Chapter Three

Chloe’s POV

Once again, the club president played peacemaker while siding with them.

【Mia: Chloe, if you’re that worried, bring your own fancy fifty-dollar wagyu. We’ll eat our “garbage,” and we won’t touch any of your food.】

She added an eye-roll meme.

The chat immediately filled with laughing emojis.

I had warned them.

I made another screen recording of the chat and saved it to the cloud.

I replied with a single word.

【Chloe: Fine.】

Then I closed the chat.

I stood up and pulled a hiking backpack out of my closet.

I called my family’s cold-storage warehouse.

“Put together three days’ worth of camping food for one person.”

“Yes, vacuum-seal everything and have it frozen in advance. I want the highest-quality Iberico pork chops and M9 wagyu. The vegetables need to have been picked that morning.”

“Also send me the portable camping stove and purified water.”

After hanging up, I looked out at the clear blue sky.

If they wanted to eat garbage, I hoped they enjoyed it.

At six on Saturday morning, I arrived at the south entrance of Blue Ridge University.

A charter bus was parked along the curb, and the late-fall morning air carried a chill.

With my hiking backpack on my shoulders, I boarded the bus.

The lively chatter inside died down for a moment when I stepped aboard.

Emma rolled her eyes and deliberately tossed her backpack onto the empty seat beside her.

I ignored her, headed straight for a single seat at the back, and put on my headphones.

A little later, Mia boarded carrying two enormous black plastic bags.

The plastic was so thin that the outlines of the boxes inside pressed against it.

“Everyone, the food is here!” Mia announced from the front of the bus, looking like she expected everyone to applaud her.

The bus erupted in cheers.

“Thank you so much, Mia!” Noah called out.

Mia shot me a smug look and began handing out the first meal, her so-called special sandwiches.

When she reached me, she paused and waved a plastic-wrapped sandwich in front of me.

“Chloe, want to try one? It might not be as fancy as your wagyu, but it tastes pretty good.”

I looked at the sandwich in her hand.

The edges of the bread had already gone hard. The reconstituted meat patty inside was dark and gave off a faint sour smell.

“No, thanks,” I said coldly. “I don’t want to die.”

Mia’s expression froze. Then her eyes reddened, and she made herself look hurt.

“Chloe, you don’t have to eat it, but why would you say something like that? Why would you wish something like that on us?”

Emma immediately stood up.

“Chloe, that’s way out of line! Mia was nice enough to offer you one, and that’s how you treat her?”

I didn’t take off my headphones. I simply turned toward the window and ignored them completely.

“Forget her, Mia,” Liam said from nearby. “She’s just jealous that everyone likes you.”

The bus pulled away for Pine Hollow while everyone continued criticizing me.

Three hours later, we reached the trailhead.

Pine Hollow was undeniably beautiful.

Red maples covered the mountainsides like flames, and clear water wound between steep rocks. But the terrain was also treacherous. The moment we entered the valley, our cell service disappeared completely.

At noon, the group stopped in a flat clearing halfway up the mountain to rest and eat lunch.

Everyone pulled out the sandwiches Mia had handed out that morning.

“That’s weird. Why does the meat taste kind of sour?” Noah frowned after taking a bite.

Mia’s face tightened, but she quickly spoke up.

“That’s the factory’s special lemon-mustard sauce! It cuts through the grease. You guys just aren’t used to it.”

“Oh, that makes sense. It does taste pretty unique.”

Still looking uncertain, Noah swallowed the bite.

The others looked uncomfortable too, but they forced themselves to keep eating the sour patties.

I walked over to the creek and found a clean, flat rock.

I took an insulated bag and a portable camping stove from my backpack. Then I lit the burner.

I placed a small nonstick pan on top.

I tore open the vacuum-sealed package and laid an M9 wagyu steak in the pan.

The fat began to melt the moment it hit the hot pan, and the smell of seared beef filled the air.

The wind carried the smell toward the group eating their sandwiches.

The chewing stopped, and every head turned in my direction.

Someone even swallowed hard.