OLIVIA

When I was in the orphanage, I never imagined that there would be a family willing to adopt me. Every Christmas, I recall some people who visited and gave us gifts. I was super excited especially in November, the month when we normally prepare some presentations that we would perform at the Christmas party.

Then one time, someone gave me a gift. It was a Christmas card that was given by a lovely couple, and I kept it in a shoe box. Whenever I feel sad, I would see myself bringing it out from the box and read it. Even though it had only a generic happy Holiday message with my name written in front of it, it didn't fail to give a smile on my face. It was the only Christmas present I got when I was a kid that somehow made me feel special. The truth was, I imagined that it came from my real family.

Now in a turn of events, I was sitting with my 'parents', with my 'fiance' sitting next to me and of course his family on the other side of the table.

And guess what? We were discussing the plans for our marriage— Chase and mine.

We were all here in the dining area of Chase Maxwell's house. I never imagined that I would find myself in this situation, at least not until today. Reese Jones, for God's sake, why do we have the same face? Well, let me play your role for a while then once I get what I want, they will no longer see me anymore.

I can't wait to get my three hundred thousand dollars from Chase. That money is enough for me to change my face entirely so that this idiot would no longer run after me.

"Reese, I am glad that you're able to join us today. How are you?"

I came back to my senses when Chase's father spoke. At this moment, I wasn't sure what they thought of Reese. Due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with her, I've decided to provide just plain responses to his family, just to be on the safe side. The less I say, the less likely it is that I will make a mistake, and if I can perfect the art of pretense, I will be able to avoid any suspicion on their part.

Earlier when we arrived, his father, whose name is Ernest, looked at me as if he saw a dead person, which I thought was strange. He even dropped his newspaper and then proceeded to hug me. My mind couldn't help but wonder how close he was to Reese.

"I'm fine, thanks!" I faked my smile just like how I pretend to be someone that I'm really not.

"That's good to hear, sweetheart. All of us were worried about you," Chase's father replied, still gazing at me with an odd look.

"She kinda has amnesia and forgot our wedding," Chase said to my family.

Everyone at the dining table burst out laughing. They looked at me and kept shaking their heads. Then they proceed to bombard me with a lot of questions. I was trying to be as polite as possible with them but they started to get on my nerves.

To avoid their questions, I always end up looking at Chase, giving him a look, signaling him that I can no longer accommodate and answer all their queries, especially those interrogation of his parents.

His mother had a lot to say about this swimming competition, like I didn't have even the slightest idea what she meant by that. "I'm rooting for you Reese. You're the pride of the Jones's family!"

What did she say? I don't even know how to swim!

Then, I recall those medals from Reese's room and some portraits of her wearing a one piece swimsuit holding a trophy. So the missing bride-to-be is a swimmer?

"Perhaps, you're getting overwhelmed because of your wedding, then here comes this upcoming swimming competition you must attend and you're still trying to recover." Mrs. Maxwell glanced at her son. "Chase, I guess you should postpone the wedding for this year so that Reese will have more time to prepare."

Chase's mom then reached for my hand that was resting on the table. Chase, who was seated next to me, caught my attention. I saw that he had a gloomy expression on his face. His oceanic eyes were filled with disappointment as he listened to what his mother had to say.

"Chase, I guess your mother is right. We can't force this wedding since Reese is still recovering. We don't even know what happened to her. We need a specialist to check on her."

I'm not sure whether I would be happy or not that I am hearing all these damn excuses from his family. One thing is for sure, both of his parents don't want me to marry their son. If the marriage would not push through, I wonder if I would still be able to get my money back . . .

But of course, I am already here in this madness and I already made a decision to play along with it, so in order for me to ensure that I would be getting money, I have to marry this billionaire, by hook or crook.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Ernest and Aunt Claudia, but me and Chase would like to be married as soon as possible," I uttered.

His parents were both staring at me with a blank expression on their faces before they threw meaningful looks at each other. I'm not sure whether they're enraged or just confused.

Chase, on the other hand, smiled at me. "Mom, dad, you heard Reese. We want this wedding to happen as soon as possible. In fact, I wanted our wedding to be done today but you intervened with our initial plan. If it weren't for your complaints, Reese would have been my wife by now." He then glanced at me and winked.

I rolled my eyes, but I stopped midway as her sister seemed to notice it.

