His Arrogant Package Deal Backfired

Reid had been a genius since we were in pull-ups.

When we were kids, I would stay up until one in the morning, nursing a cold cup of tea and highlighting textbooks until my eyes blurred, while hed be out like a light by nine. And yet, every single time, hed beat my scores by thirty points without breaking a sweat.

In college, it was the same story. It took me a full semester of grueling library sessions to wrap my head around advanced calculus; hed glance at the problem set once and solve it before the professor finished writing on the board. Even when I spent six months meticulously preparing for the state revenue service exams, he just flipped through the study guide a few days before the test.

Predictably, he took the top spot in both the written and oral rounds.

Luckily, there were two openings. I had placed second.

I went to the HR department with him, my hand steady as I held my folder of certification documents, ready to sign my future into existence. But before I could reach the desk, Reid reached over, snatched my papers, and ripped them into a dozen jagged pieces.

He didn't even look at me. He just stared at the hiring manager. "You want me on your team? Fine. But Lexi comes with me."

The manager looked like he wanted to laugh, but the expression curdled into disbelief. "Do you realize she didn't even pass the written exam? Shes not even on the list."

Reid let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Thats my condition. Either Lexi gets a desk next to mine, or your number one recruit walks out that door right now."

I felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up in my own throat.

He was a talent, sure. But in the sea of people clawing for a career in the public sector, talent was the only thing we had in surplus.

Suddenly, I realized: if he walked, I wasn't just second place anymore. I was the new number one.

The white scraps of my lifes work fluttered down like mocking snow, landing on my shoulders and the scuffed linoleum floor.

My hands shook as I reached down to grab the remnants of my certifications. I looked up at Reid, my voice a strangled whisper. "Youve completely lost your mind."

Reid ignored me, his gaze locked onto the manager with a chilling confidence. "Lexi goes where I go. If shes not hired, I won't accept the position. Ill give you some time to think about it."

"Reid!" I finally found my voice, sharp and trembling. "Those were my papers! I earned the second slot. You have no right"

He turned to me then, flashing that signature, crooked smirkthe one that used to make my heart skip a beat when we were teenagers, back when I thought he was my protector.

"Relax, Norah," he said, his tone infuriatingly patronizing. "We grew up together; I know how much you hate being away from home. Lexi doesn't like long-distance either. Just be a good girl and wait, okay?"

"You"

The manager cleared his throat, his face a mask of professional restraint. "Mr. Scott, Ive seen your scores. Your aptitude is undeniable. I truly hoped you would join us."

"And I will," Reid said, leaning back. "As soon as you process Lexis paperwork."

"But Lexi Wells failed," the manager snapped. "She is ineligible for public service. We cannot hire her."

"Then you don't get me."

"I see." The manager took a deep, steadying breath, his jaw tight. "Fine. If she doesn't come, you don't come? Message received." He stood up, smoothing his tie. "You can leave now."

Reids eyebrows shot up. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with arrogance. "Thank you for understanding." He tossed a smug look over his shoulder at me. "See you at home, Norah."

The heavy oak door clicked shut behind him. I stood there, clutching the shredded paper, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Sir..."

The manager didn't say a word. He reached into a drawer, pulled out a fresh set of forms, and slid them across the mahogany desk toward me.

"Fill these out. Go get your documents reprinted and notarized," he said, his voice level. "Since hes declined, the top spot moves to you by default."

My breath hitched. A spark of pure, unadulterated triumph lit up in my chest.

"As for the second opening," the manager continued, "it will go to the candidate who placed third. Someone who actually wants to work."

I bit my lip to keep from grinning. "Thank you, sir."

I almost wanted to run after Reid and thank him. Did he really think the real world was like our prep school? Where the dean would bend every rule just to keep the 'golden boy' happy? He was about to find out that out here, everyone is replaceable.

By the time I got back to campus, the news had already traveled through the grapevine. A group of seniors was huddled near the career center, their voices loud with excitement.

"Did you hear? Reid basically forced the State Revenue Department to hire Lexi! Oh my god, that is literally like something out of a romance novel!"

"Im so jealous. Here I am, getting rejected by every internship, and Lexi gets a government job handed to her on a silver platter because her boyfriend is a genius. I need a Reid in my life."

