"This is outrageous. When did I threaten you? When I proposed to you, you agreed readily, and I did not force you. I admit that I was too eager then, but I did not do anything against your will," Ivan retorted, his eyes full of resentment and anger.He was seething in anger, but he could not do anything but retort. Courting Lucy was one of the most unforgettable and regretful events in Ivan's past.After everything that happened between the two of them, he had started to regret ever meeting her or courting her in the first place. If he had known that the relationship between them would turn out like this, he would not have dared to enter it.But in this life, there were no 'ifs.' It had happened, and there was no reversal or going back in time, which was common in fantasies."You are drunk. You are definitely talking rubbish because you are drunk," Ivan added before scowling at Lucy in spite.He did not know what she was planning, but he was not going to allow her to have it and tramp
Ivan was right when he said that Lucy must have planned everything before coming. She had not initially planned on executing her plan, but when she noticed that they were all buttering him up instead of her, she decided to lay down her plan.She had not taken Ivan's requests to heart earlier as she already wanted to humiliate him in the cruelest way possible, especially in front of his friends. She believed it would be more painful that way.Lucy had not expected that there would be so many people interested in their matter, but she was not against it because it would make her plan work faster.She had cooked up a convincing story without any loopholes. She had prepared well to embarrass Ivan.She also made herself a victim to avoid ruining her reputation. She knew that Ivan would not be able to retort at that point because she had the right to decide what to do to him.Sure enough, Ivan could not say anything. He gritted his teeth and kept quiet, his head lowered, shoulders stiff, an
Ivan remained silent as Alex broke the silence."So, you can't talk now? You're despicable, pretending all this time. Who knows how many girls you've deceived and hurt? Thank God Lucy escaped from your clutches in time. You could have killed her," he spat, his voice filled with hatred. Linda chimed in as well."Who would have thought he was capable of such things? He's been hiding for years, pretending to be someone he's not. We wouldn't have known if the truth hadn't come out. It's disgusting."The people in the room glared at Ivan. Some were unaffected by the drama, while others sympathized with Lucy. Some were envious of Ivan's good looks, and some wanted to prove themselves as good people in front of the two women.Lucy felt satisfied with the outcome. She believed her performance wasn't in vain. When she noticed the pale-faced Evelyn, she nodded. It was exactly what she had hoped for.Ivan and Evelyn had been arrogant for far too long. Lucy finally had the chance to put them in t
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what I just said about him? He is good for nothing and would only drag you down. He would use you, turn you into an empty container before disposing of you. Are you not rational?"When Evelyn heard Lucy's words again, her conviction to support Ivan started to waver. She did not think Lucy would be so jobless as to cook up a story just to humiliate Ivan.Moreover, she had not seen or been in contact with Ivan for more than eight years. Different things could have happened, and as Lucy had said, Ivan might have done all those things Lucy accused him of.Also, from the moment Lucy started talking, Ivan never retorted or denied anything she said, no matter how extreme. He just kept his head lowered in silence, giving people the impression that he was guilty and unable to face them.Ivan, on the other hand, was experiencing complicated emotions. He felt angry, indignant, and disappointed. Having all these feelings at once strangely made him calm and expressio
"Ivan, don't you have anything to say? Like a refutation to what Lucy just said, do you have anything?" Ben asked tentatively, already feeling very guilty. He wanted to use the chance to show Ivan his concern.But his gaze on Ivan had changed slightly, and he became cautious around him. When he talked, his voice was tentative instead of the usual liveliness.Even a blind person could notice the changes."He definitely does not have anything to say. What can he say? He has been silent because he knew that he does not have the right to say anything," Linda said with a smirk.Lucy smiled and turned to her. "Remind me to give you my business card. You should come to my company tomorrow. I should be able to find a place for you."Linda's face flushed red with glee. She had decided to take a gamble, and her efforts had paid off. It wasn't easy to get a well-paying job recently, and she was not treated well in the company she worked in. With Lucy's help, she could hope for a better life.She
"Guys, it's late already. I think we should leave," Evelyn proposed after getting up. She wanted to have some private time with Ivan.The others nodded in agreement and stood up one after the other, finishing their drinks. Most of them were not really drunk because of the earlier interlude, which had completely cleared their heads.Lucy took her time to finish her drink before standing up."The gathering is too boring because you are all too poor. We didn't even do anything fun apart from eating and drinking – no games, no fun. You should have told me to handle all these things if you couldn't afford it.""Anyway, I will pay for everything. I don't feel comfortable without paying. Moreover, who knows if you used your savings for many years just to cover the bills? Ivan is useless, and you only have your looks. If you both get together, you will be useless together.""A complete match made in heaven, Hahaha," Lucy ridiculed Evelyn blatantly and laughed. The others did not join her in t
"I am sorry for doubting you earlier, but trust me when I say that I know you cannot do something like that. Lucy is just envious of you, and because she is rich, she has been irrational. I believe you," Evelyn said. She gave Ivan an earnest look and waited for his response.There is one secret that only Evelyn knows, and it is the fact that when her parents saw Ivan for the first time during a parents' gathering in high school, they said something about him looking like someone they had coincidentally seen before.The person was a rich person, and he was also older, so they made a conjecture that Ivan was definitely a rich son of a wealthy family, though they didn't know which. Coupled with his good looks and brilliance, Evelyn confirmed that it was true.So, she had been pursuing him in hopes that he would notice her and probably like her. With that, he might reveal his secrets, and she might also start a flamboyant life.It must be known that Evelyn might look naive, but she was no
"Evelyn, I already made it clear to you that we cannot work. I don't like you, and at the same time, I don't want a relationship with you. I don't even want to be in a relationship with you. You are a pretty, hardworking, caring, and considerate woman, and you are every man's dream. You have everything a man would want in a woman, and I appreciate it, but we can never be together," Ivan said straightforwardly.He does not want to keep dawdling around and dragging it. If he continues, Evelyn will also continue to pester him, and he won't be able to leave.Ivan made sure to let her know that the problem was not with her but with him. He did not want to make her feel bad, nor does he want to keep her hopes up.It is better to just end things and keep it simple.After saying all this, he was expecting Evelyn to let go of him and give up, but instead, her hold tightened, and he looked down at her in surprise."Why?" she asked simply, and her question caught him off guard."Why what? I alre