Chapter 2

He had to come to the party despite knowing he didn't belong and he would regret his decision later. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice, honestly. 

Lately, the insecurity had been eating away at him, a constant fear that Claire would grow tired of him because of his financial situation and leave him for someone who was more financially stable than him. He could see it in the way she looked at him sometimes, that unspoken question hanging between them: How much longer could she put up with this?

So here he was, doing things he wouldn’t normally do, like coming to this party where he knew he’d be the joke.

As he entered the house, the air was loud with chatter, and the smell of alcohol and perfume stuck heavily to the atmosphere. Julian scanned the crowd, searching for her, his girlfriend, Claire. His eyes quickly swept across the room, taking in the numerous well dressed guests.

To his dismay, he couldn't find his girlfriend among the many people, but he spotted a few familiar faces among the sea of guests. Some of them were his workmates. A subtle frown appeared across Julians face at their sight. He had known they would be here, but that didn’t lessen how he felt. His workmates casually mingled, exuding the same ease they showed at the office, now dressed in tailored suits and elegant evening dresses. 

The reason Julian wasn't happy to see them was because they often looked down on him, their expressions always dismissive, as if his financial struggles made him less of a human than them, someone who wasn't worthy of their respect. Their wealth felt even more pronounced outside of work, a clear difference in his own appearance.

Julian immediately turned to walk the other way before someone could notice him. The last thing he needed was for them to notice him. If they saw him here, dressed like this, they would bother him without hesitation for sure.

Being surrounded by people who had more than he ever could, it was easy for people to make fun of him, making him feel like the punchline to every joke. Julian had gotten used to the sneers, the judgmental glances, the whispers. But being used to it didn't make it any easier as their words still affected him.

Julian stopped by the drinks table on a corner near the stairwell, pouring himself a quick glass of water.

Just as he was about to take a sip, someone approached from behind him. The person tapped him on the shoulder, making him almost jump in fear. Startled, he fumbled with the glass, and the water sloshed out, spilling over the front of his clothes. He looked down in dismay, the cool liquid soaking into his already worn-out jacket, now it looked worse, like he found it on a garbage can.

“Nice move, loser,” a voice sneered, dripping with disdain. Julian turned quickly, his heart skipping a beat as he locked eyes with Gabe. Gabe was one of his supervisors at work. Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and polished shoes, Gabe smirked, his expression dripping with smug superiority as he looked at Julian. “What are you even doing here, dirtbag?”

“I'm here for Claire's birthday.” Julian replied.

Gabe scoffed, his eyes scanning Julian’s worn out clothes with obvious disgust. Julian was dressed in clothes that looked entirely out of place in this upscale setting. His faded jeans were frayed at the edges, and his shirt was soaked, clinging awkwardly to his chest. Compared to Gabe’s sleek appearance, Julian felt like a shadow, a reminder of his lower status. “What are you even wearing? Did you pull those clothes from a dumpster?”

 Julian held back, he had no words to reply to Gabe.

Gabe took a step closer, his voice lowering but still loud enough for others nearby to hear. “I mean, seriously, did you sneak in? You should be out cleaning the floors, not pretending you belong here. What’s the matter? Couldn’t afford to wear something that doesn’t scream ‘janitor’?”

As soon as Gabe finished his joke, a few people nearby burst into laughter. One of them, still chuckling, called out, “Oh my god, Gabe, that’s savage. Take it easy on the poor janitor will you?” Their laughter only grew louder, echoing around Julian. 

 The taunt stunned, and Julian clenched his fists at his sides, every word slicing through his already fragile pride, what hurt more was hearing the people laughing to Gabe's joke. But really, what did he expect? Showing up to a fancy event dressed like this, it was almost asking to be humiliated.

The room felt smaller with every passing second, the laughter from Gabe’s friends ringing in his ears. He wanted to defend himself, to say something back, but what could he say? Gabe was right. He didn’t belong here. His clothes, his position, his entire life was a world apart from the people in this room.