Chapter 3
63
20 vouchers
At ten o’clock that night, Winifred lay in bed and opened her long–unused Discord to find several messages from Patrick.
Patrick: [Claire, we’re holding our class reunion at Together Eats next week. All the details are in the group chat. You’re the only one who hasn’t responded. Are you coming?]
Patrick: [You never reply to my messages, Claire. If you’re going through tough times, just let us know. We’ll do whatever we can to help.]
Winifred’s phone kept lighting up with notifications from the class group chat.
She had thought about leaving the group, but with all forty–eight classmates in it, her sudden exit would draw attention. Not that she ever used the app much anyway.
Scrolling through the messages, she found exactly what she expected—no one had mentioned her. It was just like back in school, where she’d tried to fade into the background.
Yet somehow, being invisible made her more visible. Her size made her a target. No matter how small she tried to make herself, the cruel nicknames followed her everywhere –“Butterball,” “Fat cow,” “Whale.”
Even when she did nothing at all, even just walking down the hallway, the hushed comments would follow.
She hadn’t always been like this. In middle school, she’d been normal–sized, until the illness came, until the hormone–heavy medications changed everything.
Meanwhile, Humbert’s name kept appearing in the chat. He was the kind of person who naturally became the center of attention wherever he went.
People described him with words like “golden boy,” “school heartthrob,” “rich,” “powerful“– everything she wasn’t. They existed in completely different worlds.
She clicked on his profile. The grainy, outdated profile photo made it obvious he barely used the app.
*****
Before Winifred knew it, Saturday arrived. After an exhausting week, the Timeless Elegance team lead approved the first design draft, signed the contract, and sent payment that same day.
The second draft, based on Sylvia’s suggestion, got rejected as expected. Just as tensions were rising, their partner, Nathan Ford, saved the day by announcing dinner for the whole team at
13:00 Wed, Sep 10
Chapter 3
Together Eats.
63
20 vouchers
The place was the newest trendy hotspot everyone kept mentioning–some kind of upscale fusion restaurant with lounge seating. And somehow, Winifred felt like she’d heard the name before.
There was no way Winifred could skip an official team celebration, not with the partner’s partner himself attending.
By seven o’clock, the private room buzzed with toasts and laughter, and Winifred found herself finishing her second drink.
Meanwhile, in the room next door, Humbert strolled in late to his high school reunion, where his old classmates were already catching up.
The group cheered for him to take a drink, but when he shook his head, the teasing immediately stopped.
He declined with a faint, polite smile, explaining that he was on hospital call tonight as he kept his phone visibly placed on the table.
Several female classmates pretended to check their phones while actually snapping pictures of him, their cheeks turning pink.
Blessed with movie–star looks, academic brilliance, and old family money, Humbert had been the undisputed star at both high school and university.
“So Humbert,” someone called out with a grin, “are you seeing anyone special these days?”
“Between emergency calls and 80–hour weeks? He barely has time to sleep, let alone date,” another chimed in.
“They say cardiac surgery is one of the most demanding specialties,” said Yvonne Foley, their former class beauty. She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke, her cheeks flushing.
Everyone could see Yvonne’s lingering crush. When the group began teasing, she turned a deep shade of pink. Just then, as if arranged by fate, the chair beside her became empty.
Humbert acknowledged Yvonne with a brief nod, though he didn’t recall ever meeting her
before.
The private lounge was expansive, featuring both gaming tables and a dedicated karaoke area.
Still dressed in his interview attire from earlier, Humbert made his way to the armchair where he casually removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back. The cool–toned dress shirt emphasized his well–built frame.
Chapter 3
20 vouchers
He massaged his temples with long fingers before automatically checking the time on his watch.
His attention wandered disinterestedly around the room. He wouldn’t have come at all if Patrick hadn’t been so insistent and if he hadn’t happened to have the evening free.
Yvonne couldn’t hide her disappointment.
Patrick slid a glass across the table to him. “Just water,” he clarified.
“Thanks,” Humbert responded with polite detachment.
