Chapter 6
To my surprise, it was Dominic, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Eliza, it’s been a while,” he said, striding over with a sideways glance full of disdain. “Judging by the look of you now, it seems abandoning me for money didn’t quite earn you the glamorous life you imagined.”
The clamor of the banquet hall quieted at once, drawn to Dominic’s voice like moths to a flame.
Feigning surprise, Alicia widened her eyes and gasped. “Dominic? You know Eliza?”
She affectionately took our parents by the arm and introduced them with a sweet smile.
“Mom, Dad, this is Dominic, my classmate from tutoring. He comes from a humble background, but he’s incredibly driven. He’s already involved in research projects as a college freshman. Who knows, he might be a great scientist one day!”
A “humble background,” she said. And yet, he once had me-a fool willing to bleed herself dry for his future.
With no burdens to carry, no financial strain, of course, Dominic had the luxury to pour himself into academics.
But Alicia wasn’t done. She tilted the spotlight back toward me.
“Dominic even knows Eliza!”
Dominic snorted, arms crossed.
“”Knows’ is putting it lightly. Eliza clung to me for years. For an orphan with no education and no money, I was about as good as
it was going to get.
“I agreed to date her out of respect for our shared hometown and childhood… but who knew the moment she ‘rose above her
station’ and became some big heiress, her first move would be to dump me.
“Then again, who could blame her? Now that she’s the Rodney family’s precious daughter, of course she wouldn’t want to be
seen with a nobody like me.”
My parents exchanged uncertain glances, and Chester swiftly stepped in to “confirm” the story.
“I was there when Eliza broke up with Dominic. She told him she was the future heiress of the Rodney family and warned him not
to bother her again. She even threatened to show him what it means to offend the powerful.”
So that was why Dominic hadn’t tried to contact me since we parted. He’d been lying in wait, like a secret weapon, saving up for
this dramatic ambush. Right here, in front of everyone.
He stood with his chin lifted, his eyes gleaming with pride.
“But don’t worry, Eliza,” he said with mock sympathy, “I may be poor, but I’ve got my pride. I didn’t come here to beg for
anything. I came to thank Alicia.”
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CUT FLUTE TEAM AN
He turned to Alicia with reverence.
“She’s beautiful and kind. When she heard about my background, she didn’t look down on me. Instead, she helped pay for my
tuition and living expenses…”
As he spoke, he pulled a folded envelope from his coat pocket.
“This is an invitation from the Singularity Research Lab. I wanted to give it to Alicia as a birthday present. Whatever she needs
from me, I’ll give it my all.”
The moment he mentioned Singularity Research Lab, the room erupted in gasps.
It was one of the country’s most elite private research institutes-receiving an invitation meant one’s future was limitless.
Dominic raised his brows and looked down at me, satisfied.
“Eliza, don’t ever look down on someone just because they’re poor. You left to find a tree to lean on, but you didn’t expect me to climb higher than you so soon, did you?”
His “gift” wasn’t just a personal victory-it was a heavy weight added to Alicia’s scale. In families like the Rodneys, blood
mattered—but not as much as power, status, or what someone could bring to the table.
The crowd, already biased against me, now rallied wholly to Alicia’s side after watching this masterful performance.
“She chased him when he was nothing, and ditched him the moment she found out she was rich? The Rodneys’ second
daughter’s a piece of work, isn’t she?”
“Climbing over others to get ahead-what a schemer!”
“Blood ties mean nothing when the person’s already rotten!”
“Poor kids are crafty, rich ones are kind. Just look at how gentle and sweet Alicia turned out!”
Amid the swelling chatter, Chester leaned in to whisper to my parents.
“Most of the guests here today are wealthy and influential. If Eliza stays any longer, it’ll seriously damage the Rodney family’s
image.”
My parents frowned, clearly considering the suggestion, ready to quietly ask me to leave early.
But then, just as the weight of it all settled on my chest, the banquet hall doors burst open.
A crisp, calm male voice rang out, “My apologies for arriving late to Miss Rodney’s birthday
celebration.”