"I wish you never came back," she said with her lips pouting in annoyance.

I narrowed my eyes as I threw a dagger at her. I want to give this lady a smack on the face but since she will be my sister-in-law, then I'll let it slide.

"Hey Chandria, quit it." Chase told her warily.

Reese's parents then started to persuade them with the wedding plan but for some reason, Chase's parents would always bring up my condition.

I guess the real problem here was how I would convince these people that I'm fine. Even if I'm in their position, I would also be terrified that someone who has gone missing for two months, ruined her supposed wedding with their son, would show up and have no details whatsoever about what really happened.

It is reasonable for them to think about it first. I got that I needed to be checked by a specialist, probably they are referring to a therapist or some sort. Observing how our conversations went, I already knew that it would not be easy for me to wear Reese' shoes at all.

However, even though the shoes don't fit right now on my feet, I would still work my ass off to be the modern Cinderella of this fairytale.

We exchanged our goodbyes as soon as our lunch was finished. I walked in their hallway, then went downstairs and saw Maxwell's family portrait. My eyes wandered on their walls which appeared to be magical. They had these dream-like paintings, sculptures that I only saw from the magazines and when I reached the end of the stairs, there's this old typewriter that caught my attention. I squinted my eyes as it felt like I had seen it before.

"Do you still remember that thing?" A familiar voice of Chase was heard behind me. He then tapped my shoulders and stood up right beside me.

"It's the first time I've seen it," I replied.

"You gave that to me as a gift," he said.

Oh, alright. I bit my tongue and acted as if my head started to feel a throbbing pain. I guess this is the best thing to do, to disguise that I'm suffering from amnesia so they would stop throwing questions at me.

I know Chase wanted me to share what exactly had happened to me but since I'm a different person, I don't have any explanation for it. I just need to stick with this act until they get tired of asking me a lot of things.

However, I know I couldn't pretend to have amnesia forever. If this continues, Chase' parents will not likely agree for us to get married.

"If you don't remember that's fine," he said.

His face saddened as he tried to tell me some good stories about him and Reese, hoping that any of it would somehow ring a bell to me.

As I listened carefully to him, I started to think that having a relationship with someone is truly difficult. When I was working in the bar, my goal was to earn a lot of money and that's it.

When I was still at the orphanage, every time I saw other kids being adopted, I felt so jealous. Every night, I prayed that hopefully one day, a family would come and adopt me. Now, I realized that family can be complicated too.

"Reese, please don't give up," he pleaded.

He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me for a embrace. Surprisingly, it's a comforting, warm, tender . . . long embrace, which made my mind calm a bit.

My hands wanted to move on their own and to embrace him too, but my mind reminded me not to do it. I don't want to become too attached to him. My emotions should not have any control of me. If I ended up liking this person, then I'd be in huge trouble, especially when the real Reese Jones finally showed up.

But I had to admit that this guy is truly appealing. The way he embraces me gives me an indication that he doesn't want to let me go. I know I was mad as hell at him last night but at the back of my mind, there's a little demonic voice telling me to enjoy this moment with him.

Perhaps because I don't have any lover? I never had a boyfriend before. Even if I wanted to enter a relationship and entertain some men who showed good motives to me, I didn't have the courage to grab the chance and ended up getting away.

That's how my trauma ruined my life.

I came back to my senses when he kissed my lips. It was so passionate and enticing that even though my mind was telling me to push him, I did the opposite. I kissed him back, parting my lips and felt his tongue inside my mouth which made me moan softly.

Then I realized we were still in his house and his parents might have caught us kissing!

"Ch-Chase, not here . . ." I muttered and slightly pushed him away.

And I was correct . . . someone has caught us in the act.

I saw his sister, standing up a few steps away from our direction, watching us intently.

"Can you guys get a room?" she scoffed and rolled her eyes at me.

A sudden wave of embarrassment filled my entire system. She then walked past us and even bumped my shoulder intentionally. As I turned around, she only gave me an annoyed face.

My eyebrows furrowed with how that brat Chandria acted in front of me. I licked my lower lip and grinned bitterly. What a childish devil . . .

OLIVIA

Chase offered to send me home after that suffocating gathering we had in his house. I was sitting comfortably on the shotgun seat, gaze wandering on the streets we passed by. I made several sighs. I didn't know why but I felt so tired on the first day of my pretense.

