Bellinger Sisters, #1
It Happened One Summer
by Tessa Bailey
Contents
Chapter One
Overview
Piper Bellinger is publicly dumped by Adrian, who dismisses her as shallow and forgettable. Reeling yet image-conscious, Piper resolves to reclaim her “it girl” notoriety. She calls Kirby and plots a flashy, rule-breaking pool stunt to flip the breakup narrative and reassert her relevance.
Summary
At a black, white, and red Hollywood rooftop party, Piper Bellinger admires her impeccable look and boyfriend Adrian’s polished aloofness, recalling their meet-cute. Adrian, bored and inattentive, abruptly ends their three-week relationship, calling Piper shallow and interchangeable. The public split humiliates Piper as onlookers stare and phones record.
Determined to maintain composure, Piper exits with a brittle smile, battling rising panic about her image and future invitations. She debates calling her sister Hannah, who had warned her about Adrian, but instead phones her friend Kirby to discuss damage control.
With rumors already spreading online, Piper rejects passivity. Remembering her wilder, attention-grabbing past, she decides to seize the narrative. She proposes a late-night break-in at the Mondrian’s rooftop pool, inviting friends to join so the spectacle recasts her as a legend rather than a victim.
Who Appears
- Piper BellingerLA influencer and party girl; publicly dumped, then decides to revive her wild persona to control the narrative.
- AdrianAloof, status-conscious boyfriend who ends their three-week relationship, calling Piper shallow and replaceable.
- KirbyPiper’s friend; urges damage control and becomes Piper’s partner in planning the Mondrian pool stunt.
- Hannah BellingerPiper’s sister, referenced; previously skeptical of Adrian and a source of grounded perspective.