I pulled my backpack straps tighter and tried to walk past them, but they spotted me.

"Norah? Hey! Didn't you take the exam too? Why are you at the career fair? Didn't you get in?"

"Of course she didn't," a familiar, sugary voice rang out.

Lexi stepped out from the crowd, her arm linked with Reids. She looked at me with a pitying smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Im so sorry, Norah. I guess its another win for me. It seems like history is repeating itself. Just like your mom couldn't keep your dad from my mother... you just can't seem to beat me, can you?"

I turned my gaze to Reid.

He knew. He knew everything. My fathers betrayal, the way he walked out on my mother and me to start a 'real' family with Lexis momit was the defining trauma of my life. When it first happened, Reid was the one who held me while I cried. He was the one who skipped class to stand outside Lexis house, shouting at my father for being a coward.

Until the day Lexi finally opened the door.

I remember the moment clearly. Reid had frozen mid-sentence, his eyes tracing the delicate lines of Lexis face. From that second on, he never said another word against her mother. He shifted his allegiance so fast it gave me whiplash.

Now, he just stood there, watching Lexi bait me with a lazy, satisfied smile.

I didn't lose my temper. I didn't scream. I just smiled back. "Why would I compare myself to you, Lexi?"

She blinked, caught off guard. In the past, I would have dropped my bags and fought her tooth and nail.

"Instead of looking for a cheap ego boost here," I said calmly, "you should probably focus on polishing your resume. Youre going to need a backup plan."

Lexis face twisted. She turned to Reid, her lip trembling. "Reid! Shes being mean to me!"

Reid laughed, pulling her into a protective embrace. "Don't mind her, babe. When someone fails as hard as she did, they tend to get bitter. Shes just jealous that Im taking care of you."

Lexi smirked, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I guess I can let it slide since youre so pathetic. Good luck finding a job that pays more than minimum wage, Norah. You'll need it."

I didn't say another word. I just watched them walk away, basking in the sunlight of their own delusions.

Over the next few weeks, they went into full 'celebration' mode. While the rest of us were grinding through finals and final interviews, my social media feed was flooded with photos of them at beach resorts and high-end restaurants.

The whispers in the hallways turned into muffled snickers whenever I passed.

"What's the point of being a straight-A student if you can't even land a job?"

"I heard the department didn't want her because she's a total stiff. No social skills."

I stayed silent. I did my work. I waited for the moment the hammer would dropthe moment they realized the offer letter they were waiting for was never coming.

But before the truth could reach them, fate threw a curveball. The director of the Federal Bureau of Finance reached out to Reid directly.

"We heard you declined the State Revenue Department. We have a prestigious opening here. Are you interested?"

Reid was, objectively, a brilliant candidate on paper. It wasn't surprising that other agencies were headhunting him.

When he saw the email, he frowned. He typed back a reply with the casual arrogance of a man who thought he held all the cards: I didn't decline. I simply stated that I will not accept an offer that doesn't include my partner. If you can accommodate us both, we can talk.

The reply came back almost instantly: But the State Revenue Department already filled their vacancies with the second and third-ranked candidates. Haven't you seen the public notice?

Lexi was leaning over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as she read the screen. She looked at Reid, her voice small and uncertain. "The manager didn't agree to let me take Norahs spot?"

Reid scoffed, reaching up to pinch her cheek playfully. "Of course he didn'tnot yet. My scores were leagues above the others. This is just a tactic. Theyre trying to scare me into thinking Ive lost the spot so Ill come crawling back. Its a classic negotiation move."

Lexis face cleared, and she beamed at him. "I knew it. Youre the best."

Reid typed his final response: Sorry, but my partner and I have our hearts set on the State Revenue office. Well wait for their call.

The Bureau responded after a long pause: Weve reviewed Lexi Wells file. While she doesn't qualify for the analyst track, we have a clerical position in our regional office that she could fill. If youre willing to relocate to the Bureau, we can create a spot for her.

When I heard about this through mutual friends, I was stunned.

The Bureau. That was the big leagues. Even the "clerical" spot they were offering Lexi was something thousands of people would kill fora job that usually required passing a rigorous screening she had failed.

If I hadn't been so focused on staying local to help my mom, I would have applied there myself.

