Millionaire Girlfriend

Chapter 5: Chapter 5 - Doing too much

A few minutes of silence passed inside the car.

"Why do you like me?" Ashley asked bluntly, unable to understand why Clara was willing to go so far just for her.

It was difficult for her to comprehend.

No one had ever shown that much interest in her before.

To be fair, she had never shown that much interest in anyone either.

To her, it all felt... suspicious.

Clara remained silent for a few seconds before answering.

"The day after you spoke to me for the first time, I tried to talk to you."

"But you didn’t hear me because you were always in such a hurry. Since you were almost always late, we never got to sit together in class again."

"I kept waiting for the right moment to talk to you, but every single day, without exception, you were rushing somewhere."

"You never seemed to notice what was happening around you."

"At first, I found that frustrating."

"So one day, out of curiosity, I followed you to the little restaurant where you worked after class."

"That’s when I realized you and I were completely different people."

"You weren’t ignoring people because you disliked them."

"You simply didn’t have the time."

"You started to fascinate me that day... and little by little, that fascination turned into something that was almost an obsession," Clara admitted.

"I thought about you all the time."

"I came to have lunch at your workplace almost every day..."

"But you never noticed me."

Clara’s voice trembled as she finished.

Ashley looked at her quietly for a few moments.

"I’m... really sorry I never noticed you, Clara," she said softly.

"It’s okay," Clara replied.

"You noticed me now, don’t you?" she added with a warm smile.

"So... what do you say to a date tomorrow?"

"We don’t have classes in the afternoon, and you’re not working," Clara asked, trying to change the subject before the conversation became any heavier.

"Sorry, I can’t tomorrow."

"It’s my only day off."

"I have to do my laundry, clean my room, and study," Ashley replied.

Even though those things were on her to-do list, she already knew she would probably only do the laundry before procrastinating and spending the rest of the day watching TikTok.

Besides...

Going on a date would mean she was ready to see Clara as more than just a friend.

"Okay," Clara said without insisting.

The next day, Ashley was buried beneath freshly washed clothes and blankets she had been trying to put away.

The spot where she had collapsed onto her bed was simply too comfortable, and laziness had won.

She lay there scrolling through TikTok, watching videos of babies.

She had no desire to become a mother anytime soon, but those little bundles of joy always managed to warm her heart.

"Ashley!" Ginah suddenly shouted as she burst into the room.

"Mmm... what? You could at least knock before coming in," Ashley grumbled.

"That’s not important," Ginah interrupted.

"The landlord just gave us the rent receipt."

"Look at this."

She handed Ashley the paper.

"Four months? But we only paid this month’s rent," Ashley said in shock.

"Look at the name next to the other three months," Ginah replied.

Ashley carefully read the receipt.

"What? Ashley Gresham ? Which Ashley Gresham? Me...?"

"Hold on. I definitely didn’t pay those three months.

There has to be some kind of mistake," Ashley said, waiting for Ginah to explain.

"That’s what I thought too, but he said a friend of yours paid it," Ginah answered, now waiting for Ashley to explain instead.

"What? Which friend?" Ashley asked.

"We don’t know. You’re the one who has to figure that out."

"Could it be that person you’ve been seeing?" Ginah asked.

That’s when it hit Ashley.

Could it really have been her incredibly wealthy friend?

But...

Why?

Wasn’t that going way too far?

"Hang on. I’m going to make a phone call," Ashley said before gently ushering Ginah out of the room.

The phone rang several times.

No answer.

"Why isn’t that crazy girl answering?" Ashley muttered to herself.

With no other choice, she got dressed, determined to go see Clara in person and demand an explanation.

"I have to go somewhere," she announced to Ginah.

"Wait. Let me come with you. It could be dangerous," Ginah suggested after noticing the frustrated expression on Ashley’s face.

"No, it’s okay. Don’t worry."

"I’ll be fine," Ashley replied before leaving the apartment and calling an Uber to Clara’s house.

When Ashley arrived at the massive front gate, she had no idea what to do.

The first time she had come here, Clara had been with her, making it easy to get inside.

Then she noticed a security camera.

She stepped in front of it.

A second later, the gate slowly swung open on its own.

She followed the long cobblestone driveway until she reached the mansion.

A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform was already waiting at the front door.

"Good afternoon, Miss Ashley."

"Please follow me."

"Miss Clara has been expecting your visit," the woman said as she opened the door.

’ She was expecting me?

So it really was her ’ Ashley thought immediately.

They walked through a grand entrance hall, then another room almost as large, before stepping out into the backyard.

An enormous swimming pool stretched across the estate.

Looking around, Ashley spotted Clara gliding gracefully through the crystal-clear water.

It was the first time Ashley had ever seen a swimming pool that large.

Not that she’d had many opportunities to see one.

Having completed her task, the maid quietly returned inside, leaving Ashley alone.

Ashley watched Clara swim for a moment.

She was wearing a bright yellow bikini that perfectly complemented her figure.

That was when Ashley noticed that Clara’s curves were noticeably fuller than her own.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

"Hey!" Ashley called.

Clara didn’t seem to hear her.

"Clara!" she shouted again.

Still nothing.

Ashley sighed and walked closer to the edge of the pool.

Only then did Clara notice her and swim over.

"Ashley!"

"I wasn’t expecting you," Clara said with the same bright smile she always wore whenever she saw Ashley.

"Quit playing dumb."

"I know you were expecting me," Ashley shot back.

This wasn’t the time for jokes.

"Was it you who paid all of this?" she asked, pulling the rent receipt out of her bag.

"Maybe," Clara answered before diving back underwater and swimming a little farther away.

"What do you mean, ’maybe’?"

"Either you did it or you didn’t."

"There’s no such thing as ’maybe,’" Ashley replied, clearly irritated.

"Hey!"

"Want to go for a swim with me?" Clara asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"No!"

"Why did you do that?"

"Don’t you think you’ve gone a little too far?"

"I mean, you paid three months of my rent for absolutely no reason."

"It’s okay if you didn’t bring a swimsuit."

"I bought one for you," Clara said, continuing to avoid the question.

"Could you please answer me?" Ashley asked, her frustration growing.

"I won’t talk about it unless you come swimming with me."

"Not before," Clara replied.

Ashley turned around and headed toward the door, ready to leave.

But as soon as her hand touched the doorknob, she stopped.

After a brief hesitation, she slowly turned back.

She absolutely had to understand Clara’s intentions.

And if she went home without any answers...

Her roommates would bombard her with questions she couldn’t answer.

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