MEANT TO HATE YOU; FALLING FOR THE ICE KING

SARAH'S POV

"You have to be strong for me, okay?"

Those were Mom's last words before she died.

The memory hit me like a punch every single day. She was gone, and no amount of being "strong" was going to bring her back. It wasn't going to erase the mountain of hospital bills I was drowning in. It wasn't going to stop the landlady from banging on the door like she wanted my soul as payment. And it definitely wasn't making senior year any easier.

But I kept going. I had to.

My phone buzzed so hard it nearly slid off the table.

Calista.

She was supposed to meet me at our usual spot after the last period, but she never showed up. That wasn't like her at all.

I answered instantly. "Babes, where are you? You okay? I've been waiting forever."

The second I heard her shaky breathing, my stomach twisted. Something was horribly wrong.

"Calista? Talk to mewhat's going on?"

She didn't answer right away. Just a broken little sob. "Sarah... I can't... I just can't right now."

"Calista? Talk to me"

She hung up.

My heart started beating fast. I hit redial, but my thumb slipped and opened a trending campus video instead.

The thumbnail made my blood freeze.

Hockey Star Marcus and the Girl in the Locker Room...

I shouldn't have clicked.

But I did.

Calista's face filled the screen tearstreaked and terrified. Marcus, the school's golden hockey king, was right there with her. The fear in her eyes... it was something I'd never seen before.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking.

I called her back immediately. "Pick up, pick up, pick up..."

She answered on the first ring, voice barely there. "Sarah... please come home. I need you right now. I can't do this alone."

The line went dead.

I didn't think twice. I grabbed my bag and ran.

The bus ride felt like forever. That video replayed in my head the whole way her broken expression, the way she tried to pull away. By the time I got to her house, I was a mess.

The housekeeper let me in without a word. I rushed to Calista's door, and it flew open before I could even knock properly.

She looked destroyed.

Messy hair, swollen red eyes, arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was trying to hold her pieces together. The second she saw me, she collapsed into my arms, sobbing so hard her whole body shook.

"Sarah... he... I didn't want any of it," she choked out between sobs. "I tried to stop him. I swear I did."

I held her close, fighting back my own tears. "Shh, I'm here. I've got you. You don't have to say anything right now, okay? Just breathe. I'm not going anywhere."

After what felt like hours, she pulled back slightly, wiping her face with a trembling hand. "You saw the video, didn't you? Everyone's probably seen it by now."

I nodded, throat tight. "Yeah... I saw it. God, Calista, I'm so sorry. I wish I'd been there. What do you need me to do? Tell me and I'll do it."

"That bastard is going to pay for what he did to me," she whispered, her voice turning icy cold. "I swear, Marcus will regret ever touching me. I'm not letting him get away with this. Not after everything."

The switch in her was scary. One minute she was shattered, the next she looked ready to destroy him.

I squeezed her hand tightly. "We'll figure this out together, okay? Whatever you needlawyers, talking to the school, anything. Just don't shut me out. Promise me."

She gave me a small, broken smile. "You know me, Sarah. I always land on my feet. But... thank you for coming. I don't know what I'd do without you."

That was Calista. Even after everything, she always found a way to fight back.

The next few days dragged in painful silence.

Calista stayed locked in her room most of the time. I sat alone in the loud cafeteria, scrolling job listings on my cracked phone, trying not to panic. Mom's medical debts weren't going away just because she was gone. They kept piling up, and I was running out of time.

I was deep in numbers that refused to add up when a hand slammed down hard on my table.

I jumped.

A tall man in a sharp navy suit stood over me. Expensive watch, polished shoes he looked completely out of place in our rundown high school cafeteria. His calm brown eyes sent chills down my spine.

"Sarah Chen," he said smoothly.

How the hell did he know my name?

I clutched my bag like a shield. "Who are you? And how do you know me? What do you want?"

He sat down without asking and slid a thick brown envelope across the table. "Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to fix your problems. There's a lot of money in this for you enough to change everything. Enough to make those debts disappear."

I stared at the envelope, heart pounding. "Money? What kind of money? I don't even know you. Is this some kind of scam?"

He stood up to leave. "Read it. If you're smart, you'll show up at the address inside. Trust me, Sarah. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for."

