Chapter 2

"He only wanted to make himself look like a good guy so he could guilt-trip Pheebs into staying in this cage of a marriage!" Victor spat, growing increasingly agitated as he went on.

He looked so righteous, like he was fighting for Phoebe's justice. "She had to pay for everything—taking care of him, helping him do charity work. In the end, he can't even give her a baby!

"He's the most malicious, immoral monster out there. Everything I've done is to save Pheebs out of this hellhole!"

The way he spoke made him seem like the hero of the story. Still, everyone frowned upon his actions.

"Are you… okay? Not only are you spewing nonsense, but you're also interfering with someone's marriage, acting like a homewrecker—"

Victor was instantly enraged by this. He grabbed a bowl and threw it at the person who spoke, cursing, "Who do you mean I act like a homewrecker? All I did was repay kindness to the right person!"

He continued, "When I found out Pheebs was the one who'd truly helped me, I decided to repay her with my young, strong body."

Everyone was stunned by his shamelessness. Before I could say anything to explain, he noticed Serena, who had been holding onto me the whole time.

His eyes lit up, as if he had just uncovered a huge secret. "So, this is how it is, Colin. Not only did you use her money to build your image, but you're also using it to keep a mistress!"

Serena furrowed her brows in displeasure and didn't hesitate to step forward. "Excuse me? I'm Colin's girlfriend, not his mistress!"

Victor snorted in contempt. He pointed at her and sneered sarcastically. "He's just an infertile old man. How could he possibly get a beautiful, young girlfriend like you? Just admit you're his kept woman!"

Grinning with delight, he suddenly pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures of me and Serena. "If you don't file for a divorce, I'll blow the lid off your affair. You'll not only end up with nothing, but you'll have to pay Pheebs back, too!"

I looked at my ruined birthday party, a deep sense of helplessness rising within me. Maybe Victor had been under such intense academic pressure that he had lost his mind and gone crazy.

I didn't bother arguing with him, but instead patted his shoulder. "Calm down and listen to me, Victor… You're mistaken. I've always been your real sponsor; all the money you've received has come from me."

Then, I exchanged a glance with Serena, both of us feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. "And the woman, Phoebe, you're talking about? She died in an avalanche three years ago. I saw it with my—"

Victor sprang and shouted, not giving me a chance to finish. "Are you insane, Colin? How can you straight-up lie about your wife being dead? Do you even have a conscience?"

I had originally hesitated to get physical with Victor, considering he was a boy I had watched grow up. I didn't want to escalate things unless necessary, but here he was, acting like a complete maniac at my birthday party.

Even if I could tolerate it, I had no reason to put Serena through it. She pulled me tightly and warned him, "Leave, or I'll have someone throw you out."

Victor turned to look at her, his face full of smug satisfaction. "I can't believe you're not even bothered to hide your mistress. You're done for, Colin! Tomorrow, I'll have the Jackmans kick you out!"

At that point, I couldn't help but feel like Victor had genuinely lost his mind. Strangely, I even felt a little sorry for him. Regardless of whose pregnancy test he had, I thought it was my responsibility to make him see reality.

"Since you're so insistent, how about we meet Phoebe now? You'll see by then that I'm not lying to you," I said.

He followed me closely and let out a scoff. "Once you see Pheebs, you'll realize just how much she loves me!"

I looked at him with sympathy, then turned to Serena to have her arrange a ride.