As Ivy waited for Zack, she scanned the crowd, sensing the weight of unwanted attention. The guests' furtive glances and hushed whispers fueled her unease. It seemed their gazes were getting more intense with each passing second.

Their eyes hovered on her, some filled with curiosity, others with malice; their gazes were like tiny ants crawling on her skin. She felt like a specimen under a microscope, analyzed and judged.

She looked away from the crowd, her lips twitching as she fought to contain her emotions. Anger, resentment, and humiliation swirled inside her, threatening to spill over, but she refused to let it slip. She felt a deep sense of...