Chapter 4
939 Words
Jane recognized Richard and the others in the luxury booth. They were part of Clifford’s circle—Richard, his closest friend. Back when Clifford had a whirlwind romance with Miracle, they had all adored her, with Richard even insisting Miracle would be Clifford’s future wife.
Over the past three years, Jane had never truly been part of their world. None of them had ever accepted her.
The labels they plastered on her never changed: desperate substitute bride, ugly duckling, country bumpkin. When a man didn’t love you, his friends didn’t respect you either.
Grace, already fuming, rolled up her sleeves. “I’m going to tear their mouths apart!”
Jane quickly held her back. “Grace, forget it. We’re divorced now—there’s no need to stoop to their level.”
Seeing Jane’s calm, indifferent demeanor, Grace reluctantly held back. As more people began to notice Jane and whisper, calling her an angel, Grace’s mood brightened.
“Jane, let’s go! Time to party,” she said, dragging Jane to another luxury booth. She waved her hand grandly. “Bring all the male hosts from 1998 Bar over here!”
Meanwhile, back at Clifford’s booth, Richard and the others continued to mock Jane. That’s when they felt it—an icy, sharp gaze falling on them. Clifford lazily lifted his head, his expression chilling, displeased, full of warning. The men stopped laughing immediately, afraid to speak ill of Jane again.
Richard glanced at Clifford. Although Clifford had rarely paid attention to Jane, she had cared for him for three years. It seemed Clifford still held some regard for that.
The commotion in the bar grew louder.
“Wow, what a stunning angel!” someone exclaimed.
“An angel? Where?”
Richard followed the crowd’s gaze and froze. “Holy crap… she really is an angel.”
The other young elites were equally astonished, their eyes glued to her. “When did someone this stunning appear in Hovendale?”
Richard nudged Clifford. “Look! It’s an angel!”
Clifford, surrounded by women constantly, wasn’t usually interested. He had seen every type—slim, curvy, everything—but Jane’s booth was directly across from theirs.
When he looked over, he saw Jane without her black-framed glasses, no longer in dull conservative clothes. Her delicate, fair face, naturally exquisite bone structure, and ethereal beauty shone through. Her long, glossy hair flowed over her shoulders, making her look like a true angel.
Clifford paused, staring for two full seconds.
Richard whispered excitedly, “Clifford, what do you think of the angel?”
Another young man said, “Mr. Sean probably doesn’t care. He likes delicate beauties like Miracle, not cold, aloof angels.”
“But look at her legs! They’re just as stunning as Miracle’s.”
Jane was wearing a short, Chanel-inspired dress, shedding her usual conservative style for the first time. Her legs were perfectly proportioned—slender yet shapely, enough to make any man’s imagination run wild. She looked just as good as Miracle.
Clifford stared at the ‘angel’ and felt a strange sense of familiarity—as if he had seen her somewhere before.
Just then, a line of male hosts arrived—tall, handsome, and standing in a row in front of Jane.
Grace grinned. “Jane, make your pick of six.”
Indulging herself for the first time since escaping her miserable marriage, Jane smiled and pointed. “You, you, you… all of you stay.”
Richard counted aloud. “One, two, three… six! She actually picked six male hosts at once!”
The other rich young men laughed. “Why waste money? If the angel asked, they’d serve her for free.”
Everyone chuckled—until Ding!
Clifford’s phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced at it to see Jane’s latest spending.
Dear VVIP user, your card ending 0975 has been charged $800,000 at 1998 Bar for six male hosts.
Clifford froze. He raised his eyes to the so-called angel across the room.
If that wasn’t Jane, who else could it be?
Six male hosts surrounded Jane, pouring drinks into her glass.
“Let’s play a drinking game,” one said.
Grace clapped. “Yes, let’s play!”
In the first round, Jane lost. One of the hosts handed her a drink. “Please drink some.”
Jane took a sip, but the other hosts protested. “Why his and not ours? We want to serve you too!”
Surrounded by attention, Jane felt the sweet burden of their pampering and laughed.
Clifford’s eyes narrowed. His features tensed into a grim expression. Without a word, he stood and strode out.
Richard froze. “Clifford? Where are you going?”
Jane was about to take another drink when a large, strong hand grabbed her slender wrist, lifting her effortlessly. Startled, she looked up—Clifford’s handsome face loomed over her.
She froze. “Clifford, let go of me!”
His expression darkened. He dragged her away without a word.
Grace shouted, “Clifford, what are you doing? Let Jane go!”
Richard and the others stared, dumbfounded.
“Jane?”
“The angel was Jane?”
“Is this the same ugly duckling Jane we knew?”
“She’s actually stunning!”
As Clifford pulled Jane away, her cold, ethereal beauty lingered in their vision. Richard muttered, “Damn… the Jane who no longer chases Clifford just became a full-blown angel.”
Clifford’s grip was firm and unrelenting. No matter how much Jane struggled, she couldn’t break free. His long strides forced her to stumble as she tried to keep up.
“Clifford, let go of me!”
- Writer
