Disgust

"I'll find my son and then leave."

But the manager pinched his nose in disgust. The look in his eyes told me he did not buy that story at all. "A guest? You smell like manure, and you're picking up trash. Please leave this instance, or I'll have to call security."

I showed no disappointment, but I sighed in my mind. I was feeding the horses with my son at the racecourse, but the horse sprayed all over me. My clothes got drenched, and I had no choice but to borrow a set from the passing janitor.

The manager wasn't going to let me go any further, so I picked up my bag. I was going to resume the search for my son, but when I raised my head, I met Christopher's eyes. By chance, he turned around.

The sight of me stunned him, and a frown creased his forehead. "Queenie? You're scavenging now? How low did you go?"

The manager was surprised that Christopher knew me. Eager to patch up his mistake, he asked, "Is this your friend, Mr. Quinton?"

That got everyone's attention. They looked at us, and Christopher chortled with disdain dripping from his voice. "She's no friend of mine. This woman's a gold digger, and she tried to use me once."

And then I noticed the scorn that painted everyone's gaze. That was directed at me. The manager got the cue, and his attitude got worse. He shoved me away. "Leave, now. I've seen enough women like you. You think you can get yourself a high value man? Please, look into a mirror."

I dodged his hand, and the look on my face took on a frosty tinge. "I said I'd leave once I find my son. Don't try to touch me, or I'm calling security instead."

Then, I noticed a familiar silhouette passing behind Christopher. My son.

I did not have time to waste with these people, so I tried to squeeze my way past them. Panicked, the manager yanked my collar. I struggled and thrashed around to get away from him, but then I fell into Christopher's chest.

My collar opened up, revealing the suspenders within. Before I could do anything, he shoved me onto the ground unceremoniously. "This is how you ask for reconciliation, Queenie? You disgust me."

The fall scraped my palms. Great, I lost sight of my son. I glared daggers at Christopher and shot back up from the ground furiously.

He was full of himself! Since the moment I showed up, he kept coming to conclusions he made up. I didn't even say anything. I couldn't believe he thought I would have any feelings left for him.

Rachel held Christopher's arm. There was a frown on her forehead, and a sigh escaped her lips. "Queenie, I know you can't let go of the past. I know you care about the relationship you had with Christopher, but you know he's going to marry me soon."

Christopher said nothing. He held Rachel's hand and kissed the back of it.

The manager knew this was his chance to shine. He shouted at me, "See? He's loyal to her, and she to him! Stop clinging to people you shouldn't!" And then he tried to push me again.

"Enough." A deadpan Christopher pulled his phone out of his pocket. Coldly, he looked at me. "Rachel's the one I've always loved. I only dated you because you looked like her, and I wanted to give a poor girl a chance. But she was never a gold digger like you.

"I know you hate how you got nothing out of our relationship, so now I'm giving you a chance. Name your price. I'll give you any money you want." His fingers flew across his phone.

Then, he raised his head. "Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just trying to settle the debt I owe you, not because I have any feelings for you," he blurted out. "Once you get the money, marry someone in your league and start fresh."

Oh God, that was infuriating. Still, I took a deep breath and put on a smile. "I don't need your money."

I really couldn't care less about chump change. The projects I'd handled over the years made enough money to rival his company's revenue.

Also, if my husband found out I took my ex's money, his jealousy would probably make hell look like heaven.

Slander

"We'll never see each other again. And congratulations on the wedding." I knew that wasn't enough to kill his doubts, so I turned my hand around and showed him the wedding ring. "And I'm married. I love my husband very much."

The look on Christopher's face changed faster than I could say another word. He grabbed my hand. "What? When did this happen?"

Rachel chuckled and spoke with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Next time you try to lie, make sure you clean up anything that might ruin it. You've gone through a lot of husbands these past few years."

Christopher took the phone from her and flipped through the photos. Then his frown disappeared, replaced by realization. "You almost got me this time. I can't believe you'd lie about marriage just to get my attention. This chance encounter is no coincidence, either. You set it up, didn't you?"

Now I was the one frowning. I wondered what he was talking about until I saw the photos. A woman with a build similar to mine posted tons of photos of her going into expensive clubs and spots with different men.

That answered my question, but then I noticed my old account in his friend list. It'd been years since I used that thing.

"Don't give me any money. I don't need yours," I answered coolly. I really did not want to waste more time on these people.

"You scoffed at my pull ring and demanded a breakup. You trampled all over my love, so you don't get to act all high and mighty here."

Well, this guy was just full of it. The breakup happened five years ago, and even now, he thought I dumped him because I was a gold digger?

