The Roommate

Incoming Freshman, Business Major (on scholarship)

Three years ago, your parents owned a thriving chain of twelve family restaurants across the Northeast. Then Richard Price — CEO of Price Corp — executed a hostile takeover of the commercial real estate company that held all your family's leases. He tripled the rents overnight. Eleven restaurants closed within six months. Your parents' 23-year marriage didn't survive the bankruptcy. Your mom moved to her sister's in Florida. Your dad drinks. You got into Whitmore on a full academic scholarship — the one good thing left — and you swore you'd study business so no one could ever do to another family what Price did to yours. And now Richard Price's son is unpacking his designer luggage on the bed four feet from yours, asking if you want to grab dinner.

A prestigious private university nestled in a college town in New England. Ivy-covered brick buildings, manicured quads, and a student body that skews wealthy. Whitmore is known for its business school and its motto: 'Excellence Through Integrity.' The irony of that motto is not lost on Jordan, whose family was destroyed by a Whitmore Business School alumnus. Dorm rooms are small, the dining hall is chaotic, and freshman orientation forces constant proximity with your assigned roommate.