"Wait!" I called out, voice rising. "You didn't even tell me your name. At least give me that!"

He glanced back with a faint smirk. "Alex."

Then he was gone.

I raced straight to Calista's room, envelope clutched tightly in my hand.

"Some guy approached me today," I said, dropping onto her bed. "He gave me this. Said it could solve my money problems the debts from Mom and everything. He knew my name, Calista. It was so weird."

Her eyes locked onto the envelope immediately. "Open it. Now. Don't just sit there staring at it. What are you waiting for?"

My fingers trembled as I tore the seal.

The letter was short and unbelievable.

Congratulations, Sarah Chen. You have been personally selected to star in a brandnew highstakes reality show. The prize? Two million dollars.

Two. Million. Dollars.

A shaky laugh escaped me before it died in my throat. "This can't be real... Calista, look at this. Two million? Is this actually happening?"

She snatched the letter. Her eyes widened, then filled with fierce determination. "Sarah... you're doing this. No excuses. Two million dollars? That's lifechanging. You could pay off everything. Live without worrying for once."

"But they didn't even name my costar," I whispered, heart racing. "Why hide that? It feels wrong. What if it's dangerous? What if this is all a trap?"

She grabbed my shoulders, staring straight into my eyes. "Think about the bills. Your future. Everything you lost when your mom died. This could fix everything. You have to do it, Sarah. For you. For her. Don't let fear stop you now."

She was right.

But something deep inside me screamed that this was too good to be true. Who was this mystery costar they refused to reveal?

And why did it feel like agreeing would drag me into something far more dangerous than I could imagine?

SARAH'S POV

"I don't think I can take the risk."

I said it out loud, rolled the letter up, and tossed it straight into the trash like it burned my fingers.

Calista didn't even blink. She marched over, fished it out of the bin, and shoved it back into my hands with that signature bossy look she's had since we were freshmen.

"Sarah," she said, gripping my shoulder and staring me right in the eyes. "You've got real debt. The kind that keeps you up at night. I'm not telling you to jump into some shady mess, but you can't keep acting like it's not crushing you."

I sighed, running a hand through my messy ponytail. "Calista... my mom just died. Everything's already falling apart. What if this show makes it worse? I'm barely surviving senior year as it is."

She softened but didn't back down. "I know, babe. I miss her too. But sleeping on it won't magically pay the bills or stop Mrs. Smith from banging on your door like a debt collector zombie. Just... think about it, okay? For real this time."

"I'll sleep on it," I muttered, though we both knew I was lying.

She nodded and dropped it after that. Ordered our usual cheesy fries and milkshakes, cracked dumb jokes about our cranky math teacher until I laughed twice, and even had the housekeeper pack me snacks "for the road." That was Calista pushy when I needed it, but always showing up like the best friend I didn't deserve.

Still, the letter came home with me anyway, burning a hole in my bag.

I dropped my bag on the bed the second I got home and kicked off my sneakers.

"Shower, eat, sleep. No more thinking about stupid reality shows or mystery money," I told myself, trying to sound convincing.

The letter slid out and landed faceup on the floor like it was mocking me.

"You have got to be kidding me," I groaned, picking it up. I shoved it deep into my bag, zipped it shut, and kicked the whole thing under the bed. Then I took the longest, hottest shower of my life, blasting music to drown out my racing thoughts.

Lectures tomorrow. I needed to focus on being a normal senior not some desperate girl signing her life away for two million dollars.

But normal flew out the window when Mrs. Smith started pounding on the door at six in the morning like she was trying to break it down.

"Open up, Sarah Chen! I'm not playing with you today!"

I yanked the pillow over my head. Useless. Her voice could wake the dead.

"Come out here right now or so help me I will call the cops!"

I sat up so fast my head spun. Rent day. How did I forget rent day?!

I scrambled out of bed and yanked the door open. Mrs. Smith stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed into angry slits.

"My money. Now," she snapped.

"Mrs. Smith, I" My voice cracked. "I don't have it yet. Things have been crazy since my mom passed and"

Her face twisted. "You promised me today! Those were your exact words, young lady!"

