-Chapter 14-

-Chapter 14-

-POV MC-

"Well, forgetting about your mother, what are we doing here?"

"We're networking," said Clarissa as if it were something normal.

"Networking?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed and then pulled me in a direction. I followed her because I had never been to this kind of party. My father was a simple man who had never used his position to increase his power or build a network of influence.

He was a true soldier, not a politician.

"Hello, Mr. Richards, how are you?"

"Very well, and you, Miss Winchester? I heard from your father that you managed to get a master's degree..."

"..."

---

-1 hour later-

‘I regret coming here.’

I could have appreciated this kind of event a bit later in my life, but now it was far too soon. As we met more and more people, I realized that I was out of place at this event.

They all knew each other, and most had intertwined interests. None were disdainful or even impolite, but I could feel it—I was an outsider, and that was something I particularly hated.

It was a sort of silent contempt due to my social status. In front of these people, I was just a stranger, a handsome young man on the arm of a rich heiress.

‘You think someone like you can be anything other than my girlfriend’s lapdog? You’re dreaming, we don’t live in the same world.’

Why are the words of that jerk coming back to me all of a sudden?

Maybe because I was his punching bag for a while?

But anyway, it doesn’t mean anything.

Just as I was pushing the memory of Brad out of my mind, I heard that jerk's voice behind me saying, "My love, is this where you were hiding?"

‘What the hell are they doing?’ I thought, not understanding as I saw Clarissa let go of my arm to kiss him.

"Oh, you’re here too, Dave. Look who’s here, Mrs. Winchester?" he said naturally before turning to Clarissa’s mother, who had arrived with her brother.

"Oh, how are you?" she said upon seeing me.

"Very well, and you, Mrs. Winchester?" I said, looking at the cold but beautiful family matriarch.

"Perfectly fine, especially now that I’ve heard the news," she said nonchalantly.

"The news?" I said, not understanding.

"You didn’t tell him?" said Brad with a smile I had learned to recognize when we were younger.

‘A smile that signaled I was about to get really hurt,’ I thought, staring at Clarissa, silent but overflowing with guilt.

"We’re going to be parents," said that jerk, looking me in the eyes.

The news left me speechless for a millisecond, then I regained control and said:

"Oh, that’s wonderful news. I understand now why you wanted to see me."

My phone suddenly rang, and I said without even looking at who was calling:

"Excuse me, it’s work."

‘Damn, thanks to the OOO who just rang my phone. I couldn’t have kept up the act another second in front of that son of a bitch,’ I thought, quickly leaving and signaling my security team that we were leaving.

---

-POV Clarissa Winchester-

"Did I say something I shouldn’t have?" asked Brad, fully aware of what he had done.

My mother gave him a bored look but didn’t seem to disagree, while Brad watched David’s back with a smug smile, proud of himself.

‘This is why I wanted to explain the situation to him in person,’ I thought before following him outside.

Brad grabbed my arm, but I yelled at him: "LET GO OF ME!"

Embarrassed by the eyes of the people drawn to us, he quickly let go, and then I quickly followed David, whom I found furiously tapping on his cell phone.

"Dave."

He glanced at me briefly and then focused back on his phone.

"It’s all an act."

He smiled and said, putting away his phone, "I’m not stupid, you know. I’ve known you for a long time, and I know what’s between us not to doubt your feelings. But I just saw that your feelings for me are nothing compared to your name and the money that comes with it. You just shit on MY FUCKING DIGNITY in front of everyone."

"That’s not true," I said, furious that he had such a low opinion of me.

He smiled mockingly before saying, pretending to genuinely listen:

"So tell me, Clarissa, why are you acting?"

"There are several reasons," I said, trying to reorganize my thoughts.

"What kind of reasons?" he said in a pressing tone, not giving me time to think.

I was about to answer, but his car arrived, and he said: "You know what, I don’t care. Don’t call me again if he fucks your sister or maybe it will be your mother this time. Who knows what the women in your family are capable of?"

Paralyzed by his words, I stood still, watching him get into his car and drive away.

‘So that’s it, it’s over like this?’ I thought, realizing that Brad had finally gotten what he wanted.

‘He not only managed to get me back by force but also to destroy everything between us.’