Chapter 3

The dining table was packed with food—four dishes and a soup.

Cassie eagerly placed a lamb rib on my plate, while Ethan poured me a glass of wine, both of them beaming with over-the-top hospitality that left no room for me to decline.

“Jenna, I remember lamb ribs are your favorite. Don’t hold back—eat as much as you like.”

“And I know how picky you are about wine. This one’s over $200 a bottle, so drink up,” Ethan added with a smirk.

I responded with a soft smile but didn’t touch my plate. Instead, I grabbed a piece of pork from the platter and placed it on Cassie’s plate, my tone playful and indulgent.

“Cassie, do you remember back in college when we used to grab pork knuckle rice from that food truck near campus? You’d always steal my pork knuckles. So today, it’s only fair the first bite goes to you.”

Cassie’s smile faltered for a second before she forced it back into place. “I’m pregnant now, Jenna. I’m avoiding greasy food.”

I pouted, feigning childish annoyance. “If you’re not eating, then neither am I!”

Ethan jumped in to mediate. “Cassie, just have a bite. It won’t hurt.”

Reluctantly, Cassie picked up the pork knuckle with the thickest layer of skin—the part that had been spiked with the most powder—and took a big bite. Afraid I’d notice anything suspicious, she exaggerated her reaction, chewing quickly and forcing a smile.

“It’s really good, Jenna! You should have some too!” she said, piling several pieces of pork knuckle onto my plate with an almost vindictive enthusiasm.

I smiled sweetly. “Cassie, you’re giving me all the tendons and leaving Ethan nothing to go with his wine. What’s he supposed to drink with?”

With that, I picked up the pork from my plate and dropped it into Ethan’s bowl, giving him a playful wink. “You’re not going to tell me off for not using serving utensils, are you?”

Ethan, taken aback by my sudden friendliness, stammered, “Of course not!” He immediately dug in, shoving a piece into his mouth.

“This is amazing—so soft and tender!” he said, stuffing more into his mouth between compliments.

Cassie, watching this little exchange, grew visibly annoyed. Her voice turned sour. “Ethan, since when do you love pork knuckle so much?”

I laughed lightly and, just to provoke her, added more food to Ethan’s bowl.

“What’s the matter, Cassie? Don’t tell me you’re jealous of me giving Ethan some food? In that case, I’ll just have to serve him even more!”

“And not only am I going to load his plate, but I’m also going to drink with him after dinner. My alcohol tolerance is no joke—I’ll probably have Ethan passed out under the table in no time.”

I turned to Ethan, flashing a challenge. “You’re not going to chicken out, are you?”

Ethan, always the vain and self-centered type, couldn’t resist. He puffed out his chest and smirked. “Me? Back out? Not a chance. But don’t come crying to me when you can’t keep up!”

With that, he polished off the food I’d given him and raised his glass to toast me.

I was careful, though. I only drank the wine I’d opened myself. While Ethan was busy trying to outdrink me, I sipped cautiously, knowing full well what kind of people I was dealing with.

As a sales professional, drinking was practically in my job description. Knocking back ten Ethans wouldn’t be a problem for me.

The more we drank, the more Ethan focused on pouring glass after glass, desperate to get me drunk. He’d forgotten all about convincing me to eat. Meanwhile, Cassie sat to the side, seething with jealousy, her expression twisted and ugly.

Cassie wasn’t just a hopeless romantic—she was also incredibly paranoid.

Back in college, she had two other close friends from our dorm. We used to hang out and eat together all the time. But one day, during a casual dinner, one of them complimented Ethan’s looks out of politeness. Another got a compliment from Ethan on her figure. That was all it took for Cassie to cut ties with both of them, spreading rumors behind their backs that they were “homewreckers” trying to steal her man.

The only reason she stayed close to me was because I’d always made it clear how little I thought of Ethan. My disdain for him was what kept her trust intact.