We first met each other during a business conference. Then we exchanged numbers, and he started courtship. He was relentless about it. One thing led to another, and then we started dating.

Months into our relationship, I noticed crates of photos stashed under his bed. Photos of the same girl. Her name was Rachel Benson, and she was the love he could never get. Then I realized why he dated me. I looked like Rachel.

Disappointed, I told him I wanted to break up with him. On my way back home, I ran into a car crash.

When I woke up, he was right beside me, his eyes puffy from all the crying he did.

The nurse who checked on me told me he stayed by my bed three whole days and refused to eat or drink. Eventually, hunger and fatigue knocked him out.

The next day, he tossed out everything that had ties to Rachel. He sat with me and swore, "I won't lie. I used to love Rachel, but I've never seen you as her stand-in. I just want you in my life."

I bought that story. The relationship went on for seven long years. I helped him build his career and got his company listed five years after its establishment. I gave him the golden time of my life.

But when Rachel came crashing into his life again, that messed up his mind. He would wait in line for the latest purse just because she said she wanted it. He would leave me and go to a concert with her just because she called. Even if my stomach was killing me, he wouldn't care.

Even then, I couldn't bring myself to break up with him—until that nightmarish day came. That was the moment of epiphany.

And now he was playing the victim? Please, if anyone had their love trampled all over, it was me.

"Fine, if you love your dignity so much, here's a chance to make serious cash. Six thousand for three days of your life. You'll run every errand my friends and I need to see done. Deal?"

Christopher gave me a card. The look in his eyes was unmistakably that of scorn and mockery.

His sycophants played along like the dogs they were.

Mockery

"You're generous, Mr. Quinton. Six thousand is enough to last her a year." Then, they turned to me. "Oh, um, what's your name again? Our legs are killing us here, and our throats too. Get us some water, will you?"

I laughed mirthlessly. They wanted me to serve them? Just when I finally got some precious days off to spend with my husband? They could die in a ditch for all I cared.

I smacked the card away and snapped angrily, "Get your head checked. You probably got hit on the head too much as a kid, and now it's coming back to bite you."

My continued refusal irritated Christopher, and his face fell. Rachel quickly stepped in to calm him down.

Scoffing, she said, "Gratitude doesn't exist in her world, Chris. If she was ever grateful for you, she'd never have stolen your company's most important techniques." She turned to me. "Should I jog your memory? You told us someone tailed you and took away the technique, but right after you quit, our competitor released a new project. It was supposed to be ours."

That did bring up some memories. It was a damp alleyway, and the ground was little better than mud. I could still feel their hands crawling across my body.

"Excuse me, they told us to create an accident and cripple her, not…"

"Ah, who cares? Her lover's not trying to stop us, so why should we be gentlemen?"

All the color was gone from my face.

My silence excited Rachel. "I think this whole encounter is a setup you came up with."

I loudly interrupted her and clenched my fists. "You'd better be ready for the consequences of your words, Rachel. Slander can land you in jail. Another lie out of that mouth of yours, and you'll hear from my lawyer."

My aura was too powerful, and Rachel turned her eyes away. She tugged on Christopher's sleeve. "We should leave, Chris. Don't waste our time with women like her."

Christopher's eyes lingered on me. They refused to move away.

The tension was getting taut, and someone summoned the manager.

"The Halloways' head adores his wife. He hates women who try to climb their way into our circle. Get her out of here, now!"

I was starting to breathe heavily. Yes, that night. That night was a nightmare I could never forget. With trembling hands, I took out my smartwatch. I needed to call my husband. He must send some guys to look for our son.

And then, paper stars fell out of my pocket. That stunned me, and they reminded me of the things my son said to me when he was making these stars.

"I kept my birthday wish in these stars, Mom. Keep them safe for me."

I bent over and picked up the stars, but Christopher stepped on them. With a trembling voice, he said, "What's the point of keeping these now, Queenie? It's too late."

His shoe stepped on my fingertips. The pain shot up my arm, and I pulled it back. I thought, 'Hey, my son made those stars! What's it got to do with you?'

Then, I met his eyes and noticed the tangled emotions within. Another memory came to the surface of my mind.

Christopher spent most of his life hopelessly in love with Rachel, but she broke up with him out of nowhere. The trauma left him scared of love. Every time he had to face it, he was always insecure.

That broke my heart, so I proposed to him.

"I'll prove my love to you, Christopher. If you're happy with something I do, give me a star. When you fill up a whole mason jar with paper stars, you'll be the one to propose to me."

He held the jar and cried tears of joy like a child who'd gotten the best birthday present of his life. He wouldn't stop making promises, both to me and himself.