Chapter 2

The moment Lucas finished speaking, the room erupted in chaos.

"I heard that woman was Lucas's childhood friend. The second he went in, she immediately climbed into Daniel's bed."

"But even fate can't stand watching a backstabbing bitch like her have everything go her way."

"Look, Daniel went bankrupt and left her alone to pay off the debts while he ran off to avoid trouble abroad."

Amid everyone's ridicule, Lucas's dark, deep eyes never left me.

"Yeah, she deserves this ending. She brought it on herself."

I stood beside Lucas holding a drink tray, my chest feeling as if it were pierced with countless fine needles.

My heart ached unbearably.

"Waitress, come pour the drinks... wait! Aren't you Violet?!"

The woman beside Lucas exclaimed in surprise, and everyone's eyes immediately turned to me.

She rose gracefully, dimples gracing the corners of her mouth.

"Hello, I'm Madeline. You're Violet, right? I recognize you."

"Thank you for letting him go, for letting Lucas see what kind of person you really are. I'm able to be with him partly thanks to you."

"You absolutely must come to our wedding."

I smiled awkwardly, my fingers unconsciously clenching tight.

The next second, Lucas's jacket was stained with spilled wine.

The incident caught me completely off guard.

After a long moment, I heard Lucas's icy voice from above.

"Is this the level of professionalism from the waitstaff here? Call your manager."

I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and spoke tremblingly.

"I'm terribly sorry... Name your price, I'll... compensate you."

The previously lively room fell silent in an instant, until someone broke the stillness.

"Compensate? Can you afford it?"

"Lucas wears only designer brands. How will you pay? By selling yourself?!"

"Strip off one piece of clothing for a hundred grand. Strip everything and I'll pay for you-how about that?"

The crowd around continued their jeering, their mocking or gleeful voices drilling into my ears.

"Any woman who caught Daniel's eye and climbed into his bed must have a smoking hot body."

"Strip and let us feast our eyes!"

"Yeah, when will you ever pay off your debts as a waitress? Why not come with me instead? I'll give you five thousand a night-how about it?!"

"Lucas, what do you say?"

Lucas just took a sip of his drink without answering.

I listened to the tide of humiliation.

My hand holding the drink tray wouldn't stop trembling.

"Enough, stop it."

In the dim lighting, I saw Lucas furrow his brow, a hint of restraint seeming to flash in his eyes.

Even knowing he hated me to the bone, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope rise in my heart.

Thinking he would step forward like before, protect me, save me from the flames.

But the next second, Lucas's words made my heart stop violently, cold blood coursing through my entire body!

"Violet, when you betrayed me, did you think about today?"

"Strip off one piece of clothing-two hundred grand."