His Childhood Sweetheart Says I'm a Gold Digger

My boyfriend Rick James and I had just stepped out of the mall when we ran into a blogger doing street interviews.

Rick, who normally kept everyone at arm's length, did something he never did and stopped walking.

The woman with the camera looked at me with a bright little smile.

Excuse me, is that gift in your hand from your boyfriend?

I nodded. Today was our third dating anniversary, and Rick had given me a handbag.

I was about to explain that I'd given him a gift too.

But she shoved her phone right up to my face and fired off one question after another, each one sharp and pointed.

"So would you call this kind of behavior being a gold digger?"

"Spending a man's money, doesn't that weigh on your conscience at all?"

"Living off a man like this, don't you feel any shame?"

My expression darkened at once, and I raised a hand to stop her recording.

"Show some respect. Don't make assumptions about me!"

But Rick stepped in front of her, frowning.

"Sabina, what are you getting so worked up about?"

"She's not wrong. Aren't I the one supporting you?"

My hand froze mid-motion, and I stared at Rick, unable to believe it.

Rick just turned around, smiling warmly at the blogger.

"Sabina, welcome back home!"

Sabina lowered her phone and threw herself into Rick's arms.

"Rick, I'm back!"

I watched Rick hold Sabina, that tender smile on his face, and all at once the whole thing felt utterly pointless.

1.

Rick let go of Sabina and introduced her to me, still smiling.

"This is Sabina Fox."

"She's just like this, loves to tease. Don't take it to heart."

Sabina gave me a little smile.

"So you're Rick's girlfriend?"

"I was only joking. You're not actually mad, are you?"

I looked up at Rick, fighting to hold down the hurt inside me.

"Rick, do you think that was funny?"

"I don't."

Rick's smile faded, and when he looked at me, his brow drew together without his meaning it to.

That was how he looked when he was losing patience.

"I already said it was a joke. Dani, you're not the type to nitpick over every little thing."

I've always had an even temper. In all my time with Rick, the two of us had almost never had a cross word.

But the sight of that hug was too much to look at, and my chest ached, dull and heavy.

"Rick, none of those things were funny. They were ugly to hear."

Rick started to say something more, but Sabina pouted and tugged at his sleeve.

"Never mind. Don't get upset over me."

Rick bent his head and ruffled Sabina's hair with a smile.

"All right. Whatever you say."

And with that, the two of them walked off toward the parking lot side by side, talking and laughing.

I stood where I was, unable to come back to myself for a long time.

Rick had always been cold, and apart from me there were rarely any other women around him.

Even after three years together, he'd always held himself in check, hardly ever this affectionate with me in public.

Yet with Sabina he not only hugged her, he ruffled her hair like they were close.

So natural about it, as if he'd done it countless times before.

It was a while before Rick noticed I hadn't followed.

He sighed, came back toward me, and there was impatience in his voice.

"Dani, you're not this petty. This is a small thing."

He lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch.

"We still have to go to the old house tonight. My mom's waiting for us for dinner."

"I'll drop Sabina off first. Cool down, then grab a cab over."

And with that, he walked back to Sabina without a backward glance.

Inside the car, Sabina sat in the passenger seat while Rick leaned over from the side, carefully fastening her seat belt for her.

Sabina looked over at me, the corner of her mouth curving up, full of challenge.

Without thinking, I clenched my hands, my chest crushed under something like a boulder, unable to breathe.

By the time we reached the old James estate, laughter was already spilling out of the living room before I'd even stepped inside.

I looked up toward it.

On the sofa, Sabina Fox sat close to Amanda James, the two of them arm in arm, cozy as could be.

The moment I walked in, the laughter cut off.

Amanda lifted her eyelids.

"Why so late?"

"No sense of time at all. Can't you see everyone's waiting on you?"

Rick spoke up from the side, cutting in.

"Mom! It's still early!"

Amanda glanced at Rick, her tone going sour.

"So I'm not allowed to say a word?"

She turned and took Sabina's hand.

"Now she knows how to behave. Just back in the country and already here to see me."

"Not like some people!"

Amanda had never liked me.

She always felt I'd reached above my station to get Rick.

With me, she was cold and cutting.

Rick kept telling me not to take it to heart.

His mother was like that with everyone.

But now I could see it. She wasn't like that with Sabina.

Rick came over to me, took the gift box from my hands, and explained under his breath.

"That's just how my mom is. Don't take it to heart."

Don't take it to heart, again.

Right now the words were a careless, cheap way to smooth things over.

I pressed my lips together and looked at Rick.

"Why is Sabina here?"

"Weren't you taking her home?"

Rick paused, his voice still even.

"My mom heard Sabina was back and insisted I bring her over."

"Don't read into it."

