"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
Evelyn noticed that Ivan was not falling for her melodrama. Her eyes reddened even further, and she sobbed silently."Do you know how far I went just for you? Just to see you? Are you that heartless? It was purely due to my good luck that I coincidentally met Ben last week. I had to ask him for your contacts because I didn't have any other choice. Do you know how many years I wasted and sacrificed for you? Do you have any idea? I don't think you do because if you did, you wouldn't act towards me like this.""During high school, you didn't hide the fact that you liked Lucy and pursued her openly. I could only be your friend unwillingly because I didn't want to discourage you. I had to keep quiet and endure the heartbreak. Can you even imagine how hurtful it was? Can you imagine how desperate I was just for you to notice me?""I gathered my courage sometimes to confess my feelings for you, but you kept rejecting me each and every time without giving me a tangible reason. Am I not enough
Ivan's frustration grew as he pondered over Evelyn's apparent interest in him. He couldn't comprehend why she would be drawn to someone like him, who had no special talents or remarkable qualities. He couldn't help but bring up Lucy's words from earlier, reminding Evelyn of his joblessness and his dependence on her for shelter and sustenance. He questioned her, seeking an explanation for her interest."Why are you so interested in me? I have nothing to offer, no special qualities. Didn't you hear what Lucy said? I'm unemployed, living in her house, dependent on her for everything. Were you not listening?" Ivan asked, his agitation evident.Evelyn saw Ivan's question as a test, a way to gauge her true feelings for him. She deliberated whether to reveal that she knew his secret identity, unsure if it would strengthen their connection or shatter it. After careful consideration, she made up her mind, her expression turning resolute."No, I don't believe what Lucy said. She wanted to tarni
"So, all the chasing and stubbornness was just because you thought that I am rich but just pretending? But what made you arrive at that conclusion?" Ivan asked, his voice filled with doubt.Evelyn did not want to tell him that she found out from her parents. Actually, her parents were just lucky to see the man that Ivan looked like.His father was just working as a janitor in a big company then, coincidentally the man came into the company the day he started working there. And because of how enthusiastic those big people were in front of the man, Evelyn's dad concluded that he must be a very important figure.Evelyn would never forget the look on her father's face then, so she became determined to get together with Ivan, who she heard had slight similarities to the mysterious man."With your good looks and genius mind, of course. Moreover, you never invited us to your house, no matter how much we begged. So, it made me confirm that you definitely did not want us to see how wealthy you