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Chapter 4

Auteur: Claremont Quinn
Beatrice's POV

I spotted Lucas and Selene in the crowd. The couple was seated in the innermost booth, surrounded by a group of people.

As soon as Selene noticed me, she smiled and said, "Ms. Cross, you made it! If I hadn't taken a closer look, I would've thought you were one of the waitresses."

The moment the words left her mouth, a burst of laughter erupted around the room.

Lucas raised his hand to silence them before pushing a drink toward me. "It's an unspoken rule that anyone who arrives late must down three shots as punishment."

It was whiskey, at least 40% alcohol. Even a single sip would've been too much for me.

It was as if someone had suddenly hit the mute button, plunging the entire room into total silence in an instant.

Everyone turned to look at me. Then came a wave of mockery.

"I heard she's Mr. Wright's ex-fiancée—the one who ran off with his money."

"Serves her right!"

"Look at the pathetic state she's in now. She definitely crawled back to beg Mr. Wright for help."

"Without a doubt. What a shameless gold digger!"

Lucas lounged on the couch without even lifting his gaze.

Amid the chaos, someone poured red wine over my head. Next thing I knew, wine poured in from all directions. The dark red liquid ran down my body, soaking my clothes through in seconds.

Clearly, these sycophants were attempting to score points with Lucas by venting his anger on his behalf.

Glasses shattered on the floor, and a flying shard sliced open my calf. Blood immediately gushed out.

Yet, I didn't seem to feel the pain. I stood rooted to the spot.

Looking at me, the coldness in Lucas' eyes became more intense. "Don't you love money, Beatrice? Down a shot, and I'll give you a grand."

After hearing that, I forced a smile onto my lips. "I hope you're a man of your word, Mr. Wright."

His brow furrowed.

Before he could answer, I picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. "That's one down."

The harsh liquor burned its way down my throat, feeling as though I had swallowed a blade. My stomach immediately churned, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself to swallow the metallic tang that rose in my throat.

The crowd began to chant and cheer. "Nice! Have another glass!"

When the second glass was pushed toward me, I drank that one too. My stomach felt as if it was going to explode. Cold sweat broke out across my back, and a sharp ringing filled my ears.

"Here's another one." Selene handed me another glass.

I had no idea how I managed to finish the third glass. By the time I set the glass down, my hand was trembling uncontrollably, but I refused to let myself throw up.

My stomach had gone completely numb from the pain, and the taste of iron in my mouth turned increasingly thick.

I quietly wiped away a smear of red spilling from the corner of my lips. The lighting was too dim, so no one noticed.

Lucas couldn't take it anymore. He charged over, grabbed me by the shoulders, and bellowed at me, "Beatrice, will you actually die without money?"

Looking into his bloodshot eyes, I nodded. "You're right. Without money, I'll die."

He shoved me away. "Fine. In that case, drink it all. I'll let you drink until you've had your fill!"

He gestured for a waiter to bring over a dozen bottles of top-shelf red wine, uncorking them one by one. "So long as you finish all of these bottles, I'll give you a million dollars."

A faint smile touched my lips as I grabbed the first bottle and began chugging it down. The bitter liquid flooded my mouth, and my body instinctively gagged. I forced myself to swallow the wine despite the discomfort before moving on to the next bottle.

Everyone watched me with mocking smiles. Lucas' expression was the only one that was growing increasingly dark and somber.

I lost count of which bottle I was on when he finally reached his breaking point. He snatched the bottle right out of my hand and yelled, "That's enough!"

However, my body was done. It gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. The taste of iron flooded my mouth as I began throwing up mouthful after mouthful of blood.

Before my eyes closed, I heard someone in the crowd scream, "It's blood! She's coughing up blood!"

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  • Planning Dream Weddings to Fund My Funeral   Chapter 10

    Third-Person POVThree days later, Lucas went to the partitioned room Beatrice had rented. The lights in the hallway were still out. He made his way up the stairs in the dark and pushed open the door. The room was so tiny that it was hard to even turn around inside. There was a single bed, a desk, a chair, and several cardboard boxes stacked in the corner. He crouched down beside the bed. The bed frame was heavy, and his hand trembled slightly as he lifted it. Underneath sat an old-fashioned safe, rusted and with most of its slate-blue paint peeled away, exposing the dark red rust beneath. He crouched down and stared at it for a few seconds before reaching out to turn the combination dial. 1425. With a soft click, the lock sprang open. There was only a debit card inside the safe. Lucas took it out and turned it over, recognizing it as the one he had given Beatrice seven years ago. He peered deeper inside and saw a folded sheet of paper pressed against the bottom of the safe,

  • Planning Dream Weddings to Fund My Funeral   Chapter 9

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  • Planning Dream Weddings to Fund My Funeral   Chapter 8

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  • Planning Dream Weddings to Fund My Funeral   Chapter 7

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  • Planning Dream Weddings to Fund My Funeral   Chapter 6

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