Before I could say anything else, Rick had already walked to the sofa.

"Mom, Dani picked out this gift especially for you."

Amanda gave it a look with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, then touched the silk scarf at her neck.

"Sabina's the one who's thoughtful."

"She brought this all the way back from abroad, just for me."

"Not like some people, showing up every day with cheap junk to get by."

"If you ask me, Sabina's the better match. Same background. Not like some people who only want to climb up."

The weight in my chest grew heavier.

I looked up at Rick and said quietly,

"Rick, aren't you going to say something?"

Rick glanced at me.

"You're not like Sabina. Don't compare yourself to her."

"My mom just speaks her mind, says whatever she's thinking. Don't hold it against her."

He took my arm and sat me down at the table.

"Let's eat."

At the table, Amanda pulled Sabina close beside her, affectionate.

She kept piling food into Sabina's bowl.

And she kept bringing up funny stories from when Rick and Sabina were kids.

Rick played along, chiming in from his seat. The three of them talked and laughed, like there was an invisible wall shutting me out.

When the meal was over, Amanda suggested a photo.

Before I could stand next to Rick, she frowned and lifted a hand.

"Rick, you two aren't married yet. Who knows how things will turn out later."

"We're taking a family portrait. No need to have her in it, is there?"

Rick rubbed the space between his brows and looked at me.

"Dani, I know you don't mind. We'll take one next time."

I'd held it in all night, but looking at Sabina standing beside Amanda, I suddenly didn't want to hold it in anymore.

I pointed at Sabina.

"What about her?"

"Why does she get to be in the photo?"

Amanda's voice turned shrill.

"Sabina's family, of course."

"What makes you think you can compare yourself to her?"

Rick looked at me too, disapproving.

"Dani, when did you get so unreasonable?"

"Sabina grew up with me. She's no different from family."

"Stop dragging out these little things!"

A bitter taste came to my mouth, and inside I felt nothing but scorn.

Even now, Rick still thought it was some little thing.

Still thought I was making a scene.

Sabina stepped forward, her eyes rimmed red.

"It's fine, Rick."

"If Dani minds, I just won't be in it."

"I'll leave right now, so I'm not in the way."

With that, Sabina made a show of moving to grab her bag.

The anger in Rick's eyes finally broke loose.

He turned to me, agitated.

"Daniela, what exactly do you want?"

"You've had that sour face on all night. Is this fun for you?"

"We're just trying to have a nice dinner, and you have to drive Sabina out?"

He caught Sabina by the arm.

"You stay right here."

"Daniela, apologize to Sabina!"

Sabina lowered her head and sniffled softly, but when she snuck a glance at me, her eyes were full of malice.

And Rick was still watching me, waiting for me to back down.

But all I felt was exhaustion, head to toe.

Across from me, Rick kept Sabina shielded behind him, staring at me without blinking, as if I'd done something unforgivable.

But I was his girlfriend. I was the one who should have been standing at his side.

I didn't hesitate any longer. I turned and walked out of the old James estate.

Three years of love, and by this moment, it had truly become completely pointless.

Rick James and I met at a business dinner over drinks.

I'd just started my career, and Rick was one of the company's clients.

All through the meal, my manager kept pushing me to raise a glass to him.

One swallow, and it went down the wrong way. My eyes went red on the spot.

Rick was cold as ever.

"There's no need to force the girl to drink."

"Keep this up, and there's nothing left for us to discuss."

His tone was ice, and yet to me it felt warmer than anything anyone had ever said.

Even later, when Rick stayed cold and his mother never stopped making my life hard,

I bore it in silence. I even took a strange comfort in it.

It was enough just to be beside him.

But when Sabina Fox appeared, I saw that he didn't have to be so cold after all.

I sat alone in the living room, watching the minutes crawl by.

Until the morning light came through the window and fell across my face.

Rick still hadn't come home.

The last small hope in my chest went out.

I stood up with a bitter smile.

This hopeless chase, it was time for it to end.

I got up, pulled myself together, and dragged my exhaustion to the office.

But the mood there was strange.

Coworkers clustered in little groups, murmuring about something.

The moment they saw me coming, they scattered.

I couldn't make sense of it.

At lunch, Edgar Chavez, who sat across from me, called me over in a low, uncomfortable voice.

"Dani, have you seen what's trending today?"

I looked at him, confused.

Edgar bit his lip, took out his phone, and played a video.

It was Sabina's street interview from the day before.

My face was there, nothing blurred, on full display from start to finish.

The headline was glaring, impossible to miss.

Random Interview: The Gold Digger Right Beside You!

Sabina's sharp, disrespectful jabs were being praised in the comments as cutting and right on the mark.

And I was being torn apart.

"Gold diggers are this shameless now?"

