Chapter 3

Holding the bank card, Timothy pursed his lips and stood rooted to the spot.

Yvonne walked over to Timothy's side, glanced at the bank card in his hand, and seemed to realize what was going on.

There was a flicker of anger in her eyes, but she still pretended to be gentle as she asked, "You're actually turning down this gesture of our goodwill, Hope? I'll give you something more practical, then.

"I recently opened a cafe on Crescent Avenue. I'll arrange a barista apprentice position for you as long as you go over there. It only pays 2,500 dollars a month, but you'll at least get to learn the trade. That way, even if you run out of options down the road, you can always open your own cafe, Hope.

"How does that sound? Do you have any interest in trying it out? That position ought to be considerably more respectable than your current job, Hope."

I calmly ate the food and declined their offer, saying, "I'm grateful for your offer, but I'm very happy with my job and have no plans to switch lines of work right now."

Those around us started criticizing me after hearing that.

"How can you be so ungrateful, Hope? Timothy and Yvonne are being kind enough to offer you money and a job, yet you won't even accept their goodwill."

"I know, right? I mean, take a good look at yourself, Hope. You're obviously struggling, yet you're still enduring it to keep up with appearances. You even chose to attend an upscale gathering like this despite having a hard time.

"Aren't you just trying to network and make some connections in this gathering? Why are you still acting all high and mighty now, Hope?"

Yvonne deliberately played the peacemaker when she noticed how tense the atmosphere was. "You guys shouldn't say that about Hope! Perhaps she truly loves her current job!"

She then turned to me with a smile, though her eyes carried a subtle hint of provocation. "It's truly our goodwill, and we're only recommending you for this job because of our past relationship. You shouldn't let a fleeting sense of pride make you miss out on such a good opportunity, Hope."

I felt completely exasperated, unable to comprehend why they were so intent on forcing their charity on me. "It's really not necessary, but thank you both anyway."

Timothy gripped the bank card tightly. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he said, "You're completely hopeless, Hope. It shouldn't be this hard to give you a hand! You should just resign yourself to being poor for the rest of your life!"

As soon as he spoke, a few men approached me.

They tried to force drinks on me, and one of them even chimed in, saying, "You're doing so badly right now, so I'll transfer you one thousand dollars for every glass you drink, Hope. If you're really that desperate... I'll even throw in a little extra money!"

I furrowed my brow, thinking that this so-called networking event was nothing like what I had imagined. If I weren't waiting for someone, I would have stormed out right then.

Just as I was about to call security, Timothy suddenly stubbed out his cigarette and snapped with a gaze brimming with wrath, "You guys better behave yourselves!"

He gripped the man's hand so hard that the man couldn't help but cry out in pain.

I couldn't help but glance at Timothy. I had not expected him to step in to help me.

Yvonne was seething with anger, though she still kept a smile on her face and said, "You guys shouldn't take things too far. You see, I heard that a big shot will be coming to the conference room upstairs soon.

"It's none other than the CEO of Fortunecrest Group. If we're lucky enough, we might actually catch a glimpse of the richest person in Norevane soon!"

Upon hearing that, those around instantly grew excited, as the wealthiest person in Noravane was handsome, young, and successful. He was reported to already have a six-year-old child, though his spouse had never appeared in public.

"Does that mean we might get to see his wife today? I've got to post this on my social media!"

"It's going to be an exclusive scoop!"

It wasn't long before a group of bodyguards escorted a young girl into the banquet hall, causing the crowd to instantly go wild.

"That girl must be the daughter of Norevane's richest person, considering how grand her entourage is! She really is as cute as the rumors say!"

In that instant, everyone crowded around the young girl with flattering smiles, desperately taking photos and videos of her on their phones.

Yvonne, who had always carried herself with pride, walked forward wearing an almost ingratiating smile. She even seemed tempted to pinch the young girl's cheek while saying, "You're so beautiful, sweetie. May I take a photo with you?"

That young girl, however, broke away from the surrounding bodyguards and walked straight toward me. She threw herself right into my arms with a sweet smile, exclaiming, "You're finally here, Mommy!"