This thing was harder than I thought, not to add that Chase's family acted so strange in front of me which gave me an idea that they didn't like Reese Jones for Chase at all. They thought I was going crazy, that was for sure. Because if not, they wouldn't try to push the idea of me going to a psychiatrist and would reason out a lot just to move the wedding that was supposed to happen this week. Even his sister. That Chandria obviously didn't like me coming back, or should I say Reese.

I glanced at him. His eyes were fixated on the road as he maneuvered the car. My eyes couldn't help but memorize his face. He was truly good looking, a god-like man who was made perfectly by someone above. I didn't really get why Reese left this guy . . . Chase Maxwell was truly a jackpot and she only left him without a single word. I would say it was unethical and an absurd decision. Was it really how rich women act?

"Staring is rude, Reese." His mouth twitched for a quick smile.

I chuckled awkwardly and cleared my throat after. Was I so fascinated in his face that I didn't realize I was staring at him for too long? That was embarrassing!

"Now that I think about it, we've been together for how many years but it was the first time I felt that kind of kiss from you," he said and then looked at me for a second then turned his eyes back on the road. "I can't describe it but it felt so different and I really like it."

His statement made me feel uncomfortable. Why did he have to open up such a topic? It was just a damn kiss!

"And maybe you only missed me, that's why you thought it's different. Nothing has changed, Chase. Don't be confused," I replied, hands sweating with the thought that I might have kissed him differently compared to how Reese gives him kisses.

"You're right." He chuckled, His one hand reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. "I miss you so much, Reese . . . and I can't wait for us to get married," he uttered and smiled genuinely.

I felt bad that I had to deceive this guy who only hoped to love and be loved by that girl, Reese Jones. If only I had another choice . . .

Money is the root of all evil, as people say. I could confirm it was true because here I was, stuck in a life that's full of deception in order to get some money out of Chase's pocket and to survive this cruel world.

I pity him but I pity myself more than anyone. That's why I had to do this, no matter what or who would be the casualty of my own actions. Even if it was Chase. I inhaled heavily and glanced back at the window.

I guess it would be easier if I would treat this mess as a part of my job, that this guy was my customer and I had to play the role of Reese Jones, the soon-to-be wife of this billionaire. And in order for my acting to be believable, I should contact Lara to help me do some research about Reese.

I needed some information about her, how she dresses . . . what are her likes and dislikes, even how she normally moves and speaks . . . I need to copy her overall demeanor!

I also needed to know every bit of her body, even if it was just a mole or scars. What if she had a tattoo? It would be awkward if I slept with Chase and then he would figure out that some random tattoo was missing from his girl's body. In short, I really had to copy her up to the point that someone wouldn't be able to tell who is who.

I recalled one certain topic Mrs. Maxwell had opened up during our lunch. She did mention a swimming competition that Reese had to attend. Now, how do I escape from that? Never in my entire life had I learned how to swim. If someone pushed me to the swimming pool, I'd be dead in an instant.

I felt a throbbing pain in my head as I realized that Reese and I were completely different. She excelled in sports, something that was totally opposite of me. I hated sports, to be honest. The only thing I knew was how to work for money.

But I guess I should try new things this time. Learning how to swim should be the first one on the list. Little by little, I would be able to replicate that woman. I took my phone from my bag and started taking notes . . .

I was completely consumed by my plans on how I would be able to copy Reese. My thoughts were only ripped out when Chase spoke beside me.

"We're already here, babe," he said. The car entered the main gate and stopped in front of the Jones' manor.

"Thank you for bringing me home," I said and smiled at him. Calling this home was still foreign to me but hopefully, I'd get used to this kind of set up.

I got out of the car and so did he. "Let me walk you inside."

I stared at him and rolled my eyes after a few seconds. "Are you always this clingy?"

He laughed and shook his head. He walked towards me and snaked his arm around my waist.

"Like I said earlier, I missed you so much."

"Fine!" I hissed, then chuckled.

When we reached the front door, he opened it for me. I couldn't suppress the smile on my lips as he acted like a gentleman, very sweet and thoughtful. But even though he had this kindness in him, I shouldn't get too attached to him. After all, I was just pretending to be his girl.

