Chapter 4

I saw shock and disbelief in their eyes. I knew that I didn't look like the confident man I once was. I had fallen from grace, and now, I had been invited here to be publicly humiliated. Just then, a mocking voice cut through the crowd. It was Eddie Foster, the heir to a wealthy family. Word of my situation had already spread amongst them. So, he gave me a scornful look as soon as he saw me. "Samuel Gebb? It's really you! You've got some nerve showing up at Abigail's party. You're quite shameless." I stayed silent and went to find a quiet spot to sit down, but Eddie wasn't about to let things slide. He strode over and sneered at me as he asked, "What are you doing here? Did Abigail invite you here to serve us?" Before I could reply, another guest chimed in with a jeer, "Abigail must've bought you that suit. You're just living off her money, huh?" I wonder why they would think that. Abigail would've been bankrupt long ago if it weren't for me. She was only worth billions today thanks to my help. Eddie saw that I wasn't responding, so he pointed at the long table and said, "Since you're here as the help, you should act like it! Can't you see that the glasses are empty? Go over there and refill them before you mess up Abigail's party. Do you think you can handle that responsibility?" The familiar tone filled with ridicule made me tense up. At that moment, I forgot that I was also a guest at the party. After getting reprimanded, I stood up numbly and walked toward the storeroom. I didn't notice the glances of the other guests that were filled with pity and sympathy directed at me. Years of Abigail's treatment had beaten any fight out of me. I didn't dare to defy a word she said. I wouldn't even drink a drop of water if she forbade me from doing so. I was like a puppet under her control, and I lived my life like her slave. The other waiters in the storeroom were tall and muscular, while I looked weak and pale. One of them turned to me in confusion and asked, "Are you the new waiter?" "I…" His question caught me off guard, and I stood there staring at him before giving him a bitter smile and shaking my head. "No, I'm just here to help." I wasn't sure how to answer his question. I wasn't a waiter, but Abigail had brought me here to humiliate me. I took the crate of wine he handed over. The weight of it pressed down on me until I could barely catch my breath. Ever since I'd been diagnosed with this rare disease, I knew that my time was running out. Every day, I could feel my life draining away bit by bit. Even carrying a single crate of wine was enough to crush me, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay strong. I was breathing heavily as I turned a corner and accidentally bumped into someone. When I looked up, my expression froze. Standing before me and looking smug was Abigail's new favorite, Joshua. Joshua was wearing the expensive suit that Abigail had gotten custom-made for him. He stood proudly before me, and his gaze dripped with disdain and scorn. He looked at me condescendingly, as if I were someone so insignificant that he could destroy me with a single breath. "What are you doing here?" I asked instinctively. Abigail had claimed that he'd find the party boring and sent him home. So, why was he here? Joshua smirked and said, "I changed my mind. I think it'd be better if I accompanied Abigail to the party." Then, he leaned in closer and sneered. "And I thought I'd stop by just to see how you're being humiliated." After he finished speaking, Abigail's confused voice came from around the corner. "Why'd you stop?" Before I could react, Joshua let out a shout. Then, he threw himself onto the crate of wine in my arms. The glass shattered, soaking his clothes with wine. Joshua grabbed me, and we both fell. My hands landed on the broken glass, and I gasped in pain. "Samuel, I know you don't like me, but we're in public. Can't you show me a little respect?" Joshua sat on the ground with tears in his eyes. He was making it seem as if I'd lost my temper and attacked him on purpose. Abigail rushed over, her face filled with panic as she knelt beside him and inspected him for injuries. Meanwhile, I struggled to stand up. I winced as I pulled jagged pieces of glass from my bleeding hands. The blood dripped from my hands onto the ground. My rare condition made every cut feel worse than normal. My face turned ghostly pale from the pain, but Abigail didn't spare me a single glance. Her focus was entirely on her precious Joshua. "Are you alright, Joshua? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" Abigail's tone was gentle as she held Joshua's hand with a worried frown. Joshua shook his head and said, "I don't feel any pain with you here." He stood up with Abigail's support and looked down at his wine-stained suit with disappointment. "It's just a shame that the suit you had specially made for me is now ruined. I guess Samuel was upset that I'm wearing something you designed just for me, so he…" He trailed off, then turned to me with a serious expression and apologized, "Don't worry, Samuel. I'm not here to compete with you. Abigail will always be yours. Please, don't make me leave her. I just want to be by her side." Joshua sounded choked up as he spoke. His words made it seem as if I had purposely dirtied his clothes. I couldn't bear to watch the show that Abigail and Joshua were putting on, so I turned to leave. However, Abigail stopped me with a dark expression. "Samuel, you can't hurt someone innocent! What did Joshua do to deserve this? He's only here because I decided to bring him at the last minute. "If you have a problem with that, take it out on me, not him. He's a rising star in the entertainment industry. Your actions could cause malicious rumors to spread!" Abigail began to berate me without knowing the truth. "I'm warning you, Samuel. I won't forgive you if anything happens to Joshua!" With Abigail's support, Joshua shot me a smug, triumphant look. Then, he wiped his dirtied clothes and asked, "Abigail, what am I supposed to do now that my suit is ruined? Maybe I should just head home. I can't show up looking like this." Abigail immediately pointed at me and ordered, "Take off your clothes and give them to Joshua." I'd grown used to Abigail's unreasonable demands. I didn't even find this surprising. So, without a word, I took off my suit and handed it to her before putting on Joshua's wine-stained clothes. I probably looked ridiculous. "Doesn't any of this make you angry?" Abigail snapped as she watched me with a frown. I smiled calmly and shook my head. "No. I'm used to it."