Chapter 4
645 Words
"Zachary, you're late. You'll have to drink more later," Gloria said.
Owen's words pulled me out of my thoughts. Something popped into my head as I saw how familiar they were with each other. I looked at Zachary in disbelief. Even though I already knew the answer, I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Zachary, you knew this all along, didn't you?"
Zachary was my best friend in high school. After I broke up with Gloria and focused on my career, our relationship gradually grew distant. But I still considered him a very important friend in my life.
Zachary looked at me, sizing me up before letting out a snort. "Of course, if it weren't for Gloria's instructions, do you think I'd be friends with you? Don't be ridiculous, Arthur. With your status, you don't even have the opportunity to talk with us."
I knew Zachary was wealthy, so I was grateful when he made friends with me in high school. Because of him, no one dared to mess with me back then. It was he who assured me of Gloria's feelings for me tirelessly when I was insecure. He was the one who kept telling me Gloria liked me.
Even when I confessed my love to Gloria after graduation, Zachary played a part in it.
In the end, both my first love and my old friend turned out to be liars.
With his arm around Gloria, Owen looked at me with a smile. "I heard from Gloria that your family situation isn't great. Since you took care of her for so many years, I won't ask you for a wedding gift today."
Zachary sneered, "You're giving him too much credit, Owen. He can't even afford a gift. I bet he barely makes a few hundred bucks a month. Who knows if he can even support himself."
Zachary's words made Gloria laugh.
One of my old classmates spoke up in a puzzled voice, "But Arthur's suit looks quite expensive..." His voice was soft, but we were close enough to hear it clearly.
Zachary's expression darkened immediately. He snorted, crossed his arms, and looked at me with disdain. "Who knows if he rented it to show off? He might have to leave early to return it."
I had always known Zachary had a sharp tongue. In high school, when some guys were upset about Gloria's attention towards me, Zachary always stood up for me. He scolded those guys the same way he was talking about me now, arrogant and scornful. Thinking back, I realized he might have felt quite resentful about staying by my side for those three years.
Zachary wanted to say more, but Gloria interrupted him. She looked at me and said softly, "Arthur, I know I took advantage of you, but you didn't lose anything, did you? Otherwise, you'd never have found a girlfriend like me."
Her shameless words almost made me laugh in anger. "Did I ask you to be with me?"
My tone wasn't friendly due to my anger, and Gloria's expression darkened. She frowned and said impatiently, "If you really feel bad, Owen can arrange a position for you in his dad's company as compensation. Don't push your luck. You'd never get into the Robinson Group on your own."
'Who cares about entering a company on the verge of collapse?' I thought.
Owen nodded seriously and explained to me, "Arthur, you might not know, but my dad's company is one of the best in the industry. You should thank me."
Looking at Owen's face, I finally understood Jacob's despair last night when he slapped himself before me. With such an ignorant son, it was no wonder his lifelong efforts were about to be ruined.
I smiled, adjusted my sleeve, and said, "One of the best in the industry? Owen, your father's company is about to go bankrupt. Do you know that?"
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