated teen drama on Netflix.”

Miles raised an eyebrow: “Me too.”

My brother was brief: “Same.”

After that round, my scoreboard showed 2 points left—one more loss and I’d be out. I could feel the pressure, and Bella saw my score and smirked. Game on.

She said confidently: “I have a private horse ranch.”

A few fans in the chat started fawning over her, the comments rolling in fast:

*“With a thunderous entrance, the loyal servant makes a dazzling appearance!”*

*“Okay, flex!”*

*“Princess Bella, just casually mentioning a private horse ranch.”*

*“Isn’t that super expensive?”*

*“You poor people don’t get it—a purebred racehorse costs over a million!”*

*“Wow, Princess, hugs~”*

My brother and I exchanged a look. We both thought the same thing: That’s it? A horse ranch? A horse ranch is expensive, sure, but we had one as teenagers. For Miles and Hannah, it was even less impressive. It was almost funny.

Bella basked in the praise, pretending to be all modest. “No, it’s not that expensive.” Sure, Jan.

But then she realized only Alex lost a point. Her smile faltered, just for a second.

She immediately widened her eyes and rapid-fired:

“No cheating, okay? No matter how afraid of losing, you can’t lie.” She shot me a look like I’d just committed a crime.

“Emmy’s young, it’s normal to want to look good, but you have to be honest.”

“Even if you don’t have a horse ranch, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, right everyone?”

The chat followed her lead, some of them egging her on:

*“LOL, the toxic siblings are cheating just to stay in the game.”*

*“Carter’s made a ton of money—what’s wrong with buying his sister a horse ranch?”*

*“Stop defending, a lie is a lie!”*

*“Only Alex lost a point, poor guy.”*

Seeing me get dragged for no reason, my brother frowned, visibly annoyed. His jaw clenched, and I could see the old Carter peeking through—the one who’d throw down for his family.

He’s got a reputation for a short fuse. With those trending tags like ‘rage monster’ and ‘hitting people,’ Bella got nervous. Her bravado shrank fast.

Then it was Miles’s turn. He gave the camera a lazy smile. Of course he did.