On New Year's Day, my childhood friend asked me for the passcode to my new house.

I thought she was planning to bring a housewarming gift, but when I opened the door, I froze in shock. There were more than a dozen people inside.

She walked over with a smile before giving me a subtle look.

"Ryan, what are you doing here? Come on in. You're just in time. You're lucky enough to catch our family gathering."

I stood there in stunned silence. Before I could even ask what was going on, her boyfriend suddenly spoke in a mocking tone.

"Is your childhood friend very persuasive? I'm curious how he sweet-talked you into giving him your house's passcode."

Her expression instantly turned serious.

"He didn't sweet-talk me. He got on his knees and begged. He said he had a fight with his family and got kicked out with nowhere to stay. You know how soft-hearted I am. I didn't think much of it and just gave it to him."

Her boyfriend's eyes had a look of contempt.

"No normal man would stoop that low. Who knows how many women he's begged behind the scenes just to get what he wants."

She gave him a look of approval.

"Babe, how are you so smart? There was a time he stripped naked and begged me just to buy a watch he liked. I've told you about it."

Her boyfriend burst out laughing. "So that was him? He's honestly shameless."

Seeing her spew lies so casually and irresponsibly, I couldn't contain my anger. I stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Taking over my house and slandering me? Get out."

The moment I opened the door, the dozen or so people standing in the living room froze. They were just as shocked as I was.

"Are you a burglar?"

A woman in her fifties was the first to shriek from the crowd.

"How dare you break into my house in broad daylight? This is outrageous! Grab him and beat him up!"

She actually twisted the truth and accused me instead. She was truly shameless.

Furious, I grabbed a coat rack from the entryway and swung it in front of me.

"This is my house. You've trespassed and now you want to attack me? That's a crime. I'm calling the police. Let them deal with you."

The first person who ran forward immediately backed off. He cursed under his breath.

"You punk, how dare you fight back? Get the mop. I doubt we can't handle him!"

As soon as he finished his sentence, Willa Scott ran out of the kitchen to stop him.

"Don't call the police. Don't fight. It's all a misunderstanding."

Willa smiled as she tried to calm him down. She then walked over to me and gave me a look.

"Ryan, what are you doing here? Come on in. You're just in time. You're lucky enough to catch our family gathering."

I frowned in confusion. Before I could even ask what was going on, her boyfriend, Sebastian Judd, leaned against the doorframe and spoke in a mocking tone.

"Willa, is your childhood friend really that persuasive?"

Willa paused, turned around, and winked at him.

"Babe, it goes without saying that you're a lot more persuasive than him."

Sebastian chuckled smugly.

"It's true that no one can beat me in that department."

Their open flirting drew laughter from everyone else.

On the other hand, I was sick to my stomach. It felt as if the person I trusted the most had thrown me under the bus.

The thought made me raise my voice.

"Willa, you brought outsiders into my house without my permission–"

Before I could finish, Sebastian cut me off harshly.

"Willa, I'm still curious. How did he sweet-talk you into giving him your house's passcode? If we weren't here today, what would he have done to you?"

The smile vanished from Willa's face instantly. It was replaced by a serious expression.

"It doesn't matter what he wanted to do. I wouldn't have given him the chance. The only person I care about is you.

"He didn't sweet-talk me. He got on his knees and begged. He said he had a fight with his family and got kicked out with nowhere to stay. You know how soft-hearted I am. I didn't think much of it and just gave it to him."

My heart jolted as if struck by lightning.

We had grown up together, yet this was the first time I saw her fabricate lies so easily. She ruined my reputation in an instant. I stood there dumbfounded for a long time.

Sebastian looked at me with pure contempt.

"No normal man would stoop that low. Who knows how many women he's begged behind the scenes just to get what he wants."

She gave him a look of approval.

"Babe, how are you so smart? There was a time he stripped naked and begged me just to buy a watch he liked. I've told you about it."

Sebastian burst out laughing. "So that was him? He's honestly shameless."