"She's so plain. Is her boyfriend blind or what?"

"Nothing worse than a woman who wants something for nothing!"

"What a piece of work. Are we men just supposed to get played like this?"

...

The video was climbing fast. It had already hit number one on the local trending list.

No wonder everyone in the office had been looking at me like that.

Edgar's voice was full of indignation.

"Dani, I don't think you're like that."

"But it's all over the office now. Everyone's talking about you behind your back."

I was shaking all over, my nails digging into my palms.

It wasn't until the pain hit that my head cleared.

Just then a few coworkers passed by, took one look at me, and sneered outright.

"All prim and proper, working so hard every day, and behind it all she's a gold digger."

"Right? Went and disgraced herself all over the internet."

"Having to work next to her is just sickening!"

...

Listening to them, I felt something burning in my chest like a fire.

I didn't bother with any of them. I just took out my phone and called Rick.

On the other end, his voice was calm as always.

"Daniela, are you calling to apologize?"

My voice came out cold as ice.

"Rick, haven't you seen what's trending?"

"Sabina posted yesterday's video and called me a gold digger!"

"Said I'm living off you, and now a whole lot of people are cursing me out."

"Tell Sabina to take the video down and apologize to me. Now."

There was a beat of silence on the line, and then Rick gave a soft laugh, and his voice came back cruel.

"Sabina isn't wrong, though."

"It's just a video. What's the big deal?"

"Sabina just got back to the country. She wants to be a content creator."

"This clip is doing well. Just play along."

I thought I'd misheard.

"Rick, are you out of your mind?"

"Why should I be cursed at for something I never did?"

Rick didn't pause.

"Back then, I took the drinks for you, and I signed with your company."

"Are you telling me you weren't leaning on me?"

"Dani, I don't care what they say about you."

His tone was almost careless.

"We're getting married anyway. I'll provide for you."

"After you left yesterday, Sabina's been upset the whole time."

"How about this. You apologize to her, and I'll talk her into deleting the video."

The last of the good memories I'd kept of Rick shattered in an instant.

I gripped the phone tight, and though my voice shook, it never wavered.

"Rick, let's break up."

On the other end, Rick's voice dropped low and rough.

"Daniela, how long are you going to keep this up?"

"You want to break up over something this small?"

I didn't answer. I just hung up.

By the time I'd sat back down at my desk and gotten myself under control, my manager came over.

He looked at me, something complicated in his eyes.

"Daniela, you've been suspended."

My head snapped up.

"Why?"

There was a coaxing note in his voice.

"Dani, I don't want to do this either. Just go apologize to Mr. James."

"It's not a big deal. Why let it turn into such a standoff?"

I laughed.

So this was Rick's warning. His punishment.

I said nothing else and walked straight out of his office.

My phone buzzed. A message from Edgar.

"Dani, that blogger posted again."

I opened it.

In the newest video, Sabina's voice came through, smug and pleased.

"A gold digger ends up with nothing."

"Time to celebrate. Her boyfriend's done being played for a sucker."

"And she got fired from her company too!"

The comment section was one long cheer.

"Serves her right! That's what a gold digger deserves!"

"So satisfying!"

"This is the content we're here for!"

...

My phone buzzed again. A message from a number I didn't know.

"Daniela, if you know what's good for you, you'll walk away from Rick yourself!"

"He didn't go home last night. He was with me the whole time. Did you know that?"

"You're not good enough for him. Keep clinging to him and I'll destroy you completely."

Sabina sent a photo.

In it, Rick lay in bed, bare from the waist up.

Sabina was nestled against him, smiling sweetly.

I clenched my teeth and saved it fast.

The video spread quickly.

When I left the building, plenty of people I passed were already pointing and whispering.

Their eyes held contempt, dismissal, and one of them even spat at me.

I kept my eyes forward and walked out.

Back home, I packed a suitcase, then found a quiet hotel.

I opened my phone and registered an account right away, posted my first video, and tagged Sabina in it.

"Hi, everyone. I'm the gold digger this blogger keeps talking about."

"In ten minutes, I'm going live."

My follower count kept climbing. Comments kept popping up in the background.

Abuse, doubt, accusations that I was just chasing the hype, one after another.

I ignored all of it.

I just carefully screenshotted every piece of evidence.

Rick's call came through, his voice furious.

"Daniela, have you lost your mind?"

"Do you have to blow this up?"

I gave a cold laugh and answered calmly.

"You and Sabina forced my hand."

I hung up. Before going live, I dialed the police.

Once the officers had taken down my statement and secured the evidence, I hit start.

The viewer count kept shooting up. When it settled past a hundred thousand, I spoke, steady and calm.

"Hi, everyone. Now, I'm going to tell you exactly how I got framed as a gold digger."