Ivan ignored the petty and self-centered Charles before walking into the kitchen, while Lucy's and Charles' voices sounded behind him."He can't do anything, and all he knows is just to stuff his stomach with the food I brought from my hard-earned money. Who could be as shameless as him?" Lucy said with a hint of mockery in her tone."What do you expect from low-status men like him? You should not even be bothered by the likes of him and focus on enjoying yourself even more," Charles replied."You guys didn't forget that I am still here, right? You can't keep feeding me dog food like this. Do you want to blind my eyes? You are making me so envious," Lana said, and Lucy giggled while Charles chuckled.They behaved like one happy family, giving Ivan a melancholy feeling as if he was the outsider there. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and a profound emptiness opened up inside him.Ivan pushed his thoughts aside and hurriedly walked into the kitchen because his stomach grumbled once again,
The metallic smell of blood permeated the atmosphere, coupled with the loud bang and shatter of glass, startling the people in the sitting room.They were still laughing joyously while waiting for Jasmine to bring the glass cups when they heard a loud shatter and caught a whiff of blood in the air.Lucy was the first one to stand up, as she had already deduced that either her plates or a glass cup had broken with the sound she heard.With anger, she rushed into the kitchen with her assistant and Charles following behind. They hadn't even reached the kitchen when they saw Ivan standing by the entrance and Jasmine on the floor.Lucy stared at the glass shards before speaking up in anger."What the fuck is happening here? How did the glass break, and why is my kitchen like this? Wait, what the hell happened? I can even smell blood. Who is injured?" she questioned in rage, glaring down at Jasmine, who had a bleeding hand.Ivan pursed his lips and opened his mouth to explain what had happe
"You bitch!!!" Ivan yelled at Jasmine, unable to control his anger. Rage pounded in him like a drumbeat, and his irritation crackled.He felt both indignant and frustrated, smoking with rage on the inside as he glared murderously at Jasmine.Jasmine shrank back in fear, her back drenched with cold sweat. After cowering in fear, she came back to her senses and felt disgusted with herself for being scared of Ivan's state.Dramatically, she tried to stand up but fell back on the floor pitifully. Lana, unable to stop herself, helped her up."Ivan, you are too much," she said as she helped Jasmine up.Lucy stood silently by the side, fuming inwardly. She was thinking of a way to punish Ivan and make him suffer without ruining her own image in the process."Scoundrel," she mumbled beneath her voice, but enough for Ivan to hear.Ivan suddenly felt at a loss as the insults hit him like a ton of bricks. He had a mixture of complicated feelings - sadness, anger, hurt, and even self-doubt.His f
Ivan opened his eyes groggily and grunted, feeling disoriented and weak. He squinted his eyes when he was greeted with sudden brightness, unable to adjust to it. Squinting made him realize how heavy his eyelids were.The initial whirlwind of confusion subsided quite quickly, but the grogginess remained for some time. His senses were messed up, and his perception, balance, and reaction were extremely sluggish. He felt extremely befuddled and couldn't recuperate quickly.He could see the to and fro movement of some people, but he couldn't make out their faces.Then his senses started coming back to him one at a time, as if his brain was going through some kind of reset. First, his hearing came back "online," and the buzz of the group started to register in his brain.After that, his mindfulness started to kick in as he began to piece together what happened. Then a numbing sensation surged, and he heard a slight ringing in his ears. He looked beside him and saw the blurry silhouette of a
"Are you also invited?" Lucy asked skeptically, giving Ivan a strange look as she stretched out her neck to peek at his phone.Ivan nodded and replied simply, "Yes."Ivan stared blankly at his phone once again.It turned out that both of them had been invited to a class gathering at the newly built five-star Ashluxe Hotel, which had been trending on the internet recently. The hotel was known for its luxury.Ivan hesitated and contemplated for a while. He didn't want to go because he didn't want his former classmates to know about his situation. He was reluctant for numerous reasons, mainly because he couldn't afford to help with the bills if he attended.Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, Ivan thought about the class monitor who had helped him in the past. His gratitude towards that person made him smile helplessly, and he couldn't forget the support he had received.After hesitating for a while, Ivan finally decided to go, making sure to avoid sensitive topics."Are you going?" Lucy as
After trying to open the door and finding it wouldn't budge, Ivan started knocking. Suddenly, the door was opened."What are you doing here?" Ivan asked furiously.To his surprise, it was Jasmine who opened the door.Ivan was bewildered, and when he remembered what Jasmine had done the other day, he scowled in fury. He had tried to explain that day, but nobody believed him.He knew that Lucy, at least, knew he would never do something like that. But because she was looking for ways to humiliate him, she didn't allow him to explain.He felt indignant, but he didn't plan to explain himself anymore. When he saw Jasmine again, his anger was justified and understandable.Jasmine was unbothered by his anger and stood still with her arms folded. She saw Ivan as nothing more than a pawn and a stepping stone. If she could continue to use him, she believed her time as a maid would soon be over.She also knew that Ivan wouldn't be able to do anything to her, so she was unbothered by his threats
Ivan was unsure about what to do in that moment. It was a class gathering, and he wanted to appear presentable. However, the only available room was already occupied. As he turned back towards the guest room, Jasmine unexpectedly opened the door. She seemed surprised to see Ivan standing awkwardly with his hands raised, but quickly frowned."Why are you here again? I already explained the situation to you. What else do you want, apart from that? This room is currently mine, and who knows, it might become mine permanently," Jasmine said, pursing her lips as she stood firmly in the doorway.Jasmine's intention was to continue staying in the house, as she did not want to return to her unpleasant rented apartment where she lived with her grandparents."I'm not here to argue with you. I just came to retrieve one of my outfits," Ivan replied, pushing past her and entering the room."Hey!!!" Jasmine yelled, but Ivan ignored her and proceeded inside.He quickly made his way to the wardrobe an
"Ivan, it's me. Long time no see."The voice at the other end was sing-song-like, caressing the earlobes like a rose petal, soothing and gentle like a breeze. The voice had a magnetic quality that drew people in, carrying warmth and positivity. Smooth and rich like a symphony, it was as hypnotic as velvet.Just by listening to the voice, one could imagine how beautiful its owner must be. Any other man would have had a nosebleed just from hearing it, but Ivan? Let's not go there.Ivan smiled when he heard the voice; he already knew who the woman was. She was his only female friend with such a lovely voice, capable of leaving a lasting impression on anyone.Their class monitor, Evelyn."Eve? How are you doing?""Don't fucking ask me how I'm doing. You didn't even ask about me, and you call yourself my friend? Who does that? You never cared about me, and you still have the audacity to ask how I'm doing?" She yelled, and Ivan had to hold the phone away from his ear with a helpless smile.