"What the hell are you talking about? Didn't you invite us to this meal? l asked you what dishes to order! I even brought people over with your approval, and now you're trying to back out?" Jasmine exploded pointing angrily at Ryan Thompson.
Ethan's expression darkened, and Evelyn, Sophia, and their boyfriends looked equally displeased. They had come just to mooch off the meal, never intending to pay a dime. They didn't expect this situation to unfold.
Jasmine's sudden outburst drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant, and they felt utterly embarrassed. "You lent me money, so I should treat you to dinner. Now that I have, you can handle the rest yourself because l don't know them. I'm not in the habit of treating strangers," Ryan Thompson stood up, his tone firm. Jasmine was furious!
"Are you kidding me? Are you pulling tricks on me?" Ethan glared at Ryan, his anger palpable. Eleven thousand was still on the table was he really expected to cover that?
"Sorry, I don't know you!" Ryan replied, looking straight at Ethan. In the past, he might have backed down, but now that he had money, he wasn't afraid of anyone!
Ethan stared at Ryan, his fists clenched. But he furrowed his brow, surprised that the usually timid Ryan was standing his ground. That calm demeanor was unsettling.
"Seriously, you broke loser, what are you pretending for? Can't afford to pay for your own meal?" Jasmine shouted, her voice dripping with disdain. "This guy just doesn't want to spend money on purpose. There are always people like that. What a loser for trying to act tough without cash! This meal is disgusting," Evelyn shook her head, her face filled with anger.
With everyone watching, she felt utterly humiliated. "Exactly! How can someone say they'll treat us and then back out? What a shameless person! It's sickening!" Sophia chimed in, not holding back.
Jasmine pointed angrily at Ryan Thompson, "You think you can play me? You're paying up today, whether you like it or not!"
"You mean you want me to pay for everyone here?" Ryan laughed, his calmness surprising the onlookers.
"Are you deaf? When did I say l'd treat everyone here? I don't even know them! Why should l pay for them? I want you to pay!" Jasmine's eyes were red with rage.
"If you don't want to treat everyone because you don't know them, then why should I treat your friends? I don't know them either," Ryan retorted.
"You! Damn it!" Jasmine's face turned a deep shade of red, like liver. She was on the verge of losing it!
Evelyn and Sophia were left speechless, their faces twitching in disbelief. "You poor loser! You're just a poor loser!" Jasmine blurted out, her words tumbling out in a frenzy. But as soon as she said it, she was shocked!
Ryan Thompson shot her a glance. Poor loser? If she only knew that her mom had casually given him thirty thousand dollars, would she still think of herself as poor? A smirk crept onto Ryan's lips as he "accidentally" smashed a bowl, the sound echoing as it shattered on
the floor.
"Ah? Are you okay, sir?" the waiter rushed over, concern etched on his face. Breaking dishes in a restaurant was common, but it couldn't happen to customers.
"I'm fine, sorry about that. I broke one of your bowls, here's some compensation," Ryan said, placing a stack of cash into the bewildered waiter's hands.
"Sir, this..." The waiter was genuinely stunned. Just for a bowl? This customer was offering eight thousand dollars? The other patrons were equally astonished. Who compensates eight thousand for a bowl? Was this guy really a poor loser? He was practically a tycoon!
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief. Did he really just spend eight thousand on a bowl? A bowl that only cost three bucks? Had he really only picked up fifty thousand?
Evelyn and Sophia were even more dumbfounded. That was their living expenses for two months, just like that, gone? Everyone in the restaurant was left in a daze!
Meanwhile, Ryan Thompson had already walked out. "Ah!! Ryan Thompson, go to hell! You'd rather give it to Someone else than me!" Jasmine screamed in frustration.
Ethan snapped back to reality, filled with rage! "What about Jasmine now? We didn't bring any money!" Sophia immediately chimed in.
"Yeah, my boyfriend and I didn't bring any cash either," Evelyn quickly added. Jasmine gritted her teeth in anger, shooting daggers at the two of them. She pulled out a credit card and squeezed out two words through clenched teeth, "Charge it!"
