Chapter 3

Ronald moved in to examine the watch, then took it from Jenny and rolled it between his fingers.

"It's definitely more finely made than the replica I bought. But I never wear mine outside. I'd be a joke. Foreign replicas really are something else. It feels great in the hand.

"Unless, Peter, you're actually Pierre, that so-called model man everyone talks about!"

Laughter rippled through the group as soon as he finished speaking.

For them, the notion was absurd. Ellie was a financial genius known worldwide, cold and unforgiving in the marketplace, decisive in every move.

And three years ago, I had still been hanging around with them, the nobody Jenny had dumped by calling off our marriage.

There was no way they could believe it.

Ronald twirled the watch around his finger. "Peter, sell it to me. I'll pay twice what it is worth."

Worried he might drop it, I spoke up at once. "Give it back. That watch was a gift from Ellie—"

Before I could finish, Jenny struck me across the face, snapping my head to the side. Blood broke at the corner of my lips.

She glared at me, furious. "Shut up! Peter, you have no right to mention Ms. Olsen by name. How dare you claim you are connected to her? Are you trying to ruin me?"

Jenny's close friends joined in, their indignation obvious as they looked at me with open disdain.

"Peter, do you even realize how much effort it took for us to secure the chance to pick up Pierre today?"

"Jenny's company was acquired by Ms. Olsen last year. We all depend on her now to survive. Only by pleasing Pierre can Jenny keep her standing."

"And now you are here spreading claims about being connected to Ms. Olsen. Are you trying to ruin Jenny?"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips and turned slowly to look at Jenny. Something in my look must've unsettled her. She frowned, and a trace of unease flickered in her eyes.

Seeing the shift in her expression, Ronald glared at me with barely concealed malice and jabbed a finger toward my face.

"Peter, you ungrateful piece of trash! Jen already agreed to take you in. Don't mistake kindness for weakness. Even if you hold a grudge against her, this is not how you settle it!"

His words pulled me straight back to three years ago. No matter what I did back then, he'd find a way to distort it before explaining it to Jenny.

At first, Jenny would scold Ronald for it. Later on, she started following his lead and turning the blame on me instead.

Just like now, when she muttered a single word in frustration. "Useless."

Unlike before, she didn't continue.

After a moment of silence, Jenny took out a check for 200 thousand dollars and placed it before me.

"For the sake of what we used to have, I won't pursue this any further. Take the money and get yourself some nice clothes. If caring for a kid doesn't suit you, I can help you find a decent position in a few days.

"Don't worry. Ever since Ms. Olsen acquired my company, this amount means nothing to me anymore."

Her air of charity made me feel sick. She seemed to have been doing very well lately.

As the others looked on in surprise, I brushed her hand aside, retrieved my watch from Ronald, and smiled. "No, thank you, Ms. Sutton. I don't take things from strangers."

I paid no attention to Jenny as her face darkened with rage. I turned and walked away.