00:00From the day I graduated until now, I have never once mentioned my income to any of you.
00:04I have never sent any of you a private message complaining about money.
00:09So, where exactly are you getting your numbers from?
00:12Nobody had an answer.
00:14My mother came out of the kitchen carrying a serving dish.
00:16She glanced at me.
00:17With no college degree, what kind of job could she possibly get in New York?
00:22Three grand a month, tops.
00:25My father clapped me on the shoulder.
00:27Alright, alright. We're family.
00:30One week before my sister Serena was sent to marry into the old money Ashford family,
00:34my own family kicked me out of the group chat.
00:37My mother called me trash, said they should have given me up for adoption the day I was born.
00:41My brother laughed that the only thing I was good for in New York was digging through garbage cans.
00:46Even my so-called best friend told me, straight to my face, that I'd never measure up to Serena.
00:51I looked down at the message pinned to the top of my phone, and I smiled.
00:54Mr. Ashford, see you at the wedding.
00:56Oh, I couldn't wait.
00:57On that wedding day, when the most powerful man on the East Coast bowed his head and begged me for
01:03a favor in front of everyone,
01:04I really, really wanted to see the look on their faces.
01:08The call from my mother came in just as I was signing off on a $10 million patent licensing deal.
01:13She gave the order, the way she always did.
01:15Serena's getting married this weekend. You need to be there.
01:18She hung up.
01:18I opened the family group chat I'd had on mute for months, for once.
01:22My brother Elliot had actually tagged me.
01:24Wear something decent. Don't embarrass Serena. The Ashfords are old money. Every guest at that wedding matters.
01:29Message form.
01:30You'd worked half as hard as Serena and gotten into an ivy.
01:31My childhood friend Ethan Cole also popped up in right after.
01:34It's been ten years since we graduated.
01:36If you'd worked half as hard as Serena and gotten into an ivory,
01:38you wouldn't be living alone in some basement, scavenging expired bread just to get by.
01:42I read every message, one by one.
01:45Then I stopped on a message from Melanie Reed, the girl who used to be my best friend.
01:48Hazel, Serena's marrying into the Ashfords.
01:50If things in New York aren't working out, come home.
01:53Have the Ashfords find you something local.
01:54Anything's better than digging through trash.
01:57I looked down. The Ashfords.
01:59Sterling Ashford, the head of the Ashford family,
02:01had reached out three times through Dr. Langley, MIT's provost,
02:05requesting 30 minutes of my time.
02:07He'd been trying for three months.
02:08They thought I was scraping by in Queens.
02:10My actual apartment was in Cambridge.
02:12A 15-minute walk from my lab at MIT.
02:15The chat kept lighting up.
02:16I couldn't be bothered to read any more of it.
02:18I just typed back.
02:19Okay, I'll be there.
02:20Serena sent a Venmo request within seconds.
02:22Zero dollars and one cent.
02:24The memo read,
02:25For your flight home, can't wait to see you, Hazel.
02:29Elliot's voice message came in immediately after.
02:31With everything Serena's paying for right now,
02:33how can you actually accept that?
02:35Send it back.
02:36Ethan.
02:36Just because Serena pulls 200k dollars a year
02:38doesn't give you the right to guilt her?
02:40Into paying your way.
02:42I was about to type a response.
02:43Melanie dropped in with a sighing emoji.
02:46Come on, you guys.
02:47Can we stop coming at Hayler every chance we get?
02:50Half as hard as Serena had gotten into an Ivy.
02:52You wouldn't be living alone.
02:53She was too embarrassed to face us,
02:55so she's been avoiding us for 10 years.
02:56She's finally coming home.
02:58Don't scare her off.
02:59I looked down again.
03:01At 18, yes,
03:02I really had been avoiding them.
03:03Senior year of high school,
03:04Serena had transferred in from California
03:06and slid effortlessly into my little circle of three.
03:09Me,
03:09Ethan,
03:10and Melanie.
03:11Just like at home,
03:12I quickly became the invisible one.
03:13We'd be walking down the hallway,
03:15and out of nowhere,
03:16all three of them would stop at the same time.
03:18Ethan would tip his chin up slightly.
03:19Melanie would follow his eyes.
03:21Serena would look down and smile.
03:23I'd just be standing there.
03:24At first,
03:25I'd ask what they were laughing about.
03:27A few times,
03:27they always said it was nothing.
03:28Eventually,
03:29I stopped trying to force my way into a circle,
03:31but didn't want me.
03:32I started avoiding them instead.
03:34Then MIT's early admission letter came,
03:36and every waking hour of mine went into the lab.
03:39I didn't have time to avoid anyone anymore.
03:41A DM from Serena pulled me back.
03:42Hazel,
03:43don't take the Venmo thing personally.
03:45I know rent in New York is brutal,
03:47and things are tight for you.
03:48I just wanted to help cover your flight.
03:50That's all I meant by it.
03:51A teary-eyed emoji followed,
03:53right on cue.
03:54The group chat filled up with people praising how thoughtful she was.
03:57I screenshotted the Venmo request.
03:58And sent her one cent back.
04:00The chat went quiet for a few seconds.
04:02Elliot was the first to snap.
04:03Hazel,
04:03what the hell?
04:05You think it's not enough?
04:06Everyone at this wedding is in the Ashford Circle.
04:08You didn't even finish college,
04:09and Serena's still willing to have you there.
04:11And you're gonna nickel and dime her over a Venmo?
04:14A penny's still a gesture.
04:16Serena actually cares about you.
04:17Did you think for one smekin'
04:19how that screenshot made her feel?
04:20I leaned back in my chair and took a sip of coffee.
04:22At 18,
04:23that kind of one-sided defense would have kept me up all night.
04:26At 28,
04:26I didn't feel a thing.
04:27Serena sent a voice memo.
04:28Careful.
04:29Apologetic.
04:30Hazel,
04:31I got so excited when I heard you were coming home.
04:33My hand slipped.
04:34Please don't be upset, okay?
04:35I really do worry about you out there in New York on your own.
04:38I already talked to Julian about finding you something at his firm.
04:41But they have standards, you know?
04:43Bachelor's degree minimum.
04:45With your background,
04:46maybe a receptionist role,
04:47or admin assistant,
04:48don't take it the wrong way.
04:50What right does she have to take it the wrong way?
04:52She's the one who dropped the ball.
04:54When my colleagues ask about her SET scores,
04:56I can barely bring myself to say them out loud.
04:58Ten years ago,
04:59on the day college...
05:00I was like,
05:00Go ahead.
05:00Go ahead.
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