Chapter 4

James’s watch had gone missing.

The only two people who had been close enough to him to take it were me and Sophia. During the wine tasting session earlier, James had his arm slung over my shoulder the whole time.

Given the awkward tension from that earlier scene, it was easy for people to jump to conclusions. Naturally, they assumed I’d taken the watch out of spite.

"James, you’re too nice. That watch was a symbol of your relationship with Sophia. If it were me, I’d definitely get to the bottom of this."

"Right? It’s one thing to be poor, but how low do you have to be to stoop to petty theft?"

My brows furrowed, and I shot back with a sharp tone, "If you’ve got something to say, then say it. We’re all adults here; no need to talk in circles."

"Ooh, listen to him! Acting all offended. Maybe don’t do shady things, and no one will have anything to say," a short, bespectacled man chimed in, his voice dripping with mockery.

I stepped right up to him, locking eyes with an icy stare.

He flinched, stumbling back a few steps as if I’d struck him. "What? You gonna hit me just because I said the truth?"

"Hit you? Do you think you’re worth it?"

"You… you…!" His fists clenched in anger, his face turning red.

Someone nearby, sensing the tension, quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Alright, alright, let’s not ruin the night. We’re all here for Professor Warren’s reunion. Let’s keep it civil."

James tried to play the peacemaker, putting on a self-righteous face. "We’re all Professor Warren’s students. Let’s not make this uglier than it has to be. Forget it."

I turned to look at him, unable to suppress a derisive chuckle. "Forget it? No, we’re not just going to ‘forget it’. Let’s get to the bottom of this, right now. I want to see who had the nerve to smear my name. It’s just a watch. Do you really think it’s some priceless artifact?"

My words struck a nerve. James’s face turned dark, his fake smile slipping.

"Oh? So I guess Alex is used to wearing million-dollar watches then? Must be nice to be so low-key."

Others quickly piled on.

"Low-key? Nah, he’s just pretending."

"Did you see the mud all over him when he walked in? He probably ran here in a hurry and took a nasty fall."

"Yeah, our boy Alex must be a fitness enthusiast."

The room erupted in laughter.

Sophia walked back in just then. "What’s everyone laughing about?"

The laughter died down immediately. Her eyes were red, and her voice still held a slight tremble. Clearly, she had been crying.

James quickly moved to her side, pulling her into his arms like a fragile kitten. He gently asked her what was wrong, his voice dripping with concern.

Sophia shook her head, leaning into his embrace, signaling she was fine.

Of course, this only prompted another wave of fawning compliments.

"You two are such a perfect match!"

Sophia straightened up, casting a sideways glance at me. "What happened?"

James’s eyes met mine, his tone full of implication. "My watch is missing. Earlier, I just had my hand on Alex’s shoulder for a bit… and now it’s gone. Other than him, no one else was that close to me."

Sophia pulled away from his embrace, her eyes narrowing as she looked me over. "Then, he should pay for it. After all these years, he can’t even afford to replace a watch?"

It was clear. They had already passed judgment.

A voice piped up from the crowd, "How much was the watch, Sophia?"

"Half a million."

Everyone sucked in a breath.

"No wonder. I knew it looked special."

"Yeah, if it’s half a million, it’s no ordinary watch."

The praise seemed to bolster James’s confidence. He cleared his throat, leaning into his self-appointed role as the wronged hero. "Actually, it’s a discontinued model. The market price is even higher now, but since we’re all old friends, I don’t want to make a big deal out of this."

Sophia crossed her arms, a cold, satisfied smirk on her lips.

James put on his most magnanimous face, the fake kind that made my teeth itch. "It’s really no big deal for us, but for someone like you, it’s probably more than a decade’s worth of salary. Tell you what. Apologize to me sincerely, and we’ll let it slide."

I let out a cold chuckle, about to snap back, when someone shoved me from behind. I stumbled forward, crashing into James and sending him tumbling to the ground. The impact shattered the wine bottles he had brought, soaking his expensive suit in sticky alcohol.

Sophia rushed over, helping James to his feet. "Alex! What’s your problem?"

Someone in the crowd muttered about how I was just jealous, and the whole thing spiraled from there.

"Oh, come on, we all know Alex and Sophia used to be a thing."

"Now she’s with James, and they’re living the life. Of course, he’s bitter."

"Yeah, he must regret it now, watching his ex live her best life."

What a bunch of fools.

I gritted my teeth. "I didn’t push him. Someone shoved me from behind. I didn’t do it on purpose."

James cut me off, putting on a weary, magnanimous tone, "Alex, I get it. It must be tough seeing me and Sophia together, but it’s been years. Let it go, man."

Sophia’s brow furrowed, her tone dripping with finality. "Alex, whatever we had is long over. It’s never going to happen again."

I forced down my rising anger. "You’re right. It ended a long time ago, and it’s never going to happen again."

Someone snorted. "Look at him, trying to play hard to get now."

I realized there was no point arguing with a pack of fools.

As I turned to leave, Sophia grabbed my arm. "Alex, you haven’t apologized to James yet!"

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay civil. "Someone pushed me. I’m not apologizing for something I didn’t do. As for the watch, I’m calling the police. Let them figure it out."

James put on his saintly act again. "Forget it, forget it. It’s just a watch. Let’s not make this worse."

The onlookers jumped in again.

"See the difference? That’s why James is a successful entrepreneur, and Alex is still a mid-level employee after all these years."

Just then, Catherine and Professor Warren arrived.

"What’s going on here?"

Immediately, the crowd swarmed Catherine, showering her with praise. Even Sophia’s icy expression tightened.

I finally managed to push through the crowd to Catherine’s side. She took my hand, a look of genuine concern on her face. "What happened?"

Before I could answer, a dozen voices jumped in to tell their version of events.

Catherine listened, then turned to me with a smirk. "Jealous? Of them?"

I shook my head. "Absolutely not. Someone shoved me. I’d never be jealous of them."

She burst out laughing. "I believe you. I'll pay for the watch. After all, your wealth is all in my pocket."

The room fell silent. The looks on James and Sophia’s faces were priceless.

James said hurriedly, "Forget it. Money hurts relationships."