At that moment, Meredith Judd, Sebastian's mom, started laughing loudly with the others.

"He doesn't have much of a body, does he?"

Willa smirked and shook her head.

"I never paid attention. He's obese and ugly as hell."

After saying that, she looked at her boyfriend as if seeking praise.

Sebastian smiled approvingly.

"That's my girl. You know your boundaries."

"A man with a body like that? Looking at him would give you pinkeye."

Their back-and-forth mockery turned me into nothing more than entertainment. It was utterly disgusting.

I forced down the rage surging inside me.

"Willa, for Mrs. Scott's sake, I'll give you one last chance. Leave with them right now. I'll pretend this never happened. If you don't, I'll send you all to prison."

"Hah, listen to you. Who are you trying to scare?"

Sebastian smirked in disdain.

"I almost forgot that you're some big-shot lawyer. Who knows which old woman's bed you crawl out of every day, and then you come here to throw your weight around at ordinary people like us."

A flicker of panic crossed Willa's eyes. She tugged at his sleeve.

"There are so many people here. Don't go too far."

Sebastian shook her off roughly and said unhappily, "What? Do you feel bad for him?

"Am I wrong? He secretly opened our door today. Wasn't it just to get close to you?"

Meredith chipped in too.

"Exactly. Just look at him. He's one of those pretty boys who'll do anything, and he lives off seducing rich women."

The others joined in. Their insults were getting uglier by the second.

What made it even worse was that Sebastian kept insisting this was his house.

The anger in my chest surged violently. My expression darkened as I warned, "According to criminal law, spreading obscene rumors and trespassing can get you one to five years in prison."

If it weren't for Melanie Scott, Willa's mom, being close colleagues with my parents, and the fact that our families had been neighbors for years, I wouldn't have bothered even warning them. I would've called the police already.

"Willa, I don't care why you brought these people into my house. Apologize and get out now. It's not too late yet."

Sebastian burst out laughing like he'd just heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Your house? Keep dreaming.

"Used to being a side piece, aren't you? Now you want to steal my girlfriend and take over the house too? Listen up. She wouldn't marry someone who sleeps around like you even in her next life."

I almost lost control and wanted to hit him with the coat rack, but legally, the one who struck first was in the wrong. I forced myself to hold back and snapped, "I've always kept my hands to myself, unlike you, going through people like it's nothing. Only someone as trashy as Willa suits you.

"I'll say this one more time. This is a house I bought for 220 grand. You don't get to call the shots here."

With that, I retrieved my phone to call the police.

But Willa, who had been avoiding my gaze the whole time, suddenly went crazy. She snatched my phone and hurled it to the ground. She then shouted at me.

"Ryan, don't push your luck!

"What do you mean your house? You clearly gave it to me last month to settle your debt. Don't even think about denying it now!"

Sebastian's eyes went wide instantly.

"Did you just say this house was used to settle a debt?"

His face filled with disgust.

"I don't want some place a guy like him has lived in. Who knows how many old women he brought back here? That's disgusting."

Meredith and the others fanned the flames.

"Willa, are you looking down on Sebastian? Is this house actually second-hand? If you can't give us 100 grand, don't even think about marrying him."

Willa panicked and hurried to explain.

"Mrs. Judd, everyone, it's my fault for not explaining clearly. It's a new house. It's definitely not second-hand. You can check online or even ask the property management. It was just handed over last month."

When she turned to look at me, her eyes were filled with hatred. She said through clenched jaws, "Ryan, no matter how much you make a scene, it's pointless. I would never fall for trash like you.

"If you're really that desperate for a woman, Sebastian's aunt just happens to be single. Since we grew up together, I'll be nice enough to introduce you to her."

Eve Judd, Sebastian's aunt, immediately lit up with excitement.

"Sure, I don't mind his messy past."

She reached out and tried to grab me.

"Come on, let's find somewhere private so you can show me how you charm women."

Her words triggered another burst of laughter.

