Chapter 3

I scratched my ear, wondering if I'd heard wrong.

"Vanessa Clarke, is your brain broken?"

"They just said tonight's meal is free. What am I paying for?"

Vanessa let out a cold laugh, her eyes full of disdain.

"It's free because my husband has connections. What does it have to do with you?"

"Since I'm treating everyone, I decide who I'm treating."

She walked to the door and ripped down the itemized bill:

"This meal costs $800,000 total. We have twenty classmates, so $40,000 each."

"I'm paying for everyone except you."

"Forty thousand dollars. Are you paying cash or card?"

Lucas quickly stepped forward and said:

"Miss, tonight's bill..."

I pulled Lucas behind me and leaned close to Vanessa:

"So you're determined to make things difficult for me today?"

Vanessa nodded firmly:

"That's right!"

"I was going to let you enjoy an upper-class meal for old times' sake, but you just had to push it."

"In that case, I'll teach you a lesson today and show you exactly what you are!"

Hearing this, I didn't get angry. Instead, I laughed:

"Sorry, but unlike you, I know exactly what level I'm at. You're the one who doesn't know where you stand!"

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone at the table couldn't help commenting:

"Liam Foster, I think you're addicted to pretending. Looking down on Vanessa? If you were so rich, would she have dumped a loser like you?"

"Exactly! Vanessa's husband is worth hundreds of millions. Could all your assets combined even match the numbers after his decimal point?"

"No kidding. This guy's just a delusional clown. If he pays, nobody lend him money!"

I licked my lips and scanned the room:

"Everyone's words are quite entertaining, but I don't just look down on Vanessa Clarke—I look down on all of you."

"Because everyone here is trash."

Though I'm not usually social, I at least understand basic courtesy.

From the moment I sat down until now, these so-called classmates hadn't discussed friendship once. They'd just been flattering and sucking up to Vanessa.

With such lowly classmates, why should I save them any face?

My words instantly made me the target of everyone's attacks.

Even the classmate who had the best relationship with me stood up angrily, slamming the table:

"Liam Foster, someone like you doesn't deserve to eat with us. Pay your bill and get out!"

Seeing the mockery growing louder, Vanessa's smile became more pronounced.

She picked up a bottle of limited edition Hennessy and poured ten full glasses.

"Liam Foster, I know it's hard for a food delivery guy to come up with forty thousand dollars at once."

"For the sake of you helping me before, I'll help you this time."

She put her high heel on a chair and pointed at the ten glasses.

"You have two choices."

"One, kneel and lick my foot while admitting you're worthless."

"Two, chug all ten glasses in one go, then slap yourself ten times."

"Choose one and do it, and I'll pay your forty thousand. Fair enough?"

Whistles and applause filled the suite.

Everyone wanted to see me humiliated, to see me submit to Vanessa like a dog, just like four years ago.

I'd wanted to leave us both some dignity, but Vanessa and these classmates kept pushing.

A gold digger living off men, pretending to be high society.

How ridiculous.

Yet this fake socialite wouldn't let me go, continuing to press:

"Ten minutes."

"What ten minutes?"

I ignored Vanessa and looked at Lucas.

Lucas checked his phone and bowed to me.

"Mr. Foster, I've already notified the owner. He says he'll arrive in ten minutes with Sebastian Ashford to apologize to you."

"Oh, and he said he's willing to trade that hundred-acre plot in the suburbs for Vanessa Clarke's life."