Dad glanced down the hallway, then lowered his voice. “Two weeks ago, your roommate’s mother called me, thinking she was speaking to your aunt’s number. She was asking whether your family was ‘the kind that could cover things.’ She said Paige was looking for a roommate who could split a private suite upgrade, and a few other costs.” My stomach dropped. “I asked questions,” he continued. “She told me Paige makes friends by their money, and drops them when it runs out.”

Mom took my hand. “So we decided to show you what people do when they think you have nothing.” Before I could answer, the dorm room door swung open. Paige stood there, pale, holding her phone, with two of her new friends behind her. “Is it true?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Your dad owns the company that built half this campus?” Then my phone buzzed, and a message from the dean’s office lit the screen.