Chapter 2

Morgan stood before me with a glass of champagne in hand, having approached me without my noticing it. His gaze swept over my simple attire, a faint, barely-there smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"My, what an unexpected guest."

His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it carried clearly enough for those nearby to hear. "How are you qualified to attend this event?"

Before I could give Morgan an answer, Harvey let out a chuckle. "And who might this be, Mr. Lancaster?"

Morgan swirled the champagne in his glass with an air of nonchalance, his tone calm. "Valencia Smith, my ex-wife."

The moment he revealed that I was his ex-wife, the surrounding area fell into a palpable hush. Several pairs of eyes turned toward me, sweeping over me with undisguised scrutiny.

Harvey's expression shifted to one of feigned realization. He deliberately drew out his words. "Ah, so this is Ms. Smith who spent her life's savings on that wedding back then?

"I haven't seen you around. Judging by appearances, things haven't been going too well, I take it? Anyway, you do bear some resemblance to Ms. Springer, don't you?"

Another man in a deep blue suit, Graham Colson, chimed in, "What do you mean they bear a resemblance? This lady looks far shabbier in comparison to Ms. Springer. I'm afraid you're flattering her too much, Mr. Pratt."

Before I could even get a word in, a young woman standing beside Morgan let out a light, tinkling laugh.

"Mr. Colson, that's a bit too harsh, don't you think? Can't you see Ms. Smith is too embarrassed to speak? Besides, perhaps she was just a stand-in Mr. Lancaster found on a whim during a spat with Ms. Springer. It's rather awkward to point it out now."

"Oh, I'm just telling the truth," Graham said.

Then, he walked over and patted me on the shoulder. "So what if you were a stand-in for Ms. Springer? It was still very much a blessing for you, wasn't it?"

Bellows of laughter broke out among the onlookers.

Morgan took a sip of his champagne, neither intervening nor joining in. He simply watched me quietly, a look of smug satisfaction and mockery on his face.

This seemed to encourage Harvey further. "The way I see things, Ms. Smith, you really shouldn't have come today. Look at Morgan's status now. Showing up like this is just asking for humiliation, isn't it?"

Graham pretended to smooth things over. "There, there, Mr. Pratt. Since Ms. Smith is already here, surely we can't let her leave without buying her a drink?

"But of course, Ms. Smith, we understand that the drinks here are probably not what you are accustomed to since they are way out of your spending budget."

A few suppressed chuckles rippled through the crowd.

Finally, Morgan spoke up, his tone gentle yet undeniably distant. "Now, now, everyone, let's not be like this. I did treat Ms. Smith as a substitute back then, but that's all in the past. I was just out to have some fun. Don't take things too seriously."

He looked at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth. "I'll gladly accept it if you're here to offer me your congratulations, Ms. Smith. But if you have any other intentions..."

He paused, and everyone around waited with bated breath for his next words.

"We are no longer the same people we were eight years ago. It's high time you woke up from your dreams. Even if you dressed up as a server to get close to me, you won't get anything out of it."

His words instantly unleashed a wave of mockery. The same people who had once smiled and congratulated us at our wedding now clustered around him, looking at me with a mix of pity, contempt, and blatant glee.

I listened quietly to everything they had to say. As everyone looked on, waiting for my flustered reaction, I merely gave a slight nod.

My gaze swept over each person present before finally settling on Morgan's face. My voice was calm as I asked, "Have you finished talking, Mr. Lancaster? May I leave now?"