Chapter 3

The music still played, but all other conversations died.

A dozen pairs of eyes fixed on me, filled with amusement and disdain.

Brandon's smile froze. He instinctively let go of my hand and took half a step back.

That simple action sent a chill through me.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at Tiffany's face, which was practically radiating malice.

"Ms. Hayes, you shouldn't just throw around accusations."

My tone was flat.

Tiffany, however, laughed exaggeratedly, bending at the waist.

She turned to the people in the room and declared loudly, "Why would I lie?"

"Last week, I came here with Chad, and I personally saw her giving a lap dance to some old man!"

She gestured with her hands as she spoke.

"I saw the man's back; he was short, fat, and bald, clearly a sleazy, newly-rich guy."

"That day, she was down to just a G-string! Her figure was actually pretty good!"

"After the dance, she even left with that old man."

Finished, she turned, looking at Brandon's ashen face, and blinked innocently.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot she's your girlfriend now. I shouldn't have said anything."

"But Brandon, you're so careless. How can you bring this kind of woman to a place like this?"

"What if one of the regulars recognizes her? Where would Chad's reputation stand then?"

Her words instantly ignited the room.

"Holy crap, she's a stripper?!"

"I knew it! Look at her cheap clothes, probably not even two hundred bucks head to toe. How else would she hook up with Brandon?"

"Women these days will do anything for money."

"Dude, she's openly making a fool of you, and you're just gonna stand there?"

Chad leaned back on the sofa, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Brandon, his eyes full of amusement.

"Brandon, your taste is certainly... unique."

"How much does your girlfriend charge for a lap dance? Why don't she give us one today?"

Laughter erupted.

Someone whistled, someone started chanting for me to take my clothes off.

Brandon's face cycled from green to white, veins throbbing on his forehead.

He frantically glanced at the disgusted looks around him, then at me.

A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

But when Chad's contemptuous laugh reached his ears, that hesitation twisted into ruthless self-preservation.

He yanked his hand from mine, retreating to Tiffany's side.

Then, with an intentionally raised voice, he roared at everyone, "Aria! You've disappointed me so much!"

"I brought you here to experience the world, and you've been doing... such despicable things behind my back!"

I looked at the man I'd once thought was honest and reliable.

"If I said it wasn't true, would you believe me?" I countered.

Brandon didn't even look at me. He just gritted his teeth, turning to Tiffany with a placating smile. "Tiffany saw it herself. How could it be fake?"

"No wonder you came home so late last Friday night and wouldn't answer your phone!"

"When I asked you where you were, you said you were working overtime! So, this is where you were working overtime?!"

He spoke louder and louder, as if volume could drown out his own insecurity.

"I'm slaving away for our future, and you're doing such low-down dirty work behind my back!"

"Aria, you disgust me!"