“We’re practically family after all these years,” Patrick said, giving Humbert’s shoulder a familiar pat as they exchanged pleasantries.
It was no secret that Patrick’s family furniture business had benefited from past collaborations with the Pierce Group, and he clearly hoped to maintain that professional connection through their personal relationship.
While Simon Pierce, the Pierces‘ eldest son, currently led the family business, Humbert deliberately kept his distance from corporate affairs. Still, no one could deny he was also the Pierce heir.
The open secret was Simon’s adoption–Humbert remained the only biological son.
Humbert arrived mid–gathering, with several classmates yet to appear.
His head lifted reflexively at each door opening, though he couldn’t name the face he hoped to see materialize in the doorway.
The private room’s boisterous atmosphere peaked when the final attendee arrived–Lily Lewis.
Patrick immediately rallied the group to pressure her into drinking, which she did with surprising ease, downing two fruit cocktails.
“Lily” someone heckled, “you’ve really grown since graduation.”
“Honestly, I didn’t recognize you at first,” another added. “Must be what, thirty pounds heavier?”
The weight comments made Humbert study Lily properly. A fleeting shadow crossed his eyes before he looked away.
A restless irritation settled in his chest as he poured himself a whiskey.
He sank into the armchair, crossing his legs with the effortless grace of a man whose tailored
13:00 Wed, Sep 10
Chapter 3
63
20 vouchers
slacks never creased wrong.
The ice cubes clinked rhythmically against his glass, his platinum watch glinting under the lights with each sip.
When he lowered his gaze, the strong lines of his profile and aristocratic features created an aura of unapproachable elegance, leaving admiring female classmates hovering at a respectful distance.
Yvonne chewed her lip before approaching with her drink. “Humbert, my relative is having heart problems. When will you be at the clinic next? I’d like to bring him in…”
The interruption made him glance up, his polite smile not quite masking his annoyance. “We’re booked solid next week. Though we do make exceptions for emergencies.”
“I see,” Yvonne murmured, sensing the dismissal in his tone. She returned to her seat, visibly deflated.
Patrick worked the room with the ease of a natural host, capping off the evening by gifting each classmate a membership card for his family’s furniture business and a premium coffee maker.
“Hey, does anyone still keep in touch with Claire? I need to mail her these,” Patrick said.
Humbert had been drifting in an alcohol haze after the long day, propping up his head with one hand, until Claire’s name made him tense. All drowsiness disappeared in an instant.
“Claire? You mean that overweight girl?” one classmate named Howard Penn chuckled. “I still remember how she looked after that endurance run in high school-” The next second, his words died in his throat when he met Humbert’s icy glare.
Howard assumed he’d disturbed Humbert’s rest and quickly fell silent, though whispers about Claire continued circulating among their classmates.
Winifred hadn’t attended the reunion. She would never know that even after seven years of absence, her former classmates still couldn’t stop talking about her.
After an awkward pause, one of the classmates, Shirley, spoke up hesitantly. “Something terrible happened to Claire. I think she might’ve passed away.”
The room went completely still, the kind of silence that made everyone hold their breath,
“Wait, what happened?” someone gasped.
“That explains why she never came to reunions,” another classmate said softly. “I’d reached out to her too, but she never replied. Turns out…”
13:01 Wed, Sep 10
Chapter 3
A few people exchanged sad glances and shook their heads.
63
20 vouchers
“It’s true,” Shirley continued. “Six years ago when I visited my grandmother in the hospital, I saw Claire there. She was so thin except for her huge belly. Must’ve been a tumor inside.” She gestured the size and sighed, “So heartbreaking.”
The weight of this revelation settled over the group.
As the silence stretched, someone instinctively turned to Humbert, the only doctor in the
room.
“Humbert, with a tumor that size… was there any chance?” the classmate asked carefully. “Claire’s family could never afford proper treatment, so she probably didn’t make it. No wonder we never heard from her again.”
All
eyes turned to Humbert, who sat motionless as if struck by lightning.
田
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
