The Auction That Rewrote My Future

rrow. SAT scores were due. My future, meticulously planned, hinged on those numbers

on my phone. A link. F

mach t

lic

seen. A sleek, dark

I saw it.

ate moments. Some were real, snatched from my life. Others... others were twis

Isabella Winston – 3

od ran

r: "CB_Bl

le

ically saved from ruin, taken in, treated like a son. The one w

k. I had to g

d account. My fingers flew

ew bid appeared, ju

dder:

eb's vapid, social-

eding her

e, Izzy? Money not enough? How about something you actually earned? That SA

at me. My reputatio

SAT score. 1550 points.

aceless avatar, dec

elief washed ove

, the relief cur

clean. Transferred, legally, to a

osted. Zero. A

550. A full schol

ry gossip site, every social media feed.

physical weigh

y balcony, the city light

n hit me. Caleb hadn't just outsmarted

er was bid, whatever was won, the system f

as my future. My score for Ashle

or his si

dark

ga

my bed. My heart ham

h my window. My phone ca

SATs. Weeks bef

as

s still fresh

, something ne

ve