Evelyn and Sophia let out a sigh of relief. The waiter finally regained his composure and took the stack of cash and the card to the front desk. "That's already $11,000 spent. I want to see how long this jerk can keep up with the $50,000 he picked up!" Jasmine seethed.
"With how showy he is, he'll probably blow through it all today! He won't be able to flaunt it for long. When he runs out of money, he'll definitely come crawling back to you for a loan, and when he does, don't even think about lending him a dime!" Ethan said coldly.
"Kneel? I wouldn't lend him anything even if he called me 'Mom'!" Jasmine fumed.
"Someone like him is just a dog when he's broke. He'll come begging you, Jasmine, and then you can just throw it back in his face!" Sophia said.
"Exactly! Jasmine, don't let this get to you. Why get upset over someone like him? He can't even buy a single drink without being stingy, and he spends $8,000 on a broken bowl without settling the bill. It's disgusting!" Evelyn added sarcastically.
"Not upset? That's $11,000! My dad is going to kill me. No way, I have to get that money back!" Jasmine's eyes were fixed on the outside.
"What are you going to do?" Ethan asked. "Hmph, he wants to mess with me? I'll make sure he regrets it!" Jasmine's expression turned icy.
Ryan Thompson took the elevator back to his room, feeling uneasy. Andria was in the same hotel, and even though she had been scolding him nonstop, they had shared a bed for over ten years.
After his grandfather passed away, she had supported him financially, so Ryan still had feelings for her. He wanted to find out which room she was in, but he had no luck. Just as he was about to head back to his room, he suddenly spotted Andria stumbling out from a side hallway.
Her face was flushed, clearly drunk, and two big men were grinning as they wrapped their arms around her, pulling her back inside. "Please, I've had too much to drink! I want to go back!" Andria clutched her stomach, looking like she might be sick.
Seeing this, Ryan quickly stepped aside. The two sleazy men dragged Andria further in, one of them saying, "Don't worry, we'll take care of you. Just relax and enjoy!"
"Haha, I can't wait! This little bitch was just pretending to be coy. I'll show you how to really have fun!" the other man chimed in, pulling Andria along.
"I want to go back! You promised me business introductions if I drank with you! Help!.." Andria had drunk a lot but still retained some awareness, though she was too weak to fight back as the alcohol
took effect.
"Isn't this the perfect time to do business? If you don't want to play nice, how can we help you?" one of the men sneered.
"Shut up! Drag her inside!" Ryan's fists clenched. No matter what, Andria was still his wife. Furious, Ryan charged forward and shouted, "Stop right there!" The two men, caught off guard by Ryan's sudden
outburst, hesitated.
However, seeing that he was younger, they quickly regained their composure. "What's it to you? You better watch your back, kid!" one of them threatened.
"Get lost, do you hear me?" the other man growled angrily. Ryan pulled out his phone. "I'm calling the police!"
"Son of a b'tch!" The two men exchanged nervous glances, their bravado faltering. They gritted their teeth. "Fine, we'll remember you! Let's go!" With that, the two men hurriedly left the scene.
Ryan Thompson let out a sigh of relief as he glanced at Andria, who was struggling groggily on the floor. With a resigned expression, he picked her up and carried her inside, using a chair to block the door to prevent anyone from coming back.
"Don't touch me, you bastards!" Andria protested, her voice slurred as she fought against him. She was surprisingly strong, and just as Ryan was about to set her down on the bed, he lost his balance and ended up tumbling onto her.
His face turned bright red as he quickly scrambled off her. To his surprise, Andria, exhausted from her struggles, soon fell asleep.
Ryan gently tucked her in, taking a moment to admire her familiar face. Andria was actually quite beautiful. Once upon a time, what was Andria to Ryan? She had been like a sister to him, caring for him since they were kids.
He had grown accustomed to her making the bed and cooking meals; it was something she had always done. After watching her for a while, Ryan noticed that she had fallen asleep.
He sighed and stood up to leave, but suddenly, he heard Andria call out, "Ryan Thompson!" Startled, Ryan froze. Wasn't she supposed to be asleep?