Seeing Willa laughing along with that disgusting expression, the rage in my chest finally let loose.

I stepped forward and slapped Willa hard across the face.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Taking over my house and slandering me? Get ready for a lawsuit," I yelled.

Willa covered her face. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.

"You're a grown man. How could you hit me?" Willa asked.

I was trembling with rage, but I forced myself to stay calm as I argued.

"You brought over a dozen people to occupy my property and refused to leave. On top of that, you led wave after wave of verbal abuse against me and even encouraged others to lay their hands on me. I had no choice but to defend myself."

Sebastian's expression turned furious when he heard this. He lifted his foot and tried to kick me.

"Ryan, how dare you hurt my woman? You have a death wish!"

Since I dodged quickly, he missed and crashed hard onto the ground. He screamed in pain.

That completely set things off.

Meredith led her group of relatives and chased after me while trying to hit me.

"You filthy man! We're nobodies if we don't beat you to death today!"

To avoid getting cornered and outnumbered, I sprinted down the stairs as fast as I could while shouting in panic.

"Fire! Someone help! There's a fire!"

It worked. People who were out walking in the neighborhood quickly gathered around.

I immediately changed what I was saying.

"No, someone's trying to kill me! They're trying to take over my house and kill me!"

Right then, Meredith and the others came running down with kitchen knives and mops in hand. When they saw me hiding behind a group of neighbors, they grew even more furious.

"You filthy man! In the blink of an eye, you've already found more women to protect you? If you've got guts, come over here!"

The neighbors, both men and women, instantly got involved. They argued back and confronted them.

I lowered my voice and said, "Please call the police. They smashed my phone."

Just as I finished speaking, Willa arrived. She was supporting Sebastian. Seeing the situation, she immediately put on the act of a victim and explained to the neighbors, "Everyone, here's what happened. He owes me 290 grand. He used this house, worth 220 grand, to settle part of the debt. Now he's shamelessly trying to take it back.

"I have a written transfer agreement with his name, Ryan Harris, clearly on it."

With that, she pulled out a stack of documents and showed them to the crowd.

The neighbors stepped closer. After reading, they turned to me.

"Are you Ryan?"

A bad feeling crept over me.

"That agreement is definitely fake. I never signed anything."

The moment I said that, the way they looked at me changed. They seemed more wary of me.

Sebastian then shouted indignantly.

"He's a liar through and through. Stay away from him. Next thing you know, he'll seduce your wives.

"If I hadn't been home today, he would've stripped naked and thrown himself at my girlfriend. He's truly shameless!

"When that didn't work, he tried to set the house on fire to threaten us. Tell me, doesn't someone like him deserve a beating?"

Under his shameless slander, the neighbors instantly turned against me. They began hurling insults.

"We almost got fooled into defending the wrong person. He's despicable!"

One of Sebastian's relatives blended into the crowd and shouted, "Exactly! People like him need a good beating so he learns his lesson and never dares to seduce someone else's wife again!"

That single sentence stirred the crowd. With their fists clenched, they looked ready to attack me.

I quickly tried to explain, but before I could, Sebastian suddenly attacked me from behind with a kick.

"You were the one who tried starting a fire earlier. What if it actually happened? Do you have any idea how much property damage that would cause? It's not your stuff, so you don't care, do you?"

His tone sounded righteous. It was convincing to those who didn't know the truth, but the smugness in his eyes gave him away.

Willa chimed in, "My boyfriend is absolutely right. I've known this man since we were kids. He's a compulsive liar and addicted to gambling. For money, who knows how many old women he's been with. Everyone, you'd better watch out for losers like him."

She even put on a look of pain and disappointment, and that made me seem all the more disgusting.

Pain shot through me. Sweat formed on my forehead as I clutched my stomach and struggled to stand.

"Willa, you are legally responsible for everything you say.

"Someone please call property management. I've never made any ownership transfer. One check will prove everything."

Willa smiled when she heard this.

"Go ahead and make the call. I'm not scared. Only liars feel guilty," she said.