Chapter 4

Once, hearing Hailey talk like that would have given me a headache.

But now, it just struck me as ridiculous.

I looked at her and said, unruffled,

"Suit yourself."

When I didn't blow up the way she'd expected, Hailey frowned, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes.

The next moment she glanced at the bill on the table, and a sly look crossed her face.

"This meal only came to eight hundred grand?"

"No wonder you're so calm. Looks like I haven't spent enough yet."

Then she turned to a nearby server and said loudly,

"Bring me the menu. I'm ordering more."

The server glanced at me for permission.

I nodded.

She handed the menu to Hailey.

Hailey flipped through it, taking her time.

"Bird's nest soup, another bowl for everyone."

"Shark fin, one serving each."

"Caviar, bring out everything you've got."

When she was done, she tossed the menu onto the table and gave me a taunting smile.

"Well? Does it hurt yet?"

I tugged up the corner of my mouth and shook my head.

"Not a bit."

Hailey's face stiffened, and she looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Then bring out that bluefin tuna sashimi, two pounds a table."

She swept a look around the relatives from both families, lifted her chin, and added,

"And everyone gets a box of Australian lobster and king crab to take home, plus a bottle of top-shelf whiskey for a late-night snack."

That set the room off again.

"Wow! Not only do we feast, we get to take our own boxes home. Is this what real money looks like?"

Even Oliver looked proud and full of admiration.

"Hailey, I really had no idea. You're even more generous and better off than I thought."

Only Maureen couldn't help stepping up to Hailey, lowering her voice to warn her.

"Hailey, that's enough. Any more and you'll clean the whole place out."

Hailey shot me a taunting glance and gave a cold laugh.

"Cleaning out everything expensive in here is exactly the point. That way certain people learn their lesson and stop nickel-and-diming everything."

Then she looked at Maureen and asked in a low, pointed voice,

"Maureen, we grew up together, best of friends. You wouldn't take Jerome's side and let it come between us, wreck my engagement party, would you?"

Maureen looked at me, and in the end she chose to say nothing.

Hailey, meanwhile, stared down at me from on high, her eyes full of the pleasure of payback.

I smiled and said nothing.

It was the server who looked at me uneasily and asked, quietly,

"Boss, this order, do you really want me to put it in?"

I glanced at Hailey and Maureen and nodded.

"Put it in."

"Whatever they order, we serve."

Seeing how obediently I placed the order, Hailey looked like she'd won a war and flashed Maureen a smug smile.

"See that?"

"He's doing exactly as he's told now, isn't he?"

"I told you. You can't go easy on a man."

With that, she went back to her seat, satisfied, and kept eating and drinking.

Soon the server carried out Hailey's bird's nest soup, shark fin, and caviar, plate after plate, exactly as ordered.

Then dozens of boxes of Australian lobster, king crab, and whiskey were packed up and set quietly beside each guest.

Seeing all this, every guest in the room couldn't help praising her again.

"This is the most lavish, most extravagant engagement party I've ever been to!"

Hailey waved a generous hand and said grandly,

"That's small change, it's nothing. If everyone likes it, we can eat like this every single day!"

I looked at the bill.

Their total had stacked from eight hundred grand up to one point six million.

With every expensive ingredient and bottle in the place picked clean, Hailey was finally satisfied.

Stuffed and content, she leaned back in her chair and let out a burp.

Then she got up, walked over to me, and said with a swagger,

"Jerome, today's meal was enough to teach you a lesson, wasn't it?"

"Remember, stop being so petty about everything."

"Otherwise, I've got plenty of ways to deal with you!"

With that, she led everyone toward the door.

Just then a group of men suddenly blocked the entrance, cutting Hailey off, and the one in front spoke to her without the slightest courtesy.

"You ran up one point six million at my restaurant today, and you think you can walk out without paying?"