Chapter 5

In a flash, Spencer returned to his usual composure. He now had neither the time nor the patience to listen to Elizabeth. With a sweep of his coat, he turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening thud, choking off the words "disappear forever" before they could escape Elizabeth's throat. As he vanished without a backward glance, a bitter, self-mocking smile touched her lips. … Following a few days of hospitalization, Elizabeth's fragile state began to recover. However, not a single soul came to visit her. Courtney was the only one who messaged her every single day in photos and videos. They were relationship updates of her snacking in the passenger seat while Spencer, ever obsessed with cleanliness, personally unwrapped the food for her. She told Elizabeth that she had mentioned offhand that it had been a long time since she had visited her parents, so Spencer took the initiative to take her back to the family estate for a family dinner. Courtney even updated Elizabeth on when she casually praised a magazine item, and an hour later, it appeared before her. Delicate, thoughtful gestures like those were foreign to Elizabeth. Even during the peak of Spencer's so-called affection for her, he never allowed her to eat in the car. He had never once considered introducing her to his family, and he certainly never cared enough to recall the offhand things she said. Elizabeth finally understood that a kept woman and a loved woman belonged to different worlds. The time, effort, and even the emotional investments were never the same for the two. The only person who was ever worthy of Spencer's undivided devotion and indulgence was none other than Courtney Gallagher. On the day of her discharge, Elizabeth's roommates paid her a visit and took her to a class gathering. The venue was a popular restaurant that was trending on social media. As soon as Elizabeth entered, she felt the weight of every hostile gaze. "Well, if it isn't our department's top student. Didn't you move off-campus and cut ties with everyone? Why are you free to join us today? Is your kept man too busy to keep you company today?" "Maybe she got dumped. Some women look all sweet and innocent, but who knows what kind of mess their private lives are? She would probably have snuggled up to a man in his 50s if the price was right." "This kind of gold-digging ambition. Ugh! We could never." A group of young women who had always despised Elizabeth surrounded her with thinly veiled mockery. Her roommates, no longer able to hold onto their anger, bristled in response, "What kind of bullshit are you even spouting? Elizabeth moved out to live with her boyfriend! He's not some 50-year-old man!" "Boyfriend? Don't be ridiculous! I've seen her getting into a luxury car late at night on more than one occasion. If that's not being a kept woman, then what is? "Instead of lying for her, maybe you should convince her to stop selling herself for money. She's ruining the reputation of Solarys College!" Such shameless insults only further ignited a burning fury in her roommates. Just as they turned around to confront the women, one of them caught sight of something outside the window and cried out in excitement, "You meddling bitches better wake up and take a good look. That's Elizabeth's boyfriend!" Almost immediately, the entire room turned to look. When they recognized who it was, each face froze in disbelief. "Spencer? Are you kidding me? There's no way! That guy's a whole different league! Elizabeth isn't even worthy of polishing his shoes! " "Whether she's worthy or not is none of your business. Come on. Let's prove it!" With renewed confidence upon Spencer's sudden appearance, Elizabeth's roommates tugged her forward to confront him. In the stunned silence that followed, Spencer walked to the passenger seat and personally assisted a woman out of the car. Their closeness left no doubt—they were more than friends. A young woman nearby who had been observing the scene suddenly recognized the woman. "Isn't that Spencer's ex-girlfriend, Courtney? They were seniors at my brother's school. Everyone knew about their relationship. The photo of them with their scholarship awards is still up in the school's hall of fame." "No wonder. How could someone as loyal as Spencer ever be with Elizabeth? Some people are just desperate to cling to him when some creepy old man is clearly keeping them. And yet, they still refuse to admit it." The atmosphere changed the moment those words were said, and Elizabeth found herself on the receiving end of everyone's scornful stares. Amid the sudden chaos, Spener lifted his gaze to the restaurant, then spoke a few words to Peter. Moments later, Peter strode toward them. As he approached with purpose, Elizabeth’s roommates began to think there was still hope. They clutched her hands nervously, hoping he had come for her. Peter did in fact walk up to the four of them, but he never once stopped in his tracks. Instead, he went straight to the restaurant owner and said, "Mr. Cooper and Ms. Gallagher would like to dine here today. Please clear out the restaurant. Mr. Cooper prefers a quiet environment." Hearing that a high-profile guest had chosen his restaurant, the owner beamed with excitement. He immediately instructed the waiters to offer a free meal as compensation and began clearing out the restaurant. Naturally, Elizabeth's table was among those asked to leave. Just as the crowd filed out in a noisy procession, Spencer happened to enter with Courtney. Elizabeth never wanted to cross paths with them, hence she lowered her head to avoid being seen. However, the young women quickly seized the moment and raised their voices. "Mr. Cooper! We're from Solarys College's Fashion Design Department. Do you know a student in our class named Elizabeth Farley?" At the mention of Elizabeth's name, Spencer stopped in his tracks and scanned his surroundings. However, Courtney was the first to spot her, her eyes glinting in a flash. Before Spencer had a chance to respond, Courtney interjected, "Why do you ask?" "Oh, nothing. It's just that she's been going around telling people she's involved with you. It's damaging your reputation, so we thought we should confirm the truth." With that, Courtney loosened her hold on Spencer's hand and looked at him steadily. "Spencer, is there anything going on between you and Elizabeth?" she asked gently, but loud enough for everyone else to hear it just as clearly. Spencer slightly lifted his gaze. He knew that Courtney was aware of his relationship with Elizabeth. He also understood that the people in front of him were there to humiliate the latter.