You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 24

Ashton had taken care of everything—food, clothing, housing, and transportation. He spared no expense and handled it all so seamlessly that Sylvia never felt like a burden.

It wasn't until a month or two into their relationship that Sylvia noticed her savings starting to pile up. Before him, every dollar she earned was immediately swallowed by endless expenses, leaving her with practically nothing. Ashton had given her a credit card at one point, but she rarely ever found a reason to use it.

Now that they had broken up, her standard of living was going to plummet. It was true what they said: going from rags to riches was easy, but going from riches to rags was brutal. The hardest part was adjusting mentally. Right now, looking for an apartment, she realized she had to keep lowering her expectations just to afford rent.

For the first time in three years, Sylvia remembered what it felt like to meticulously budget every dollar.

She politely declined the agent's suggestion to view more units in the building, opting to check out a more affordable neighborhood instead.

As they walked out the main entrance and turned the corner toward the elevators, Sylvia was hit by a powerful wave of expensive perfume.

Looking up, she saw a woman marching toward her. She wore stilettos, a bold red lip, and a sharp, tailored suit that screamed aggressive corporate competence.

The woman looked surprised for a split second before calling out, "Sylvia?"

Sylvia recognized her immediately. It was Penelope Caldwell, her old college roommate.

They had never been close. Back in college, Penelope had copied Sylvia relentlessly. She mimicked her clothes, her way of speaking, and even the way she rested her chin on her hand when she spaced out.

As roommates, they saw each other constantly. Frankly, being mirrored that closely made Sylvia incredibly uncomfortable.

Penelope hadn't even tried to hide it. She would openly demand to know what brand of underwear Sylvia was wearing just so she could buy the exact same ones.

Right before graduation, Penelope found out Sylvia was dating Ashton. She deliberately dressed exactly like Sylvia, linked arms with her, and paraded herself in front of him, pretending they were the best of friends just to force herself into their dinner plans.

After the meal, Penelope had the audacity to pout and beg for Ashton's number right in front of Sylvia. It was a blatant, shameless attempt to steal her boyfriend.

Ashton's expression had turned to ice.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? I don't collect trash."

Penelope had frozen, unable to process the humiliation. Her face drained of color.

"You're joking, right? It's just exchanging numbers. It's not like you'd lose anything."

Ashton had raised an eyebrow, his gaze glacial.

"You know exactly what you're trying to do. We don't belong in the same world. There's no reason for us to interact."