In front of the hotel's lavish gates, Liam stepped out of the car, a picture of elegance in his tailored suit, holding a bouquet of flowers. His smile was radiant, as it always was—how could he not be charming? After all, he was the man I loved.

I had distanced myself from my family for him, even sacrificing the high-limit credit card my parents had provided. Yet, despite the financial setback, I felt a profound joy, convinced that I had found my true love. Money seemed insignificant in the face of our future together.

I juggled multiple jobs each day, laboring tirelessly to build a life with him. But after working so hard for a meager three hundred dollars, he was preparing to announce his engagement to another woman on his birthday.

How cruelly ironic!

As I watched him enter the hotel, flanked by four of his friends, I stood silently behind a trio of waitresses, poised to deliver a surprise to Liam.

Amid the raucous cheers of the crowd, Liam was ushered in with a broad grin on his face, his arm linked with Darlene’s. They looked like such a perfect match.

I deliberately stepped forward, positioning myself directly in his path. Our eyes met.

The instant Liam’s gaze locked with mine, his smile vanished, frozen in shock.

His face turned ashen, as if he had seen a ghost.

Panic flickered in his eyes; his pupils darted, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

His fear was palpable.

“Liam, come on in!” urged the group behind him.

He wiped his forehead nervously and avoided meeting my gaze again.

Clearly afraid that I might disrupt his plans, he trembled as he occasionally glanced in my direction.

Throughout this entire interaction, I remained still, simply smiling at him.

He was visibly unnerved by my stare. His hand shook as he clinked glasses with Darlene, spilling his drink on his suit.

A flurry of people quickly whisked him away to the restroom for a cleanup, while I received his messages.

[Andrea, I can't explain everything in a few words. Please wait until the birthday party is over, and I’ll explain.]

[Please, don’t cause a scene.]

[I love you. My marriage to Darlene is entirely for our future. I can’t bear working so hard every day…]

I was almost amused by his absurdity.

I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to fabricate such a ridiculous excuse for cheating on me and juggling two girlfriends. I chose not to respond or create a scene.

Creating a scene here wouldn’t be useful. I resolved to wait until he publicly announced their engagement, in front of both families’ guests, so everyone could see exactly what kind of person Liam was!

It was a pity for Darlene, though—her upcoming wedding was on the verge of becoming a farce.

But I hadn’t anticipated how naive I was.

Darlene dismissed the other three waitresses with a smirk and approached me, her pride on full display.

“You saw it, didn’t you? Liam is going to marry me.”

At that moment, it dawned on me that Darlene was not as innocent as I had thought.

I had assumed she was merely another victim of Liam’s deceit, but it was clear now that she and Liam were perfectly matched.

The saying about bitches only deserve to be with scum suddenly made sense.

“I’ve known about you for a long time, and I also knew Liam was too soft-hearted to end things with you.”

“So, why don’t I play the villain? Stop bothering him.”

Her arrogance was palpable, like a proud hen flaunting its feathers.

I calmly took out my phone and showed her Liam’s messages.

“It seems he’s still pestering me.”

“He said he would use your money to start a company, take over your family’s property, and that he would break up with you.”

Darlene’s flawlessly made-up face instantly turned icy.

Fury blazed in her eyes. “That’s just a tactic to deal with you!”

“Really?” I replied with a smirk, my tone dripping with disdain.

My calm demeanor only seemed to fuel Darlene’s irritation further. She demanded Liam come to the lounge immediately, her anger barely contained.

When Liam entered and saw only Darlene and me in the lounge, his face went ashen. I could tell he feared I’d told Darlene something that might ruin his grand plans for his “perfect” marriage.

“Darlene, don’t believe her. It’s you I truly love,” he pleaded with a sincerity that was almost laughable.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Darlene joined in, her laughter filled with pride and triumph.

Liam’s expression darkened as he glared at me. “Andrea, we’re broken up. Please stop harassing me.”

“Do you want to leave on your own, or should I call security to escort you out?” I raised an eyebrow, savoring his agitation.

“It’s you who should leave!” he shot back.

Unperturbed, I made a call.

“Mom, please inform the hotel security to remove both the scumbag and his accomplice from Silver Hall’s third floor. We’ll cover any penalties according to the contract!”