Chapter 2

Before the party, Kevin and I had already argued.

I had delivered lunch to the wrong person earlier that day—Kevin's secretary ended up receiving it.

Barely containing his anger, Kevin forced a smile.

"Ayla, how can you mess up something so simple?"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I have to clean up because of you?"

I apologized and left, but just as I turned the corner, I overheard him talking to his friends.

"Kevin, doesn't her stupidity drive you insane?"

Kevin chuckled. "Of course. She can't even recognize people—she's dumb as hell. But she got hurt because of me, so I can't exactly yell at her, can I?"

I stormed back and confronted him, and that fight led to tonight's "punishment."

Cold water and ice suddenly drenched me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

The sound of a bucket clattering to the floor was followed by a server's panicked voice.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

I stood there, soaked to the bone, looking like a drowned rat in the middle of the grand hall.

It seemed like I had terrible luck. At every party, there was always some clumsy server spilling something on me.

The young woman handed me a towel and a cup of hot water, pleading, "Miss Ayla, please don't report me. I really need this job…"

Her voice cracked as if she were about to cry.

I wiped my face and said hoarsely, "It's fine. You can go."

I drank the hot water, trying to shake off the chill, when a nearby conversation caught my attention.

"Poor thing… She didn't even realize that server is Jenna's friend."

"Yeah, and remember Kevin's birthday? Someone tripped her, and she hurt her knee. That was Jenna's friend too…"

"It's such a shame. With her face blindness, she can't see through their games and just keeps getting played."

I froze in place as humiliation boiled inside me like scalding water.

"Hey, there she is! Ayla, over here!"

Kevin's friends had spotted me.

I lifted my trembling head, staring at the mass of faceless strangers. The sight made me nauseous.

Before they could reach me, I turned and stumbled away in the opposite direction.