"I know, I'm sorry, I just need a little more time"

She cut me off with a sharp hand. "I'll be back this evening. If that money isn't in my hand, you're out on the street. Pack your stuff. Are we clear?"

She stormed off before I could beg.

I slammed the door and leaned against it, heart pounding. "This can't be happening..."

Hands shaking, I grabbed my phone and called Calista.

She picked up on the first ring. "Hey, what's wrong? You sound freaked."

"Cal..." The old nickname slipped out like we were back in middle school. "I need you to lend me a thousand dollars. Just until I get a job or something. I swear I'll pay you back fast. Please, I'm desperate."

"Sarah."

"Please, Cal, I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice. Mrs. Smith is kicking me out tonight!"

"If you had taken that offer yesterday, you wouldn't be calling me right now," she said, voice steady but not mean. "I'm not lending you the money."

My stomach dropped like I'd been punched. "Cal, come on! Don't do this to me. You know I'm good for it!"

"Take the offer, Sarah. Call me back when you've actually signed. I love you, but I'm not enabling you to keep drowning."

She hung up.

I stared at my phone, tears stinging my eyes. She wasn't being cruel. Calista had my back through everything Mom's illness, the video nightmare with Marcus. She was just... being the tough love I probably needed.

I reached under the bed, pulled out the bag, and stared at the letter.

On campus. Safe. Familiar.

Before I could chicken out, I got dressed in my favorite hoodie, grabbed my stuff, and headed out, heart racing like I was about to fail a final exam.

"Sarah Chen. I had a feeling you'd show up."

Alex leaned back in his chair, looking way too relaxed for someone about to flip my whole life upside down.

I sat down, trying to act braver than I felt. "I'll do the show. But I have one condition, and it's nonnegotiable."

He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Clear every single loan, the rent, all of it before the show starts. Not after. I'm not stepping in front of any cameras until my life isn't a total disaster."

He rubbed his chin, then nodded slowly. "Done."

He slid the contract across with a pen. "Sign here... and here."

I took a deep breath and signed fast, before my brain could scream at me to run. "There. Happy?"

"Congratulations, Sarah." He shook my hand, his grip firm. "Welcome to the show."

I swallowed hard. "Thank you. But... can I at least meet my costar first? Just once? This is already scary enough."

His smile didn't reach his eyes. "No. You'll both be revealed on day one. It's part of the format. Builds the drama."

"Drama?" I frowned. "This isn't some teen prank show. Why hide it?"

Before he could answer, my eyes caught something on his desk another file, halfopen, with a fresh signature at the bottom.

"Is that his contract?" I asked, leaning forward.

Alex snatched it away lightningfast. "We're done here, Sarah. You can go."

I stood up, but not before I caught it.

One word in bold ink: Hale.

I froze at the door, hand on the handle. "Alex."

He looked up.

"Who is Hale?"

He stared at me for a long beat, then stood and held the door open. "Have a good evening, Sarah."

"That's not an answer! Why won't you tell me? Is he someone from school? Is this whole thing a setup?"

"It's the only answer you're getting today." His voice was cold. "Goodnight."

I stepped out, the door clicking shut behind me like a final warning.

Hale.

Who the hell was Hale... and why did his name make my stomach twist like I'd just walked into the biggest high school scandal of the year?

SARAH'S POV

Three days later, I sat in a brightly lit makeup studio while the artists worked their magic on my face. My phone buzzed insistently on the table.

"Is it Calista?" I asked, motioning for them to pick it up. They handed it over and I quickly slipped in my AirPods.

The moment I connected, Calista's scream nearly shattered my eardrums.

"Ouch! Girl, lower your voice before you burst my eardrums completely!" I said with a nervous laugh.

"Sorry, sorry!" she squealed, bubbling with excitement. "I'm literally dying over here! Popcorn ready, giant screen on, snacks everywhere my best friend is about to become a total star with some mystery dream guy! This is the best thing ever! I can't wait to see who they paired you with. He's probably super hot and charming!"

I chuckled softly as the artists added the final touches dramatic lashes, glowing skin, and that bold red lipstick. "Alright Cal, I have to go. We'll talk right after the big reveal, okay? Love you."

"Love you more! You better tell me every single detail about your hot fake boyfriend later. I've been fantasizing about him for days! Send pictures if you can!" She hung up, still laughing brightly.

