Meanwhile, across the room, Marcus and his two loyal disciples seethed with resentment. They couldn’t shake the feeling of being overshadowed. Oliver, once considered beneath them, was now glowing under the spotlight, basking in the praise that Marcus had expected to receive.“Look at them,”Marcus muttered, his jaw clenched as he watched people now regarding Oliver with newfound respect. “This is ridiculous. He doesn’t belong here.”The twins nodded in agreement, their faces twisted in disdain. “It’s infuriating. We need to confront him.”Driven by a mix of anger and intrigue, they approached Oliver with a sense of entitlement, ready to challenge him. As Marcus and the twins closed in on Oliver, the atmosphere thickened with tension. Marcus was the first to break the silence, his voice laced with disbelief and contempt.“So, Oliver,” he sneered, crossing his arms defiantly. “Care to enlighten us on how a nobody like you managed to come up with two million dollars? Or did you rob a ba
As Oliver got home, exhausted from the whirlwind of events of the day, he went straight to bed. It was the weekend, and he'd already resolved to spend it doing absolutely nothing. Sleep came quickly as his body sank into the comforting embrace of his bed, the events of the past week fading from his mind.When morning arrived, Oliver was still fast asleep, wrapped in a deep, restful slumber. The world outside could have been crumbling, and he wouldn't have cared. But suddenly, the screeching ring of his phone pierced the quiet air. He groaned, shifting under the covers and pulling a pillow over his head in a futile attempt to block out the noise.The phone rang again. And then a third time.Frustration bubbling up, Oliver finally scrambled to find his phone on the bedside table, his eyes still clouded with sleep. After some fumbling, he managed to grab it, squinting at the screen to see who could possibly be disrupting his weekend peace.It was Anita.He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
As Oliver and Anita settled into the car, the atmosphere between them was light and playful. Anita leaned back in her seat and glanced at him. "So," she began with a grin, "how does it feel driving such a stunning lady around?" Oliver smirked. "Well, considering I'm used to driving myself around with no company, this is a nice change." Anita chuckled. "Oh, I see. So, I should feel honored, right?" "Maybe," Oliver teased, eyes flicking towards her briefly before returning to the road. "But don’t let it get to your head." "Too late," she said with a wink, causing them both to laugh. They continued chatting about random topics, from the music playing in the background to Anita's excitement about the party. At some point, they joked about their past outings, and Oliver found himself surprisingly comfortable in her company. He was not used to this—being so at ease with someone. Usually, he preferred solitude, but Anita's presence felt oddly natural. "You're not so bad yourself, you
The compliments continued to flow in and Oliver couldn't help but feel proud that they've come together. “She looks like she just walked out of a Vogue magazine,” someone whispered, loud enough for the whole group to hear. “How is she so perfect?” “She’s like one of those models you see in designer shows, but even more flawless in person!” yet another girl added, her voice filled with admiration. With each compliment, Anita’s chest swelled a little more. Her head was lifted slightly, basking in the glow of their words. Her heart was already soaring as each flattering remark made her feel like the queen of the night. They had even likened her to a goddess, which left her nearly giddy. After soaking in their adulation for a few moments, she finally found her voice. "Thank you, everyone," she said, smiling graciously, though the pride was clear in her tone. "You’re all so kind." But while the compliments continued, the only guy in the room couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
As the knife was passed around for guests to take turns cutting the cake, the guy snatched it and, with a smug grin, gestured toward Oliver.“Hey, why don’t you cut a slice for everyone?” he said loudly, his tone dripping with mockery. "Or maybe that’s not something you’re used to, seeing as you probably have someone do it for you."The crowd’s laughter was awkward, a few people glancing uncomfortably between Oliver and the man. It was a subtle but deliberate attempt to embarrass Oliver, positioning him as someone out of place, too refined or detached to even do something simple like cutting a cake.Anita, who had been standing nearby, immediately sensed what was happening. Her eyes darted between Oliver and the guy, realizing the malicious intent behind the gesture.Without hesitation, she stepped forward, her expression sharp as she intercepted the knife before Oliver could respond.“Oh, I think Oliver’s done enough for the night,” she said firmly, her voice cutting through the tens
Eyeing the moment, he stepped forward again, his voice cutting through the noise. "Alright, folks," he said with a sly grin, "I think we’ve all calmed down now, haven’t we?" He gave Oliver a pointed look, his tone dripping with mockery."He continued, "How about we move on to the gift presentation? After all, I’m sure everyone here brought something special for the celebrant."His eyes flicked toward Oliver for a brief second, certain that this was his moment. He was convinced that Oliver had come empty-handed, and this would be his final blow to undermine him."Let’s see what we’ve got!" the guy added, rubbing his hands together in fake enthusiasm. The crowd turned their attention toward the table where the celebrant, a glowing young woman in her birthday dress, stood expectantly.Without hesitation, Anita reached into her bag, a confident smile playing on her lips. From it, she pulled out a thick bundle of $50 bills and handed it over to the celebrant. "This is $5000," she said ca
He glanced at Anita once more, hoping that the grand gesture would make her fall for him. But Anita remained stoic, her expression unreadable, though her eyes flickered with something more calculating than impressed.Meanwhile, Oliver, who had been observing silently, maintained his calm demeanor, though a subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Nathan might have thought he’d outshone everyone, but Oliver had seen enough of such displays to know where this was headed. He knew arrogance often led to a downfall. He just had to wait.Meanwhile, Nathan was in his element, soaking up the admiration from the room. He grinned from ear to ear, loving every second of the attention. Vanessa couldn’t stop gushing about the gift, her voice high with excitement.“You never cease to amaze me, Nathan,” she said, her eyes still wide with disbelief. “This is... I don’t even know how to thank you! This is the most expensive gift I’ve ever received!”Nathan, feeling on top of the world, brushed
Nathan's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, a flicker of fear crossed his face. But he quickly masked it with more arrogance, his voice rising in desperation. “You're talking nonsense. You're just bitter because you can't afford anything like this, and now you're trying to ruin the night. You're just some arrogant narcissist.”Anita, sensing that the tension was about to boil over, stepped between them. "Come on, this isn’t necessary," she pleaded, her hands out in front of her. “It’s a party. Let’s not ruin it over this.”But Oliver was resolute. “If Nathan’s so sure about the authenticity of his gift,” he said, locking eyes with Nathan, “then I’d like to prove that the painting is not original.”The room fell silent at Oliver’s bold challenge. Nathan’s expression faltered again, but he quickly masked his unease with more bravado."Prove it?" Nathan scoffed, though his voice had lost some of its earlier confidence. “You’re just trying to make me look bad. You’re the one ruinin