“And at the end, you wrote: ‘Since it’s me, the owner should give you a discount.’”

“Rachel, you call that promotion?”

“You’re just turning me into the sucker who lets your fans freeload!”

Rachel’s expression soured.

She knew that was her style—always about how good she looked, not how good the restaurant was.

She hadn’t expected me to expose her in public.

“I…”

She faltered, speechless.

Eric quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Sophia, Rachel didn’t mean it that way.”

“She was just trying to help you.”

“Help me?” I sneered. “Was that like in high school, when she stole the design draft I spent three sleepless days on, entered the contest with it, won the prize, and then accused me of plagiarism?”

“Or like in college, when she dumped a whole pack of salt into my coffee before my competition, humiliating me in front of everyone and getting me disqualified?”

I stared at her paling face, a cold smile tugging at my lips.

I had kept track of every one of her dirty tricks.

Eric looked at Rachel, doubt creeping into his eyes.

“Sophia, is… is that true?”

Rachel panicked, clutching his arm.

“Eric, don’t listen to her! It’s all a misunderstanding!”

“We’ve always been best friends. How could I hurt her?”

“You know very well whether it’s true.”

I put away my phone and looked at them calmly.

“Tonight’s dinner: 1.28 million. Not a cent less.”

“You don’t have to pay.”

“But my lawyer will send you a letter—and while we’re at it, I’ll compile all your ‘glorious deeds’ into a collection.”

“Then I’ll send it to your million followers so they can see exactly what kind of person their idol really is.”

Rachel completely panicked.

What she cared most about was the carefully crafted image of being “graceful and talented.”

If this dirt got out, she’d be finished.

“No!” she screamed, tears falling instantly.

“Sophia, I was wrong! I really was wrong!”

“Please forgive me just this once!”

She turned to Eric, crying piteously.

“Eric, please beg Sophia for me!”

“With our years of friendship, she won’t do this to me!”

Eric was clearly shaken by what I’d said.

He looked from me to Rachel, his face torn.

“Sophia, could this all be a misunderstanding?”

“Rachel’s not that kind of person.”

I looked at him, chilled to the bone.

Even now, he was defending her.

“I’ll give her ten minutes.”

“Either she pays, or she waits for the lawyer’s letter and public disgrace.”

I said no more and walked straight to the bar.