"Since I'm not welcome, I'll go, then."
I picked up my bag and stood to leave.
That mocking voice reached my ears again.
"Daniela, I never imagined you'd be doing this badly."
"We're all old classmates. If you've hit some kind of rough patch, you can always come to me for help!"
"After all, you were my goddess once. I couldn't just stand by and watch you drown."
I frowned and couldn't help glancing back.
"Oh, so it's you. The one who chased me and got nowhere, so he threw a fit about it."
Tony Fox flushed with anger in an instant. "You—"
He forced the rage down, pushed his glasses up, straightened his suit, and sat back down.
"I won't stoop to your level."
"Daniela, what have you got to be so smug about? Fine, you were pretty back then. But over the years I've seen plenty of women."
He suddenly pulled out a business card and held it out to me from above.
"I've got no real faults, except that I'm sentimental."
"Plenty of beautiful women out there line up to chase me, but I can't be bothered to spare them a glance."
"Daniela, why not dump that broke husband of yours and come to me instead? What do you say?"
I gave a cold laugh and said nothing, but the jeering started up around me.
"Mr. Fox really is devoted!"
"I hear you've done pretty well these years, Mr. Fox. That Rolls-Royce downstairs is yours, isn't it?"
"Oh, we really do envy you, Daniela. Fancy having such good luck with men."
Tony basked in it until he was practically floating, while I felt sick enough to throw up.
Rotten luck like this, and you're offering it to me.
Seeing me scoff in contempt.
Tony's face changed. "Daniela, what's that smile supposed to mean?"
He shoved the card into my hand.
"Back then it was you aiming too high, looking down on me."
"Now I make fifty thousand a month, at least. Better than that broke husband of yours by God knows how much."
"Marry me and I'll set you up with the best of everything. Bags, clothes, buy whatever you want. That's the kind of good life you wouldn't even dare dream of now."
"I suggest you think it over carefully."
"Only fifty thousand a month."
I bit back a laugh, raised an eyebrow, and looked him over in that suit that made him look like something he wasn't.
"Talking that big, anyone who didn't know would think you made five million a month."
"Even now, you're not good enough for me."
The moment those words were out, the room erupted.
Everyone was shocked and sneering at once.
"Daniela, we're all classmates. We all know exactly where each other stands."
"No wonder you're doing so badly now. All that pride hasn't done you any favors."
Muriel listened to the jeering and smiled wider and wider.
She even sat down right beside me, all warmth and closeness.
"Daniela, nobody means any harm. We're thinking of you."
"Look at how badly you're getting by. Why not go be Mr. Fox's mistress? All you'd have to do is freshen up each day, and you wouldn't have to live so hard anymore."
"We call that keeping the good stuff in the family!"
The more they said, the more outrageous it got. I let out a cold, incredulous laugh.
"Well, thank you all so much for that."
I didn't want to spend another second there. I grabbed my bag to leave, but a hand pinned it down.
"Oh my, isn't that the newest bag from Jarvis Boyd?"
"I hear a genuine one costs ten million. Daniela, how do you have the nerve to walk around flaunting a fake like this?"
Her hand rubbed hard against my bag. I frowned and snatched it back.
