Chapter 8

Chapter 8

But I never would’ve guessed I’d run into Ryan Smith here.

The irony of it all—they were having a class reunion, and no one had invited me, even though I’d been their classmate too.

“What a coincidence, Iris White. You here to eat too?”

The first to speak was a girl who’d targeted me nonstop in college.

All because a guy she’d liked had chased me once. How ridiculous.

I looked at Ryan Smith, who was sitting at the table, saying nothing, and smiled.

“Yeah, I’m meeting someone.”

“We were just talking about your Moments post. What’s the deal?” one of Ryan’s buddies asked, grinning maliciously.

“Guess it’s easy to just grab a marriage certificate these days,” the girl added, fanning the flames.

I watched Ryan’s expression darken, and I wanted to laugh.

He was the one who cheated—so why did it feel like I was the one being put on trial?

“When are you gonna introduce him to us? We wanna see if he’s even half as good as our Yu Ge (Ryan), the rich and handsome guy,” another of Ryan’s friends chimed in, egging me on.

I bit my lower lip, my hands clenched into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms.

I knew Ryan’s friends had never liked me.

Ever since Ryan and I got together, he’d stopped splurging on them—no more picking up the tab for their outings, KTV nights, or meals.

After I told him to stop, Ryan became their “henpecked husband.”

In their eyes, I was just a poor girl trying to climb the social ladder by hooking up with Ryan, a wealthy second-generation. I didn’t deserve him.

Even the good job I’d gotten after graduation—through my own hard work—they’d whispered that I’d only gotten it because of Ryan’s connections.

They’d erased all the effort I’d put in during college.

Now that I was sober, I hated myself for being so blind.

Birds of a feather flock together. If your boyfriend’s best friends are like this, how good could he be?

I let out a cold laugh and looked at them.

“Do you think you’re worthy?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” One of the guys slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

“Can’t you understand plain Chinese? I said—are you worthy of meeting my husband?” I stared straight at him.

The guy scoffed, glancing at the others.

“She’s just putting on airs. That photo on her Moments is definitely photoshopped.”

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to argue with them anymore. Ryan’s family background was probably not even a fraction of Ethan Brown’s.

Just then, a pair of strong hands landed on my shoulders.

“Babe, what are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Ethan Brown looked into my eyes, his gaze tender.

Not bad—his acting skills are pretty good, I thought to myself.

“Oh, just ran into some trash,” I replied with a smile.

“The hell did you just call us?!” The most hot-tempered guy tried to rush over.

Ethan Brown stepped in front of me instantly, his eyes cold as blades as he stared at the man.

“Take one more step, and it won’t just be a warning,” Ethan said, his voice icy.

“You dare threaten me? Who do you think you are?” the man sneered, arrogant.

A few people tried to step in to mediate, but he pushed them away.

“What’s your salary? A few thousand a month? Why are you so cocky?” he taunted.

Ethan Brown chuckled softly, then looked up—his eyes full of disdain, as if the man in front of him was a joke.

“Sorry, I don’t get a monthly salary,” Ethan said calmly.

“No job, and you still dare to threaten me? I’m so scared,” the man said, crossing his arms. “I work at Haishi next door. Anytime you wanna fight, name the place.”

He pulled out a business card and handed it over, as if showing off.

I froze for a second. Congratulations—this guy was about to be toast.

Ethan Brown glanced at the name on the card, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his eyes cold.

I knew everyone at the table was stunned.

After hanging up, Ethan Brown slipped his own business card into the man’s pocket and said coldly:

“Don’t bother coming to work tomorrow.”

As the man stood there, dumbfounded, Ethan Brown gently took my hand. “Let’s go eat, babe.”

I looked up at him and gave him a bright smile. “Let’s go, honey.”

A faint, imperceptible look of surprise flashed in Ethan Brown’s eyes, then he returned to his usual calm.

I glanced at Ryan Smith out of the corner of my eye. He was staring at us, his gaze intense.

I knew—I’d won this round.