Maybe it was because I was good-looking, or maybe he just saw how poor I was and decided he wanted to “support” me. He called it support, but really, it was just using me to clean up his messes. My role was to take the blame and occasionally make his dream girl, Scarlett, jealous.
I was content with the money and the promise of marriage. But while my reputation was in tatters, my grades were good enough that not many people bothered me. I relied on Simon’s money to get through high school and college, even managing to save some.
Scarlett hadn’t asked me to take the blame in a long time, so I was shocked when she did this time, especially for something so serious. I didn’t even know who she had killed. The trial was a blur of accusations and pleas and before I knew it, I was sentenced. Three years later, Simon kept his promise.
Somehow, he managed to reduce the murder charge to attempted murder and I was out in just three years. I still couldn’t understand why it had to be me. No one came to pick me up when I was released, so I wandered back to my tiny house alone, dazed and uncertain about what was next.