But a week later, more news trickled down. Lexi had decided the Bureaus office was too far from the mall and her favorite yoga studio. She made Reid turn it down, insisting they hold out for the State Revenue job because it was "closer to home."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Finals ended. Graduation passed. My bags were packed, and my career was set. I decided to head back to my hometown for a week before my start date.

But the moment I walked through the door, my mother looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"How could you let that girl win again?"

My mother broke down in tears the moment she saw me. When she said "that girl," she meant Lexi. And by extension, she meant VanessaLexis mother, the woman who lived in the upscale development across the park with my father.

My mothers voice was thick with suppressed rage and heartbreak. "It was bad enough when that woman took your father. Now her daughter is taking your future! Lexi isn't half as smart as you, yet Reid Scott is carrying her into a government career while youre coming home with nothing! Do you have any idea how Vanessa is gloating? Shes telling everyone youre a failure!"

My younger sister, Chloe, poked her head out from the hallway, her eyes wide. "Norah, everyone at school is saying youre just a bookworm who couldn't cut it in the real world. They say Lexi is the one who really won..."

"Go do your homework, Chloe!" my mother snapped, rubbing her temples. She looked at me, her face lined with exhaustion. "You should probably go back to the city. Start looking for somethinganything. A retail job, maybe?"

I set my suitcase down and looked at her. "Go back for what, Mom?"

"To find a job! Youve already lost to Lexi. Are you just going to sit here and let them bury us?"

I let out a soft, tired laugh. "Mom... is it possible that Im actually the only one who got the job?"

My mother froze. She looked up at me, blinking through her tears.

"Mom," I said, my voice firm. "Im the only one going to the Revenue Department. Reid and Lexi? Neither of them got in. Theyre unemployed."

She stayed paralyzed for a long moment. Then, a bitter, hollow laugh escaped her lips. "Youre lying to make me feel better. Youve never been a good liar, Norah."

She reached onto the sideboard and shoved a thick, cream-colored envelope into my hand.

I recognized the handwriting immediately. It was my fatherselegant, bold, and utterly devoid of remorse.

In celebration of our daughter Lexi Wells and our dear family friend Reid Scott on their prestigious appointments to the State Revenue Department. We cordially invite our friends and neighbors to a gala in their honor.

The date was set for this Friday.

"Theyve already booked the ballroom at the country club," Mom whispered. "The whole neighborhood knows. How could it be a lie if theyre throwing a party?"

I looked at the ink on the paper, a cold smirk spreading across my face. I tucked the invitation into my pocket.

"Fine," I said. "Lets go to the party. I want to see how this ends."

I stayed at the house for the rest of the week. My mother didn't understand, but she stopped crying. I spent my days sleeping in and catching up on my reading, enjoying the quiet before the storm.

Then came the afternoon I ran into them.

I was walking back from the local market, carrying a heavy gallon of water for my mom, when I turned the corner and saw a crowd gathered near the park entrance. At the center were Reid and Lexi.

My father was there, too. He had his arm around Lexi, his face beaming with the kind of pride he used to reserve for me. Seeing him like thatthe same way he used to carry me on his shoulders when I was five, telling everyone, "This is my girl! Isn't she the smartest?"it felt like a physical blow to the stomach.

I tightened my grip on the handle of the water jug and tried to slip past.

"Norah."

Reids voice cut through the air. The crowd went silent, all eyes turning toward me. He looked at me with a strange mix of pity and disapproval.

"You don't have a job yet," he said loudly. "Why are you back in town so early? You should be out there pounding the pavement."

The neighbors started whispering, their eyes scanning me like I was a cautionary tale.

I stopped and forced a smile. "Don't worry about me, Reid. Ive got my future sorted. Maybe you and Lexi should spend more time checking your own status instead of worrying about mine."

"Norah!" My father stepped forward, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "What right do you have to speak to them like that? Lexi and Reid are starting careers that people dream of. Youre just... well, youve always been a bit of a recluse. Don't let bitterness ruin your character."

Vanessa, Lexis mother, stepped up next to him, smoothing her expensive silk dress. "Oh, Robert, let her be. Some people just can't handle losing. Shes just like her motherall pride and no substance. Norah, honey, Lexi isn't heartless. If youre struggling for rent next month, Im sure shed find a way to help you out. Wouldn't you, Lexi?"

