He frowned and questioned me, "Emeline, am I a stranger to you? What do you mean by this?"
I replied, "I can buy my own clothes. No matter what my current job is, I find it respectable and not shameful at all. I don't think I'm giving up on myself. You should save this money for someone who needs it."
He stood there with the check in his hand, lips pressed tightly together.
Daniela walked over to Kody's side, glancing at the check in his hand as if she understood something.
Her eyes clearly burned with anger, yet she still feigned a gentle demeanor.
"Emeline, you don't want our goodwill? Then let's offer something more practical."
"I recently opened a nail salon on City Avenue. You can come over directly, and I'll arrange for you to be a nail apprentice. The salary might not be high, but it's still 6000 a month. The main thing is you'll learn a skill, so even if you're at a dead end later, you can open your own nail salon."
"What do you think? Interested in giving it a try? This job should be much more respectable than your current one."
I calmly continued eating my food, declining their generosity.
"Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm satisfied with my job and have no plans to change it at the moment."
Some classmates around me shouted, "Emeline, why don't you appreciate their kindness? Kody and Daniela are being generous, offering you money and a job. You should accept it!"
"Exactly, you're in such a state, why care about pride? Coming to a reunion in such a mess, isn't it to gain some resources? Why pretend now?"
Daniela, with a fake sincerity, chimed in, "Everyone, don't say that! Maybe Emeline really enjoys her current job!"
She turned to me, "Emeline, this is our goodwill, and it's out of our past friendship that I offered you this job. Don't let pride make you miss out on this opportunity!"
I truly couldn't understand why they insisted on forcing money and jobs on me.
"I really don't need it, thank you."
Daniela continued to smile gently, but her eyes were full of mockery and disdain.
Kody clenched the check, sneering coldly.
"You're hopeless, trying to help you is like beating a dead horse! You'll never succeed if you keep this up!"
Following his sarcastic remark, many former male classmates swarmed over, trying to make me drink.
"Emeline, seeing you in such a pitiful state, have a drink, and I'll transfer you 1000."
"If it's really pitiful... I'll add some more money too!"
The men's expressions were lecherous, and my classmates laughed, with no one coming to my aid.
I frowned, feeling this reunion was far different from what I had imagined. If I weren't waiting for someone, I would have already left in disgust.
Just as I was about to call for security, Kody suddenly stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed the arm of the man harassing me.
His gaze was icy, full of anger. "Behave yourself."
The man's arm was gripped so tightly that he cried out in pain.
Daniela tugged at Kody's sleeve.
"Kody, what are you doing!"
His face remained cold. "Being a good Samaritan. This is a reunion, not a place for you to act out."
With that, he released the man, who dared not confront him but shot me a vicious look.
I couldn't help but glance at Kody, surprised that he would actually help me.
Daniela was biting her back teeth to pieces, yet she smiled and said, "I heard the little princess and the president of a prestigious multinational corporation are having a meeting upstairs. Maybe we'll get lucky and see the richest man in East City!"
Upon hearing this, my classmates became excited.
The richest man in East City, handsome and wealthy, is said to be only in his thirties and already has a five-year-old child, but his wife has never been revealed.
"Do we have a chance to see his wife today? I must post this on TikTok!"
"This is a scoop!"
Soon, a group of bodyguards escorted a little princess into the banquet hall, causing a stir among the crowd.
"With such an entourage, she must be the little princess of the richest man in East City! She's really impressive!"
The male classmate who had just harassed me, despite being beaten, had no complaints and only dared to act crazy in front of me.
"Emeline, if it weren't for Daniela, people like you working a dead-end job would never get to meet the little princess of the richest man in East City! If I were you, I'd kneel down and apologize to her right now, thank her properly! Maybe you'll not only get a good job but also marry someone like me, earning 6000 a month."
Ridiculous.
I ignored him, calmly watching the little princess.
Everyone eagerly approached, phones in hand, trying to snap pictures and record videos of her.
Even the usually aloof Daniela walked towards the little princess with a friendly, almost obsequious smile.
"Little one, is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll treat you."
As she spoke, she attempted to pinch the little princess's cheek.
But to everyone's surprise, the little girl, surrounded by bodyguards, ignored the adults around her and walked straight towards me.
She smiled sweetly and threw herself into my arms, "Mommy, you're finally here—"
The little princess, who had been cold-faced, now looked at me with a pitiful expression.
"Why didn't you come home yesterday? I missed you so much!"
I embraced my daughter, who had run over, and comforted her softly.
"Mommy was working, remember I told you yesterday when I left? Tomorrow, mommy's on vacation, and I'll take you out to play, okay?"
My precious daughter, Ximena, nodded quickly, "Okay! Mommy is the best."
All the classmates present were stunned, looking at me with disbelief.
Just as they were about to speak, a handsome man in a suit hurriedly descended from the upstairs meeting room.
"Wife, the hotel manager told me you were here for a class reunion. Why didn't you tell me when you got off work? I could have picked you up!"
The hotel manager stood by, introducing to the crowd who were all wide-eyed in shock.
"This is our prestigious multinational corporation's president, Domenic Su, Mr. Su, and Mrs. Emeline's husband. If any of you have any requests during your meal, feel free to ask me. We'll do our best to accommodate Mrs. Emeline's old classmates and extend our hospitality."
The expressions of the classmates varied, some becoming extremely excited, while those who had just insulted me turned deathly pale.
A few female classmates, who were on good terms with me, couldn't help but speak up.
"Emeline, is your husband really the richest man in East City, Domenic Su?"
"Isn't it obvious? Didn't you see the hotel manager calling her Mrs. Emeline, and the little princess calling her mommy? She must be the wife of the richest man, who has never been revealed publicly!"
"Wow, this is true nobility... "
Amidst the murmurs of my classmates, I could only smile in response.
Domenic, standing beside me, looked me over with concern, gently pulling me into his arms.
"Just got back from the studio again? After the reunion, make sure to rest well at home."
I nodded and said, "Okay."
Then, this seemingly aloof man ignored Daniela's attempts to approach him and fixed his gaze on Kody, speaking with disdain.
"Who are you? Why are you giving my wife a check out of nowhere?"
"Do any random people think they can make a mark in front of my wife?"
"Is this little bit of money meant to embarrass you?"
Faced with Domenic's sarcasm, Kody showed no reaction, instead looking at me with a complex expression, as if on the verge of a breakdown. He demanded, "Emeline, is this your way of punishing me?"
"How much did you pay to hire these two actors?"
I set my son down and took Domenic's hand, "This is my husband, Domenic Su."
Kody's face shifted from disbelief to shock, then to a deathly pale silence.