"You know what? I'm not a baby anymore. I can walk on my own," I said as I noticed how he held my hand and shoulder gently as we entered inside the manor.

He only smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Now, what was that for?" I raised a brow.

"Because you're acting so cute and I like it, Reese." He chuckled.

My eyes then squinted. "No need to impress me with your moves, young boy." I smirked.

He pouted his lips and I couldn't stop myself from teasing him more. We then walked our way to the living room. We sat on the couch. Mr. Smith, the butler, appeared out of nowhere to welcome us.

"Hello there, Ms. Reese, Sir Chase. Would you like anything, perhaps some drinks?" he offered as he glanced at the both of us.

"No, we're fine." Chase smiled and nodded.

When the butler left, he then moved closer to me.

"Now that we're alone, I guess we can continue where we left off . . ." he whispered in my ear.

To my surprise, his warm and seductive voice tickled my ear. I tilted my head away from him and was about to hit him in the arm when Mrs. Jones, who went home earlier than me, walked downstairs that made Chase move a little bit far from me.

Sneaky!

"Ooh, Chase! You're here! Thanks for sending my daughter home. I am sorry we had to leave earlier. Reese' father needed to finish some work in the company," Mrs. Jones exclaimed.

Chase cleared his throat and stood up. "Not a problem, Mrs. Jones. I'm glad you left your daughter with me." He glanced back at me. "You know that I missed her a lot and I'm trying to make up for the time we lost."

"That's so sweet of you, Chase." Mrs. Jones held her chest as if she was truly impressed with this guy. It was so dramatic that I could only shake my head. "How about you stay and join us for dinner? I bet Reese would also love that! Am I right, sweetheart?"

"Uhm, sure, Mom!" I said and called Mrs. Jones for the very first time.

It felt so strange and my heart couldn't help but pound loudly. I wasn't even sure if this was because I was nervous whenever Reese' mom was around or I was just engulfed by an unfamiliar excitement to treat someone as my mother. Nevertheless, I needed to sound confident and real.

Chase caressed the back of his neck. "I am afraid I have to decline for now, Mrs. Jones. I will have to attend a company meeting and sign a few reports." He then looked back at me. "I hope that's alright, Reese."

"Do your thing, Chase. It's okay. We have all the time in the world," I replied and faked a sweet smile.

"You're really a hardworking man, Chase. Your parents should be very proud of you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Jones. I'm only doing this for Reese. I want to give her the best life she deserves . . ."

"Sounds like a promise!" Mrs. Jones hugged Chase tightly and released him after a few seconds. "I was already eager for you and Reese to get married. But I have to respect and understand your parents' opinion of it. Perhaps I just really want my daughter to settle down and live with a man who truly loves her."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Jones. I'll do everything so we can get married as soon as possible," Chase assured her.

I didn't know why but I feel that Reese' parents were too eager for this marriage to happen too. But I wasn't in the right position to doubt their motives at all. After all, they weren't my biological parents . . . I only had to mind my own motives here.

When Chase left, Mrs. Jones went back to the living room. Her eyes were teary as if she was already on the verge of breaking down. She sat next to me and held my hands that rested on my lap.

She inhaled heavily. "I am sorry, Reese, if you feel that the Maxwells' are doubting to continue the wedding at this point . . . I wished I could do something more useful for them to be convinced that you're just doing alright, that you don't need to be checked by some psychiatrists."

I patted her back as her tears started to fall.

It was funny because in real life, I was indeed taking medications but of course for different reasons. Mrs. Jones wiped her tears away and caressed my hands gently.

"Don't worry about it, Mom. I'll get better soon and ensure to gain their approval and trust," I assured her.

She nodded her head and smiled at me. I didn't know how to comfort someone, but my mind told me to hug her . . . and so I did. She cried more and embraced me tightly.

"I'll be better, I promise, Mom. Hush now, please . . ." I said and closed my eyes as memories started to flash back in my mind.

It was the young version of me from the orphanage, saying those exact words as one of the teachers scolding me when I forgot my lines during our presentation. I was crying and telling them that I would be better after being scolded and taught that apology wasn't enough, that I should become better.

So every time I was humiliated, or whenever I failed and treated as worthless by my peers, I would stand up and promise myself that I'd fight back and do everything to get better.

For some reason, tears started pooling in my eyes as I felt that this kind of embrace was the only thing I've been waiting for ever since I was a child.

