Chapter 7
Hearing Allvar’s words, the bartender, who had been laughing with his colleague, immediately stopped and pushed the girl aside. "I’ll take it from here," he said, his tone suddenly much more respectful. Allvar frowned, confused by the sudden change in the bartender's demeanor. "Why the change of heart?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The bartender flashed a wide, almost sycophantic grin. "I knew it all along, sir. You’re one of those low-profile rich guys, aren’t you?" he said, his voice dripping with flattery. "I could tell from the moment you walked in. Let me personally handle your order. A hundred bottles of Éternité, right? Coming right up." Allvar’s frown deepened. "Really?" he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You sure weren’t acting like you knew anything a minute ago." Before the bartender could respond, a sharp voice cut through the room. "Allvar?" Allvar turned around, his eyes narrowing when he saw who it was. Serena, dressed in a shimmering, expensive gown, stood there with the same man from earlier, the one who had ruined everything. They both wore smug expressions, as if they had come specifically to gloat. "Well, well, well," the man said, draping an arm around Serena’s shoulders. "Look who it is. What are you doing here, Allvar? Trying to live out your rich fantasies in a place you clearly can’t afford?" Serena chuckled, her eyes sweeping over him. "What are you even wearing, Allvar? Is that the same suit from last year’s graduation? How sad." She smirked and leaned into her lover. "You’ve always been…well, a little behind in life, haven’t you?" Allvar clenched his fists but didn’t respond immediately. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to stay calm. He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him react. The bartender, overhearing their conversation, glanced between Allvar and the couple. His eyes widened when he took in the expensive clothes Serena and her new lover were wearing. He quickly changed his attitude again. "Ah, sir," the bartender said to the man, his tone oozing with flattery. "And madam, of course. My apologies for any inconvenience. Let me personally serve you both. You’re the kind of patrons we love to have here." He shot a dismissive look at Allvar. "Unlike some people who make grand claims without being able to back them up." Allvar felt his stomach churn at the bartender’s sudden shift, but he didn’t say anything. He could feel Serena’s mocking gaze on him, and it made his skin crawl. "You see, Allvar," Serena said, her voice dripping with condescension, "this is what happens when you try to act like you’re something you’re not. You don’t belong here. This place is for people who can actually afford to be here." She glanced at the bartender. "What did he order, anyway? A glass of water?" The bartender chuckled nervously, eager to ingratiate himself. "Oh no, madam. He actually claimed he was going to buy a hundred bottles of our most expensive champagne, Éternité." At that, Serena and her lover burst into laughter. "A hundred bottles?" the man sneered. "Are you serious, Allvar? That’s ten thousand a bottle! You really think you can afford a million dollars’ worth of champagne? Who are you trying to impress?" Serena wiped a tear from her eye as she laughed. "This is just sad. You always did have delusions of grandeur. You can’t even afford a decent suit, and here you are, talking about buying champagne. You never could accept reality, could you?" The bartender joined in their laughter, now fully on their side. "It did seem like a bit of a stretch, but who am I to argue, right?" He grinned, looking between Serena and her lover. "I’ll be right back with your drinks. Forget him." Allvar’s throat tightened, and he felt a surge of disgust. Not just at the bartender’s sycophantic behavior or Serena’s cruelty, but at himself, for staying in the room this long, for letting their words get to him. Without another word, Allvar turned on his heel and walked out of the bar, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Behind him, the sound of their mocking laughter followed him out the door, cutting deeper than any wound. "See you around, 'champagne king'!" Serena called out sarcastically, her voice echoing in his ears as he left.Chapter 8Allvar sneered, his lips curling in disdain as he stood outside the bar, finally piecing it together. His ex, his classmates, he had always known deep down what kind of people they were. Now, it was all glaringly clear.As he was about to walk away, the sound of laughter grew louder. A group of his old classmates entered the bar, chattering excitedly. None of them acknowledged him, not even with a glance, except for one person."Allvar!" A voice called out. He turned to see his best friend, Mikel, weaving through the crowd toward him. Mikel, the only one who had bothered to check in on him earlier, clapped a hand on his shoulder."Man, I can’t believe how fake they all are," Mikel muttered, shaking his head. "They’re only avoiding you because they’re jealous. You were always the best in class, and Serena was the hottest girl around. They couldn’t stand it."Allvar gave a bitter smile. "It doesn't matter anymore. They’re all vultures."Mikel’s eyes darkened as he glanced t
chapter 9The bar fell eerily silent after Allvar’s bold order, but only for a moment. The hush didn’t last long before the group of former classmates erupted into laughter, their amusement spreading like wildfire."Did you hear that?" one of the guys hooted, slapping his knee in exaggerated laughter. "The 'loser' wants to buy the most expensive drink here? He couldn’t even afford bread back in the day!"More laughter echoed across the room, and the mockery began to build, each voice eager to take their turn."Yeah, right," another chimed in, smirking smugly. "Éternité? The guy can’t even find a job, and now he thinks he can afford champagne worth more than all the money he’s ever seen in his life?""Maybe he’ll offer to pay in Monopoly money," a girl quipped, earning a round of snickers from those around her.Serena’s new lover, sitting back comfortably with a self-satisfied grin, glanced at Allvar with an air of condescension. "What a joke," he muttered, loud enough for everyone to