If only she knew the nightmare waiting for me. My stomach twisted at the thought of what was coming.

The blue sequin dress fit like a second skin. The second I stepped out of the dressing room, the entire room fell silent before gasps erupted everywhere.

I rushed to the mirror, and my jaw dropped. The girl staring back looked confident, radiant, and completely unlike the broke senior who had signed her life away for two million dollars just to escape the mountain of debt after losing Mom.

"Oh my goodness, you look beauti"

"Alright everyone, it's showtime," Alex said as he walked in, stopping midsentence with wide eyes. "Sarah... you look absolutely stunning. I'm so glad you made the right choice. The cameras are going to eat this up."

I forced a small smile. "Me too. No more crushing loans and no more Mrs. Smith banging on my door at six in the morning. This has to be worth it, right? I really need this to work out."

We moved backstage as the crowd's roar crashed over us. The first contestant stepped out to thunderous applause. I watched everything on the monitor, my heart hammering wildly while my mind raced with questions.

"Alex," I whispered, tugging his sleeve desperately. "Who is my fake date? Please just tell me already. I'm losing my mind over here. I feel like I'm about to walk into something I can't handle."

He shook his head calmly. "Be patient, Sarah. You've waited this long. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. The audience loves a big surprise."

I swallowed hard, nerves twisting tighter in my stomach as the seconds dragged on.

Then Rick's voice boomed across the stage. "Alright Sarah, you're up next! Big smile the audience is going to love you!"

I took a deep breath and stepped into the blinding lights as my name echoed.

The applause was deafening. Rick pulled me into a quick hug. "Miss Sarah Chen, welcome to the show! You look absolutely beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Rick," I replied, my cheeks burning. "I'm really excited to be here."

"Do you know who your costar is yet?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

I shook my head, smiling nervously. "Not yet. Today's the big reveal, right?"

The crowd screamed even louder.

I kept my fingers crossed tightly. "Please let him be nice," I thought. "Please don't let this turn into a nightmare."

Rick turned dramatically to the audience. "Then help me welcome... Marcus Vance Hale!"

My blood turned to ice.

Marcus Vance Hale.

The name slammed into me with brutal force. No. No, no, no.

I tried to convince myself it was a coincidence, but then he walked out onto the stage the same broad shoulders, the same cocky smirk, the same golden hockey king who had destroyed my best friend.

The same guy who had assaulted Calista.

The crowd erupted like he was a returning hero.

I froze completely, panic exploding through every inch of me. Marcus strode straight toward me like nothing was wrong. He took my hand, lifted it slowly, and pressed a lingering kiss to my knuckles.

"You look absolutely dashing tonight, Sarah," he said smoothly, flashing that perfect smile everyone at school worshipped.

I yanked my hand away sharply, my stomach churning with disgust. Rick's smile faltered for a split second.

"Alright folks, we'll take a quick commercial break and be right back! Don't go anywhere!"

The moment the cameras cut, I stormed backstage, my heart pounding so violently I could barely breathe.

"Alex!" I grabbed his arm hard, my voice shaking with raw fury. "What the hell is Marcus Vance doing on that stage with me? How could you do this?!"

Alex held up a hand, his expression turning cold and professional. "Sarah, calm down. This show isn't what you think it is. Marcus has a massive PR disaster on his hands because of that video. His team hired us to fix his image. You're here to play the perfect, sweet girlfriend and make him look good again. That's the job."

I released his arm like it was poison. "So I'm just his cover story? You deliberately paired me with him? You knew everything this whole time and you still let me sign?!"

He didn't deny a single word.

A short, bitter laugh tore out of me as the full betrayal crashed down. "You set me up from the beginning. How could you look me in the eye and do this?"

"Business is business, Sarah," Alex replied flatly. "Marcus needed a clean image fast, and you needed the money. It was a perfect match on paper."

"Perfect match?" My voice cracked with anger. "You knew what he did to my best friend! You hid his name on purpose and tricked me into this!"

Alex's face hardened completely. "Didn't you read the contract, Sarah? You can't terminate until the job is done. Unless you're ready to pay back every single cent of that two million dollars right now."