"Reese, I'm glad that you came to my life . . ." Mrs. Jones mumbled which stung my chest.

I was slapped back into reality and remembered that I was only living someone else's life, not mine.

OLIVIA

Mrs. Jones escorted me in my room after that emotional moment we had in the living room. She said that I must relax a bit and dip in the bathtub before we eat dinner. She also mentioned that she would cook all my favorite food. I couldn't deny that she was kind and a wonderful mother. I realized that Reese was so blessed to have a mother like her who would support and love her so unconditionally.

Every day of my life, I've yearned for that kind of love, and I never imagined that I'd get the opportunity to experience it myself, even though I knew it wasn't actually meant for me, but rather for someone else.

That's why I had to make sure that I would be able to act more convincingly from now on. My goal was to avoid making Mrs. Jones suspicious of me as I knew that it would break her heart if she found out that I'm a different soul. While her daughter was nowhere to be found, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to portray Reese Jones's identity perfectly and to fill in some gaps she had left here.

When Mrs. Jones left me in my room, I peeped outside and locked the door. Now that I was free from their sights, it's time for me to take action.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Lara's phone number.

"Hey, red baby doll . . ." I said a few seconds after she answered a call.

We decided to come up with a code whenever we talk on the phone and this 'red baby doll' was something I chose. I would say the code whenever I call her so that Lara would be aware that it was me who's calling her.

"Olivia, how are you?"

I could hear the blast of the music in the background. It was difficult for me to hear her voice as she seemed to be in the bar right now.

"Hey, can you go to the dressing room for a second? I can barely hear you!" I said and crossed my arms on my chest as I waited for the background noise from the other line to stop.

Minute passed and then the silence filled the other line.

"Alright, can you hear me now?" she asked.

"Yes, that's better!" I sighed with relief. "Hey, Lara. I badly need your help."

"Sure, Mrs. Maxwell, the wife of the billionaire. How can I be of help?" she said as she tried to tease me.

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Reese Jones is someone I'd like to learn more about and I need your help to investigate and obtain more information regarding that woman. I require a lot of great deal of information about her that can help me impersonate her, Lara. I badly need your help and I need this task to be done as soon as possible."

"Ooh, sounds fun! Of course, I will help you! Looks like you're determined to ace your plan now!" she giggled.

"Well, I'm already here. Might as well give my best for me to hit a jackpot," I hissed.

"I'm glad you grabbed the chance, Liv." Then I heard her long sigh. "I hope something like that will happen to me too. The loan sharks came to my house yesterday and they really stressed me out. I don't know what to do anymore," she added.

"How much do you need, Lara?" I asked her worriedly.

We've been friends for a long time. I knew that she'd been borrowing money from loan sharks and despite how horrible these people are. Lara had no other choice but to come back with them whenever she needed money because she had no one to run to and I had no money to offer as well.

But now . . . I think I could do something to help her.

"O-Olivia," she stuttered as her voice suddenly cracked. "N-No, you don't have—"

"Just tell me, Lara. How much do you need? I want to help, alright?"

I heard her sob but then a few seconds passed and she screamed in glee. What a nice actress!

"Oh, my goodness, Liv! You're such an angel!" she exclaimed dramatically.

I shook my head. "Stop it. You know I am not close to becoming one. We're such daredevils!"

We both chuckled. I had to admit that it felt good to talk to my best friend. My day had been so suffocating and Lara was the only person with whom I could talk to with all my guard down and without feeling judged.

"So, how's your life now that you became a wife of a billionaire?" she asked, her voice was giddy.

"Well, let me tell you the bad news. Chase's parents stopped us from getting married today."

"What the heck? Is that for real?" she sounded shocked.

"Yeah, I was kind of pissed about it but I don't want to worry about that right now. I still have to work on my disguise so they won't be suspicious of me." I sighed. "But Chase told me he will do everything so we can get married soon though," I told her as I layed down on the bed.

"Hmm, in-laws issues . . ." she laughed. "Don't worry, babe. I got your back. I'll investigate that woman, Reese Jones, and will send all the information to your email. Just go along with your disguise. No one's going to be suspicious of you since you're too identical with Reese."

"Thanks, Lara. You know I can't do this without you. I promise to make a shit ton of money and your help won't be put into waste as I will include you with my success!" I said happily.

