Chad hugged Tiffany even tighter. His eyes were full of a winner's pity and undisguised contempt.

"Come on, babe, don't be like that. Hey there, Ryan. Long time no see. Judging by how you look... this past year hasn't been too easy on you, has it?"

He deliberately softened his voice, but every word was a barb.

"Then again, let's be real—without Tiffany, what kind of life were you expecting to have?"

Mark immediately jumped in, covering his mouth as he let out an exaggerated laugh.

"Oh please, Chad, don't hold back. Ryan used to refuse to wear anything that wasn't a top designer. And now that outfit... yikes. What is that, a sidewalk sale special? Looks like without Tiffany, your standard of living took a nosedive!"

Tiffany's friends let out a low round of snickering. They looked at me like I was some outdated, pathetic piece of trash.

Back in the day, for just one "I like that" from Tiffany, I'd wait in line at midnight for some limited-edition item she'd casually mentioned. I'd starve myself for a month just to fit into the body type she wanted.

Now, this comfortable outfit—personally picked out by Nicole, hand-tailored in Italy—looked to them like proof I'd hit rock bottom.

My face was blank. All I felt was how ridiculous and laughable this whole scene was.

My stomach was vaguely unsettled. Maybe from the long flight. Or maybe from being triggered by that familiar kind of cruelty.

Nicole never let me sacrifice myself just to please anyone.

"Ryan."

Tiffany seemed pleased with the atmosphere. She stepped forward and spoke in a tone that sounded like she was granting me a favor.

"Since you're back, stop making a scene. My maternity leave is almost over. I need to rest and get my body back. I can't overdo it. You're not doing anything anyway. From now on, taking care of the kid is your job."

Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if this were some huge blessing she was bestowing on me.

Chad immediately put his hand on Tiffany's flat stomach—the same stomach that had once carried the child who made me the laughingstock of the whole city.

He spoke with that fake, syrupy sweet tone. "Yeah, Ryan, don't you worry. My son's a good kid.

"It's just that he might cry a few times at night. You'll need to be patient and soothe him. The formula has to be made with lukewarm water. The diapers need to be changed often, or he'll get a rash. Anyway, we'll leave all that little stuff to you."

He paused, as if something just occurred to him, and added, "Oh, right. The room we set aside for the nanny isn't huge, but it faces south. It gets good lighting."

"Pfft..."

Lily Jenner, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, finally burst out laughing.

"Tiffany, Chad, you guys are way too nice. You're even giving him a room? Ryan, go on, thank them for taking you in. It's better than sleeping on the streets, right?"

Mark jumped back in with a grin.

"Yeah, seriously, Ryan. Getting to be the nanny for Tiffany and Chad's kid? Tons of people would kill for that. It's a blessing!"

I just stood there quietly watching their performance. The very last ripple of anything from the past went completely still inside me. All that was left was a cold, tired disgust.

Tiffany was still lost in her delusion that "Ryan can't live without me."

Chad was soaking up the thrill of having me under his heel, savoring his victory.

I didn't want to waste another second on this pathetic circus. I raised my hand and pointed at the sign Tiffany was holding. My voice was calm and flat.

"I'm Kent. You're here to pick me up, aren't you? Let's go."

The air instantly froze.

There were a few seconds of dead silence, then an even louder burst of laughter.

"You're Kent?" Chad acted like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world, his voice shooting up with sharp, cutting sarcasm. "Ryan, did you lose your mind? Open your eyes and take a good look!"

He jabbed his finger at the sign.

"Kent is the actual controlling shareholder of the world's largest publicly traded group. Nicole Cooper's husband! Even if you don't know who Kent is, you sure as hell know who Nicole is, right? She's the kind of person who can make the entire Alestin business world shake just by snapping her fingers! We're waiting for Kent! Who the hell do you think you are? What makes you think we'd wait for you?"

Tiffany's face darkened too, her expression a mix of displeasure and contempt.

"Ryan, a year goes by, and you haven't learned a single thing except how to kid yourself? You think you can just pretend to be Kent? Get lost. Don't embarrass yourself here and mess up our chance to pick up our VIP."

"Exactly." Mark jumped in. "Tiffany's company just got a partnership with RKS Group. That's the only reason we got this opportunity to pick up Kent! If you make Kent angry because of this, you will face the consequences. Now get lost!"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Some people just can't accept their place. You think just because the name matches, you magically become someone important? A pheasant is still a pheasant."

Their chatter drifted clearly into my ears.

"Everyone says Nicole is completely devoted to her husband. So many deals hinge entirely on Kent's mood."

"I heard Kent always wears a diamond watch called 'Tears of the Stars' on his wrist. Nicole won it at an auction for eight figures. It's a one-of-a-kind love token. There's nothing else like it in the world."

"Man, I wish I had a wife like that."

Hearing all this, the corners of my mouth curled up slightly without me meaning to.

'Nicole... she really is good to me. But no one knows I've given Nicole far more than she's ever given me.'

Chad had been staring at me the whole time, trying to find even a flicker of embarrassment or jealousy on my face.

When he caught the smile at the corner of my lips, it stung him somehow. His eyes suddenly turned vicious and bitter.

I couldn't be bothered to argue with them anymore. I just wanted to get out of this suffocating situation as fast as possible.

The car Nicole had arranged for me should be waiting outside.

I grabbed my suitcase and started to walk around them.

"Stop right there!" Tiffany grabbed my wrist, her grip hard. "Ryan, have you had enough of this? Come back with me. I'll pay you double for the nanny job."

Her touch made me physically nauseous.

I yanked my hand out of hers and said coldly, "Let go of me. Tiffany, we've been over for a long time. Have some respect for yourself."

"Respect?" Tiffany looked like I'd just lit a fuse. She stepped closer.

"Ryan, I'm giving you a way out. Don't be ungrateful. Take a look at yourself—you look like a broke joke. Who else would ever want you besides me? Coming back with me to take care of Chad and the kid is the best offer you're ever going to get."

The way she stood there, it was like she was tossing a scrap of food to a stray dog.

I looked at the check in her hand—like it was nothing to her—and then at this woman I had once loved to death, who now looked absolutely repulsive to me. All I felt was a deep, ridiculous sense of irony.

The spare credit card I gave Nicole for her pocket money had a limit hundreds or thousands of times higher than that check.

If Tiffany ever found that out, she would lose her mind with jealousy.

"No thanks, Tiffany." I pushed her hand away. The check fluttered to the ground.

"Keep your money. Hire yourself a good nanny."

With that, I grabbed my suitcase and walked away without looking back.

Behind me, I heard Chad's nasty, mocking laugh and Tiffany's low, furious growl.

"Ryan! Just you wait! You'll come crawling back to me. You'll see!"