I felt my knuckles turning white.

Lexi stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with triumph. She reached out to take my hand, her voice a mock-whisper. "Sister, its okay. The job market is hard. Its not your fault youre not as... connected as we are. Besides, a girl doesn't really need a career if she finds the right man to take care of her, right? If you need anything, just ask."

She squeezed my hand. I felt a surge of pure, white-hot fury. "Let go."

"Norah, are you upset?" she asked, her voice rising so everyone could hear. "I was only trying to be nice"

"I said, let go!"

I yanked my hand back, pulling the heavy water jug toward me for leverage.

Lexi let out a theatrical gasp. She didn't just let goshe threw herself backward, stumbling over her own feet and landing hard on the grass with a muffled cry.

"What is wrong with you!"

Reid reacted instantly, shoving me aside so hard I nearly fell. He dropped to his knees, pulling Lexi into his arms. He looked at her tear-streaked face and then glared at me, his teeth grit. "Im the one who took the spot, Norah! If youre mad at someone, be mad at me. Stop taking it out on her!"

My father pushed me, too, his eyes cold and full of shame. "Get out of here, Norah. Look at what youve become."

I started to laugh. It was a jagged, ugly sound. "I pulled the jug toward myself. She threw herself backward. Are you all actually blind, or just choosing to be?"

"Enough!"

Vanessa snatched the water jug from my hand and, in a fit of calculated rage, poured the entire gallon over my head. The cold water soaked through my clothes, clinging to my skin.

She stood over me, trembling with fake sobs. "So what if you can't find a job? Does that give you the right to assault my daughter? My Lexi was trying to help you! Youre a monster, Norah. Just like your mother!"

The neighbors swarmed in, offering tissues to Lexi and glares to me.

"She needs to learn some manners."

"Sad. All that education and shes still a failure."

I wiped the water from my eyes, ready to lung at Vanessa, but a hand caught my wrist.

It was my mother. She had seen the whole thing. Her face was bright red, her eyes brimming with tears of humiliation. She didn't say a word to them. She just dragged me back toward our house.

Once the door was shut, she turned on me. "Can't you just let me have some peace? Just once?"

"Mom, she faked it"

"I don't care!" she screamed. "Theyve won! They have the jobs, the money, the reputation! We just have to stay quiet and wait for them to leave. We are not going to that party tonight."

"No," I said, my voice like ice as I stripped off my soaked shirt. "We are absolutely going to that party."

The ballroom was packed. It wasn't just the neighbors; my father had invited everyonehis business associates, old college friends, even the local press. He wanted to cement his new familys status as the towns elite.

Lexi had even invited a dozen people from our graduating class.

My mother and I sat at a small table in the back. She was mortified, her face flushed as people whispered around us.

"Isn't that the girl who was supposed to be so smart? Guess Lexi really showed her."

I ignored them, calmly pouring my mother a glass of juice.

Lexi spotted us from across the room and sauntered over, a glass of champagne in her hand. "Oh? You actually showed up? I thought youd be too busy crying into your textbooks."

One of her friends chimed in, snickering. "Give her a break, Lexi. She probably just wants to soak up some of your success by osmosis."

Lexi laughed, her eyes flashing with malice. "Success is earned, sweetie. You can't just wish for it. Id offer you some of this good luck, but I don't think youd know what to do with it."

The table erupted in laughter. Someone called out, "Hey Lexi, Reid! Tell us againwhich department did you guys get into? Was it the State Revenue office?"

Lexi tossed her hair back. "The State Revenue Investigative Division. Reid already talked to the director. We start Monday."

A guy from our class, a quiet kid named Leo who was always on his phone, suddenly frowned. "Wait, really? I just checked the official state portal for the final roster. I didn't see your names."

Lexis smile faltered. "What are you talking about? Reid handled everything."

"But the public notice is up," Leo said, holding up his phone. "Its on the main landing page."

He tapped the screen and read aloud: "Candidate Reid Scott has officially withdrawn his application for personal reasons. The final appointments for the State Revenue Department are as follows:"

The room went deathly silent.

"1. Norah Scott."

"2. Silas Thorne."