Chapter 5 Blatant Humiliation

Reality pulled Vanessa back in without warning.

A deep, biting cold spread through her body, and her hands began to shake.

So much grief pressed against her chest that breathing felt difficult.

Only after her fingers brushed against the brooch tucked inside her purse did her emotions slowly steady. That small piece of jewelry was the same one Shawn had given her years ago.

What no one ever discovered was that after she left that night, Vanessa had returned to the club and searched through every trash bin until she found it.

After drawing in a long breath, she fixed a flawless smile on her face and eased the private room door open.

The lively chatter inside stopped at once, leaving behind a suffocating stillness.

Every person in the room turned toward the entrance at the same time.

Under the lights stood a woman dressed in a modest black gown. Her hair was pulled into a neat ponytail, and light makeup failed to hide the pallor of her face.

Even with signs of weariness clinging to her, she still carried a reserved elegance that placed her beyond reach.

Standing there was Vanessa, the very woman they had been whispering about moments earlier.

None of them had believed Vanessa would actually appear. Even when the Owen family was at its height, she had skipped every class reunion. With the family's downfall, her presence had seemed impossible.

What surprised them even more was the way she chose to appear.

A heavy stillness settled over the room.

That humiliating scene from their graduation party had never really faded from memory.

Because of that, what was unfolding now felt unsettling and strange.

Breaking the silence at last, the former class representative stepped forward. He had once been the most admired among them, and with a wine glass in hand and a practiced smile, he spoke carefully. "It has been years, Vanessa. We didn't expect you would come."

Every ear in the room strained to catch her response.

Without revealing the slightest feeling, Vanessa answered calmly, "It has been a long time since I saw everyone, so I thought I would come by and greet a few familiar faces."

At that, a mocking laugh cut through the quiet. "You did not come just to greet people. You must be here to ask for help, right?"

Her face tightened as Vanessa turned toward the speaker. The one who had spoken was Tyler Reynolds.

He had confessed his feelings to Vanessa on the very first day of university, and even after she rejected him, he continued to bother her throughout all four years of college.

Once Vanessa began a relationship with Shawn, Tyler's feelings twisted into resentment, and he started spreading indecent rumors about her. After Shawn stepped in and put him in his place, Tyler finally learned to keep quiet.

Only now, with her family's downfall, did he dare to provoke her again.

His comment plunged the room into an uncomfortable stillness.

Seeing the mood sour, the class representative forced a smile and tried to smooth things over. "Let us not make this awkward. We are all old friends here. Besides, Vanessa has always been capable. It is not as if she needs to come to us for funding."

"Actually, I am here to seek investment," Vanessa said calmly, unruffled.

Another silence swept through the room.

Glances passed quietly between the group, and soon, everyone chose to steer away from the subject.

The people gathered there were sharp and calculating. While they recognized Vanessa's talent in design, they also understood that business success demanded far more than creative skill alone.

In their eyes, the former Owen family heiress was no longer someone to admire from afar or feel intimidated by. Instead, she had fallen far enough to stand before them and ask for support.

At the same time, the person truly worth pleasing had not yet arrived, and that person was Shawn.

With a wine glass in hand, Tyler made his way toward Vanessa. Back then, his family status had never measured up to hers, and she had barely spared him a glance. Now, triumph flashed openly across his face as he studied her.

"Miss Vanessa Owen," he said, "you used to stand so high above everyone else, yet here you are, crawling around for investors, now that your company collapsed."

On the surface, Vanessa appeared calm, yet her hand curled into a fist so tightly that her nails pressed painfully into her skin.

After graduating, she had poured everything she had into building Victrix from the ground up. The company had been modest in size, but it once earned a respectable name in the industry.

When the Owen family fell, partners withdrew their funding and canceled contracts one after another. Even steep breach penalties did not stop them from severing every connection.

There was a time when clients lined up outside her office. Now, she struggled to cover even the next month's rent.

Still, Vanessa maintained a courteous smile as she replied, "Actually, Mr. Reynolds, the company has not shut down."

"Is that so?" Elora Stewart, who once followed Vanessa everywhere, laughed with open disdain while clinging to the arm of a potbellied middle-aged man beside her. "My husband bought the building next door just last week. And I heard you are already three months behind on your property management fees. Who do you think you are fooling? Your good times are long gone, Vanessa."

A crushing wave of shame washed over Vanessa.

Humiliation settled deep in her chest, leaving her feeling exposed and small.

In the past, she would not have even bothered to remember people like them.

Now, however, she had fallen to the point of being nothing more than entertainment in their eyes.

Taking her silence as weakness, Tyler became even more emboldened. Swirling the wine in his glass, he said, "That little company of yours is bound to collapse sooner or later. Your designs might impress amateurs, but they are barely worth looking at for us."

Someone else quickly joined in, saying, "That is right. Just look at Shawn. He is the real success story. Vanessa, what were you even thinking back then?"

Their voices overlapped as they showered Shawn with praise while tearing her down without restraint.

All of a sudden, a calculating look crossed Elora's face as a new idea formed in her mind.

With a subtle gesture, she called over a server, and a tray soon arrived holding ten neatly arranged glasses filled with amber liquor.

Wearing a cruel smile, Elora said, "Vanessa, think of this as goodwill from your former classmates." She motioned toward the glasses and continued, "If you manage to drink every one of these, I will convince my husband to invest one million dollars in your company. Does that sound fair?"

That sum alone had the power to drag Vanessa's business back from the edge of collapse.

Even so, everyone understood that the offer was blatant humiliation.

Anticipation hung thick in the air as every person in the private room waited to see how she would respond.

Fixing her gaze on the liquor, Vanessa felt nausea twist in her stomach.

She shut her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, her emotions had dulled into quiet acceptance.

In that instant, she recalled that she had once valued her pride deeply but had surrendered it the day she knelt before Shawn.

Drawing in a steady breath, Vanessa seemed to steel herself for what came next.

Slowly, she extended her hand, although her fingers shook. She was just about to grasp the first chilled glass when a thunderous crash echoed through the room. The private room door flew open with force, and the sudden noise made everyone jolt in alarm.

Standing in the doorway was Shawn, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the veins on his hands stood out sharply. Behind his glasses, fury and a dark edge of hostility swirled in his eyes, emotions he had not yet noticed himself.

Every word spoken inside had reached him while he waited outside.

With deliberate weight in each step, Shawn strode into the room, his presence pressing heavily against the tense silence.