My outfit probably cost more than everything Sloan was wearing combined, but you wouldn’t know it by looking.

That’s the thing about real money.

It doesn’t need to scream.

And honestly, you can take the girl out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the girl.

Though you can definitely take the farm girl’s money straight to the bank.

I spotted my mother across the room, holding court with some of her friends, probably bragging about Garrett’s wonderful fiancée and their wonderful future together.

Garrett stood next to Sloan, looking like a man who had won the lottery.

He had no idea he was holding a losing ticket.

Sloan finally glanced my way, her smile sharp as a paper cut.

She didn’t recognize me as anything other than an inconvenience—an unwanted smudge on her perfect evening.