Chapter 10More laughter filled the air, and Allvar’s eyes flicked up, locking onto the man’s smug face. The waitress nervously clutched the card, eyes darting to Allvar before continuing her sentence. "I… I was just returning your card, sir," she stammered, holding it out toward him. "The drinks are too heavy, so my colleagues are bringing them over."The entire bar went silent. Serena’s lover, who had been smirking the entire time, furrowed his brows. He leaned forward, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Wait… what do you mean, 'bringing them over'?"The waitress blinked, seemingly confused by the reaction. "I mean," she said slowly, glancing at the group, "the payment went through. We’ve already charged his card for all ten bottles."What?A heavy, stunned silence followed."You’re joking," Serena’s lover blurted out, his face twisting in disbelief. "You mean to tell me he actually 'paid'? For 10 bottles of Éternité? That’s… that’s 100 grand!"The waitress nodded, visibly perplex
11Allvar’s fingers itched to tighten into fists, but he kept his expression neutral as the accusations flew at him from every direction. The bar had fallen into a tense, anticipatory silence, with everyone waiting for his reaction. Serena’s lover, eyes gleaming with malice, leaned forward and laughed darkly.“You’re not getting away with this, man. No way in hell you paid for all that. You think we’re fools? Just admit it — you stole the card,” he sneered, glancing at Serena, who was smiling smugly by his side.Serena tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “It’s not too late to turn yourself in, Allvar. You know what? I think you should. You might avoid a worse sentence if you confess now.” She paused dramatically, then added with a twisted smile, “Lucky for you, my boyfriend’s uncle works for the police. He could help… or not.”Her lover’s grin widened as he pulled out his phone. “That’s right! My uncle would love this. Catching a thief like you? That’s a career boos
12 Allvar hung up the phone and straightened up, his entire demeanor shifting from tense to confident. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, a calm expression settling over his face. Serena’s brow furrowed as she noticed the change in him. “What’s with the sudden attitude? You really think some lowlife you called is going to help?” she sneered, though her voice wavered slightly. Her lover, sensing her unease, pulled her close. “Babe, don’t worry. He’s bluffing. It’s all part of the act. Uncle Tom will handle this, no problem.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze, but the smirk on his face faltered just a little. Allvar met their gazes coolly, his confidence unwavering. “We’ll see who’s bluffing when this is over.” Serena laughed, but it lacked the same malice as before. “You’re really digging your own grave, Allvar. When Uncle Tom gets here, he’s going to eat you alive.” “Sure he will,” Allvar said evenly, his eyes not leaving hers. “But I wonder how your boyfriend will feel w
Allvar barely had time to process what was happening when the voice cut through the noise. It was icy, commanding, and sent a ripple of unease through the crowd."Let him go."Heads turned, eyes searching for the source. Stepping through the door was a striking woman, her beauty undeniable, with sharp features and an aura of confidence that made the entire room hold its breath. Her gaze locked onto Uncle Tom, and even he faltered for a moment before regaining his composure.Uncle Tom's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made the onlookers shift uncomfortably. “Who do you think you are, huh? You think you can just waltz in here and tell me how to do my job?” His voice was dripping with lewdness as his gaze raked over her. “If you get in my way, I’ll be happy to take you down to the station too. Maybe give you a lesson in respect.”The woman didn’t flinch, her expression remaining ice-cold. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge his crudeness, instead raisi
14Uncle Tom stumbled, trying to gather himself. "B-but I—"The woman, now standing just a few feet away from Allvar, spoke again, her voice like ice. "Release him. Now."Without hesitation, the chief barked, "Get those cuffs off him, immediately!"Uncle Tom fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking so badly he could barely fit the key into the lock. The crowd watched in silence, everyone too stunned to speak. Even Serena's boyfriend, who had been smug and arrogant moments before, now looked like he was ready to melt into the floor.As the cuffs clattered to the ground, Allvar flexed his wrists, wincing at the red marks left behind. He looked up at the woman, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment but didn’t say a word to him.Serena, who had been watching wide-eyed from the sidelines, finally found her voice. "I... I didn’t mean for things to go this far," she stammered, her voice small and trembling.The woman turned to her, her gaze chilling. "You didn’t stop it either," she said sim
15As the woman led Allvar out of the bar, whispers quickly spread through the crowd, barely waiting for the door to close behind them.Serena’s boyfriend, Derek, was the first to speak, his voice dripping with amusement. “Well, well, well… looks like our boy Allvar just got himself a sugar mama.”The crowd, still tense from the earlier chaos, let out a few nervous chuckles. Serena, arms crossed and glaring at the door Allvar had just walked out of, sneered. “He always did have a knack for landing on his feet with women. Guess he’s downgraded to being a gigolo now.”Mikel, who had been standing by, shook his head at the absurdity of it all. “Come on, guys. You don’t even know who she is. You’re jumping to conclusions.”Derek rolled his eyes, smirking. “Oh, please. A woman like that doesn’t just walk into a bar and drag some nobody out of trouble for free. You really think she’s doing it out of the kindness of her heart?”Another guy from the crowd chimed in, nudging his friend. “Bet h