"Sounds great, Liv! I'm thinking about my dream vacation with my boyfriend in Hawaii. I think you can treat us to an all-expense paid trip!"

"What? You should travel with me first. No boyfriends allowed!" I hissed. "Anyway, how much money do you need?"

"Uhm, about fifty thousand dollars, Liv . . ." she replied.

What? She needed that much money?!

"I promise to pay you, Liv. My kid also needed the money for his tuition fees. His father no longer gives his child support and I am already tired of chasing that poor ass guy. I really can't depend on him so I must face this hardship alone for my child."

I sighed in disbelief. "Alright then. I got your back, Lara. You have nothing to worry about," I assured her.

"Since you're already the soon-to-be wife or should I say the fiance of the super famous Chase Maxwell, I presume you can ask him for money, right? Or perhaps that woman, Reese Jones, has some bank accounts or credit cards that you can use!" she suggested.

I rolled my eyes. Now, I wanted to question myself about who's the real devil between me or Lara.

Two birds of the same feather really flock together . . .

"Are you hearing yourself, Lara? Damn it! You really are the devil!" I snorted.

"Yeah, I know! I'm a great devil for money. Anyway, I need to do some work here at the bar. I'll call you later!" she said. "Don't forget the money! Let me know once you have it so we can meet at our secret place. Bye, Liv!"

I threw my phone on the bed after that call. Now, I just need to create a plan on how I can get some money to help Lara . . . I recalled the night I first met Chase. He told me that he could give me even the riches of Solomon when I asked him to pay me three hundred thousand dollars. Would it appear embarrassing for me if I asked him about that money?

I found myself contemplating whether to do it or not as I stared at the ceiling but I guess I had no other choice since I already promised Lara that I'd help her. That's what best friends are for. She didn't leave me at my lowest so I will do my best to be someone she could depend on this time.

I went downstairs and asked for a family driver to drive me at Chase's office as I didn't know where he actually works. It was a good thing that our butler assisted me and called one of the drivers to help me.

After almost an hour, we arrived at a very huge building. My mouth was opened as I looked up to the company where Chase is working. His family is damn rich!

The driver opened the car door for me and I went out to look around. I saw a group of men in black suits and ties marching toward me. My heart raced as I didn't know any of them. I clutched my chest when they stopped in front of me.

"Welcome back, Ms. Jones. We heard from your butler that you're coming over to meet Mr. Maxwell," their leader told me, which made my jaw drop on the floor.

Was it common for the rich people to be welcomed this way whenever they visit someone else's office? I almost had a heart attack!

I was about to thank them but a bunch of photographers suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I heard their cameras clicking and flashing that almost blinded my eyes.

Why are they doing this, anyway? Is Reese a celebrity too? My goodness!

"Ms. Reese, can you please give us your statement? Why didn't you show up at your wedding?"

"Ms. Reese, is it true that your parents only want you to marry Mr. Chase Maxwell because your family business is already on the verge of bankruptcy?"

"Ms. Reese, do you still plan to join this year's national swimming competition?"

"Ms. Reese, is it true that you're only an adopted child?"

I saw TV reporters, media men and possibly paparazzi blocking my way and asking me a lot of questions. I was completely shocked as this was the first time I encountered such a mishap . . . I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to cover my face using my arm.

Then I recalled a moment when an unknown guy from the bar told me that I looked like one of known athletes that was engaged to a famous billionaire. In fact, I'd always hear it whenever I had customers whose ages were in their mid 20's. I just chose to ignore it as I found it nonsense . . . now it all made sense to me. I couldn't help but wonder if Mike knew this all along knowing he was a well-known bachelor who owned one of the big night clubs in town.

I only came back to my senses when the bodyguards started to push these media men away and covered me so I could walk forward. I had a hard time walking as the crowd was all over the entrance of the building.

After all the push and pulls, I was finally able to enter the building. I was about to walk with my head up but I stumbled into something that caused me to fall on the floor.

My lips formed a thin line as I heard some giggles from the employees. What is so funny? They are supposed to help me stand up!

I clenched my hand and tried to stand up but the moment I looked up, I felt as if my heart was hammered when I saw Chase's father staring at me.

Judging the way he looked at me, I saw the intense disgust through his eyes.