Chapter 5

The girl, Sharon, her lips curling into a sneer, leaned in closer to Julian,“You don’t belong here, buddy,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. She eyed his sneakers with a scoff. Although they looked better compared to his jacket and jeans, they weren't good looking either. Not only were they old, they were also cheap and far from fashionable.

"Oh my god, what does she even see in you?" Sharon mocked, her eyes looking all over him with barely concealed disgust. She didn't understand why someone like him was dating a beauty like Claire. How could she accept to be with him? A loser.

To her, there was nothing impressive or remarkable about him aside from his attractive face and handsome physique, and even that wasn’t enough to justify why someone like Claire would be with him, instead of someone who was in a better financial situation than him.

And the fact that he showed up to this party dressed like a beggar was proof enough that someone like him didn’t deserve to be dating someone like Claire. She couldn’t believe his audacity, walking into a place like this, looking every bit the loser. Her eyes swept over his faded clothes once more, her disgust deepening.

"Seriously," she scoffed, her tone dripping with contempt, "you came here looking like that? You must be out of your mind."

Julian’s face was filled with humiliation, his expression a rigid mask as the weight of the stares around him grew unbearable. It felt as if every eye in the room was fixed on him, scrutinizing his worn out clothes, making him wish he had never stepped foot here. He could hear some people making comments, and they weren't nice.

The remarks started low, but they quickly grew louder, echoing through the crowd like venom.

"Is he serious? He looks like he crawled out of a dumpster," someone muttered.

"I didn’t know this was a charity event," another sneered, the mocking laughter that followed loud enough for Julian to hear, and he couldn't say anything, all he could do was keep his gaze on the floor, not able to look at anyone in shame. He knew he looked like a begger, however he had no choice, this was the best he could dress.

"Didn't think Claire would invite someone like this to her birthday party? It’s embarrassing."

Julian’s hands trembled, his knuckles white as they gripped the gift, the bitter words sinking into him like daggers. He heard someone else scoff, "What a joke. Did he even try? It’s like he didn’t know where he was coming."

Before the sting of those words could even settle, another voice joined in, just as vicious. “Must be the face, and physique,” the second woman commented dryly, her gaze sweeping over him. Her frown deepened with obvious disgust. "But even that doesn’t do it for me. Poor is still poor.”

Their laughter followed, sharp and cruel. And the comments didn't stop, they continued to swirl around him, each one pushing him deeper into the pit of shame.

The room exploded in laughter, the sound bouncing off the walls, louder and crueler with each passing second. It was as if the floodgates had opened, and now everyone felt free to join in, mocking Julian without a second thought. The laughter felt like nails digging into his skin. Almost everyone was laughing except for Julian, who stood there, taking their jokes.

Sharon, standing nearby, had a slight look of hesitation flash across her face. For a moment, it seemed like she might say something, but instead, her lips twisted into a smirk. She wasn’t going to defend him, if anything, she seemed to be enjoying the show.

Just as the laughter from the joke started to die down, another voice cut through the crowd, sharp and merciless. "Those jeans? Seriously? What did he do, dig them out of a dumpster?"

The laughter reignited, louder this time, the cruel remark fueling the room’s amusement. Julian's face was red from anger, but more than that he was embarrassed. His fists clenched tighter around Claire's gift. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of anger and shame swirling in his gut. Every insult felt like another stab, a reminder of how out of place he truly was.

“Bet he’s here for the free food,” someone snickered in a mocking tone.

Another guest shook their head in disbelief. “Honestly, I thought Claire had better standards. What’s she even doing with a guy who can’t afford a decent outfit?”

Their words reverberated around him, each insult pushing him closer to the edge. Julian's hands clenched, knuckles white, the gift for Claire crushed between his trembling fingers. Every passing second felt worse. He wanted to disappear, to melt into the floor and escape the flood of ridicule washing over him.

What was he even doing here? What had he expected?

A cruel laugh echoed again. “I mean, look at him dressed like that and think he belongs. What a joke.”

Julian fought the urge to leave to just turn and walk out, but something stopped him. Claire would be furious if he left, if he embarrassed her even more than he already had. Still, he couldn’t take this.

Julian raised his gaze from the floor looking at no one in particular. He couldn't find the courage to look anyone in the eyes at the moment. He tried to muster a reply just to not look like a complete loser, but the sneering gazes and the collective attention made his throat tighten. He took a step back, and he was trying to come up with something to say.

However, just as he was about to reply to the people, he heard a faint laughter coming from the direction of the hallway. Realizing that the laughter was very similar to that of someone he knew, he darted his eyes towards where the laughter came from. And that’s when something caught his eye, a couple walking down a corridor and disappearing into the bathroom at the end of the corridor, the door closing behind them. Julian froze, his gut twisting as he realized that one of them, the woman, looked very familiar. One of them was her: his girlfriend!