When Clara checked in at the hotel, she deliberately chose the cheapest standard room. The remaining money she had, from her five years of savings, was enough to last her until the end of her training, but she couldn't afford to splurge. She changed into a clean cotton and linen shirt and jeans, and just as she was about to order a simple meal, she ran into Liam and Vanessa.
Vanessa wore a champagne silk dress, a limited-edition crocodile bag, and her makeup was as refined as if she were attending a dinner party. Liam wore a tailored suit, his watch gleaming with a cold gleam. Walking side by side, they looked like a magazine-style "wealthy couple." Upon seeing Clara, Vanessa paused, a flicker of sarcasm in her eyes. She deliberately tightened her grip on Liam's arm, her voice rising a few notches: "Liam, who's here? I thought Miss Clara had already returned to the village in the city. Why is she in a five-star hotel like this?"
Liam also frowned, his eyes sweeping over Clara's washed-out shirt, his tone filled with undisguised doubt: "Clara, why are you here? You haven't been home these few days, could it be..." He didn't finish his words, but the speculation in his eyes - as if she had seduced other men to be able to step into this "high-end place" - pierced Clara's heart like a needle.
Clara didn't want to get entangled with them and quietly turned around to find another corner, but Vanessa quickly stepped forward to stop her: "Hey, Miss Clara, don't leave! We haven't asked you yet. This hotel costs several thousand a night. How can you afford it with your salary? Did you find a 'rich man'? After all, for a girl like you with no family background, this is the only way to stay in a good hotel."
"Get out of the way." Clara's voice was light, but with a barely perceptible chill.
Liam stepped forward and grabbed her wrist: "Clara, I know you're still angry with me, but you can't humiliate yourself! Come home with me and don't embarrass yourself here." His tone was full of "this is for your own good", but the contempt in his eyes could not be hidden.