Jake shook his head vigorously, his disbelief evident on his face. "Seriously, mate? That piece of scrap is worth $45,000? I think you've been royally duped. I wouldn't pay $45 for it, let alone forty-five grand!" His tone was incredulous, bordering on comical. He shook his head in disbelief, glancing around as if expecting someone to confirm it was a joke. "I mean seriously,?" Tommy, standing beside him, crossed his arms with a smirk. "Yeah, even if it is worth that much—which I highly doubt—Caleb isn't coughing up for it" Jake nodded vehemently, his expression full of mock seriousness. "Exactly! Just take it to the dry cleaners. They work miracles these days. It'll be as good as new, and we can all move on with our lives. Honestly, you think we're going to fork out that kind of cash for a bit of fabric? Get real. Caleb isn't made of money, and even if he was, there's no way he's shelling out for this." Tommy chimed in again, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, besides, I be

"What did you just say to Caleb?" Cassie asked, her voice laced with a subtle sneer. Her eyes narrowed, demanding an explanation while silently warning the woman to choose her words carefully. The woman furrowed her eyebrows as she examined Cassie with a mix of annoyance and surprise. With a resigned sigh, she turned her gaze towards Caleb, her expression contorted into a look of disdain. "If you must know," she began, her voice dripping with contempt, "I said that this man," she gestured towards Caleb with a dismissive wave, "is such a loser. No girl would ever look at him, and he'll definitely be single for the rest of his life... just look at him." She crossed her arms defiantly across her chest, her posture daring Cassie to challenge her further. "Did you just call him a loser?" Cassie asked, her teeth clenched in anger. "Oh, I most certainly did," the woman replied with a smirk. Cassie felt a surge of anger boiling inside her, tightening her fists at her sides. She tried to

Harrold fidgeted nervously in his spot, his eyes darting everywhere but towards Cassie. He knew he couldn't defy her—his father would ground him and cut off his pocket money if any of his secrets came to light. Cassie's gaze shifted to Harrold's girlfriend, who stood with brows furrowed, clearly puzzled by Harrold's submissive behavior in front of the woman who had slapped her. The girlfriend, undeterred, stepped forward, attempting to defend him. "Are you trying to threaten my boyfriend? Because if—" she began, but her words were abruptly cut off as Harrold pulled her back. "Keep your mouth shut and behave," he ordered coldly, his tone brooking no argument. The shock of his stern command left his girlfriend speechless for a moment, but she quickly found her voice again, her frustration bubbling over. "But baby...," she protested, her voice rising. "You can't just let her talk to us like that!" Harrold's eyes flashed with irritation as he tightened his grip on her arm. "I said

Cassie grabbed Harrold's hand and slammed the wad of cash into his palm. "Here's your fifteen thousand dollars for the dress," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Even though it was your own girlfriend's fault, I'm feeling generous today." She then took out a few coins and tossed them at Harrold's girlfriend. "And for you," she mocked, "here's some change to get that dress dry-cleaned." Kenneth and Tracy looked on, their faces masks of shock. They exchanged bewildered glances, unable to understand why Cassie was paying the money instead of Caleb. What was going on between the two? The girlfriend stared at Cassie, biting her lip hard, her hands clenched into fists by her side. She knew Cassie was deliberately humiliating her in front of everyone. Desperate, she looked at Harrold for some sort of reaction, but he remained frozen to his spot, avoiding her gaze. When the girlfriend didn't make a move to pick up the coins, Cassie sneered, "Well, what are you waiting for? Pic

Cassie's gaze hardened, a flash of irritation crossing her features. She couldn't shake the memory of Tracy causing trouble that night at the bar. If it weren't for her interference, perhaps she wouldn't have argued with Caleb. Who knows, she might have already been his girlfriend by now. "Your personal history with him doesn't dictate my feelings," she countered sharply. "I see something in him that you clearly don't. So kindly keep your judgments to yourself." Tracy's chest rose and fell rapidly as she gathered herself to speak. "He's a loser, Cassie. He doesn't even have a proper job. He's just a delivery boy, for crying out loud." Cassie regarded Tracy with a shake of her head, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Hmm, I know exactly what he does for a living and his financial situation. You practically made it clear at the bar the other night. But you know what? I don't really care about that. I like Caleb for who he is on the inside, not what he does." She glanced ove