Evelin's POV
"Take it easy, Evelin. They're just talking trash. They didn't mean any harm," Grey said, waving it off like it was nothing.
Pain flashed through me. After everything I'd endured, Grey still wouldn't stand up for me. Not even once.
"What's it going to take for you to care?" My voice sliced through the air, thick with bitter sarcasm. "Should I grovel on my knees, apologizing for marrying you? Remember, Grey—you were the one who proposed."
His friends exchanged uncomfortable looks. Grace's expression froze, her mouth pressed into a tight line.
Grey's eyes went dark. He seized my wrist. "Whatever's bothering you, we'll deal with it at home."
"Absolutely not." I jerked my arm away. "We're settling this right here. You know what? You and Grace deserve each other. The cheater and his mistress. Hope you'll be very happy together."
Grey's face hardened. Grace went white as paper.
Tate, one of Grey's buddies, butted in. "Who the hell do you think you are, Evelin, attacking Grace like that? What makes you so special? Some nobody from a third-rate school, an orphan with nothing? You actually think Grey would choose you over her?"
"Back off!" Selina shot back, moving closer to me. "Third-rate school? Evelin graduated from RDU!"
The whole table burst into laughter. "Royal Defense University? You're seriously trying to pass off that dump as RDU?" someone sneered.
"Both of you are completely delusional!" another one added.
Grace stood up, wearing a smug grin. "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. Pretending to have a degree just makes you look pathetic."
Selina was seething. "Lie? Look it up in the records!"
I caught Selina's arm, my gaze ice-cold as I stared down Grace. "I don't need your approval to know my worth."
Grace wavered, her confusion evident. She expected me to be panicking, caught in my supposed lie. So why was I standing there, completely unfazed? My calm demeanor seemed to genuinely disturb her.
Right then, Grace spotted some people approaching. She recognized one of them.
"Professor James!" she chirped, putting on her sweetest smile. "What a surprise seeing you here. Having dinner?"
Linton James, who moved in the same social circles as the Bennett family, nodded at her. "Grace, it's been a while."
"You teach at Royal Defense University, don't you? Someone here is claiming they graduated from RDU. I wonder if you might know them," Grace said, her voice dripping with false sweetness and poison.
The others smirked, eager to watch me get humiliated. "Yeah, Evelin, since you went to RDU, you must know your former professor," one of them mocked.
I stepped forward, completely composed. "Professor James, nice to see you."
"Look at her putting on an act!" someone jeered.
"Pretending like she actually went to RDU!"
"No way Professor James knows her!"
The insults kept coming—until Linton placed his hand on my shoulder, and the table fell dead silent.
"Evelin! What a pleasant surprise running into you here," Linton said, beaming. "Has it been that long already?"
"Something like that," I replied with a slight smile. "How have you been?"
"Still going strong. I heard about your parents—my condolences," Linton said gently.
I nodded. "Thank you."
The group, expecting to laugh at my expense, sat there in shock.
Grace's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Professor, you... you actually know her?"
"Know her? She was one of my students," Linton said with a laugh. "She was Bonnie City's admissions sensation back then. Scored nearly perfect on her SATs. Created quite a stir when she got accepted."
The smirks disappeared. State science champion? Anyone with half a brain knew that was serious—pure intellectual firepower.
And RDU? It wasn't just about being smart; you had to be tough, tougher than any Ivy League could make you.
Grace's face turned red, then drained of all color. She'd just called me a loser, and now she was the one looking like an idiot.
Grey stared at me, stunned. All those years of marriage, and he'd never known. I'd never once mentioned my achievements, my intelligence.
From the way he stared, I could tell that in that moment, I had become a complete stranger to him.
"Professor James, she was your student?" a smooth male voice interrupted, snapping everyone back to reality.
"Yep," Linton said, turning to introduce them. "Evelin, this is Jimmy Hamilton, CEO of Hamilton Group. Jimmy, meet my student, Evelin."
The name Jimmy Hamilton was like a thunderclap in the room. I watched as everyone's eyes brightened, the mood instantly shifting as they practically fell over themselves to get his attention.
When the Hamilton family patriarch passed away, Jimmy stepped up to lead. Even the smallest connection to him could mean serious money, serious opportunities.
"Ms. Elysia," Jimmy said, extending his hand politely.
I recognized him—the man from outside the funeral home.
Without the umbrella, his features were sharp and striking: blond hair slicked back, prominent cheekbones, straight nose, thin lips.
His dark eyes resembled a still, deep ocean—impossible to read. His smile was courteous, but it concealed whatever he was truly thinking.
"Mr. Hamilton," I said, accepting his handshake.
His grip was firm, his hand clean and precise, fingers long and steady.
For just a moment, I felt a chill—like those hands could snap someone's neck just as easily as they could shake mine.
The handshake ended quickly.
Others at the table were desperate to catch Jimmy's attention, but he wasn't interested.
"Professor James, shall we head to the private dining room?" he said.
Linton nodded, gave me a quick pat on the shoulder, and followed Jimmy away.
Grey moved closer to me, his voice low and irritated. "Admissions sensation? RDU graduate? Why didn't you ever tell me?"
I met his gaze, my expression blank. He'd never cared enough to ask.
"Does it make a difference?" I said, my tone flat as concrete.
Before Grey could respond, a gunshot exploded through the restaurant.
Screams filled the air as bullets flew toward Jimmy's group.
I stumbled as someone shoved me hard, almost knocking me down. My eyes found Grey—he'd grabbed Grace and ducked behind a screen.
It was Grey who had pushed me.
When danger struck, he'd chosen to protect Grace, not his wife.
'Grey, how many more times will he disappoint me?' My heart turned to stone, my face expressionless as I looked at him. 'Did it ever occur to him that pushing me away might have put me directly in harm's way?'
When he met my stare, a flicker of what looked like guilt crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant. I knew that look; he probably thought he could make it right later, that a few sweet words would be enough to make me forgive him, just like always.
But then he saw my lips move, silently forming words that hit him like a punch to the stomach: 'Grey, I'm done with you.'