Chapter 142: Making a Fool of Herself

Hilda greeted everyone with a smile, but her gaze darted away the moment she saw Lincoln. She feared losing control and confronting him for the misery he’d caused, but she didn't want to ruin the class reunion.

However, her reluctance to look at Lincoln only strengthened everyone else's belief in his sob story. They were convinced she had wronged him.

After Yolanda and Hilda greeted everyone, they noticed the strange looks directed at Hilda.

"I never expected you to be this kind of person, Hilda," Yvonne snapped. "And yet you still dare to come to our reunion! I was completely wrong about you!"

Hilda was baffled. She had no idea what Yvonne was referring to.

"How did she offend you, Yvonne?" Yolanda demanded. "This is your first meeting in years!"

Before Yvonne could respond, Lincoln stood up. "Let's not dwell on the past. We're here to socialize and have drinks. Let's all be amicable."

Yvonne fell silent.

"How ridiculous!" Yolanda muttered, pulling Hilda to an empty seat. Jared sat down beside Hilda.

Everyone stared at him with scorn.

"Who is this man, Hilda?" Michelle asked, breaking the silence. "This is a class reunion. Isn't it inappropriate to bring a guest?" Her question was deliberate; she wanted to see Hilda's reaction.

Hilda glanced at Jared. She opened her mouth to speak, unsure how to introduce him. She couldn't call him her boyfriend—their relationship wasn't official. But calling him a friend seemed equally inappropriate for a class reunion.

"Nice to meet you all," Jared said, rising gracefully. "I'm Hilda's boyfriend, Jared Chance."

Relief flooded Hilda's face. She nodded at Michelle. "This is my boyfriend."

Michelle studied Jared, a shadow of contempt in her eyes. "What's his profession?"

"We're sales representatives," Hilda replied.

"A sales representative? That must be lucrative these days," Michelle pressed. "I hear the commissions are high."

Michelle's relentless questioning irritated Hilda. "I—I'm not sure," she answered flatly. "We just started a few days ago."

Michelle's smugness intensified. "What did your boyfriend do before becoming a sales representative?" Her goal was to force Hilda to reveal Jared's prison record and humiliate her.

Hilda remained silent. She couldn't tell the truth; revealing Jared's past would humiliate them both.

"Why are you hesitant?" Michelle pressed, her tone honeyed but false. "We're all classmates. If your boyfriend's having trouble finding work, we can recommend some jobs! But first, we need to understand his background, right?"

Her words were a thinly veiled attempt to humiliate Hilda. Michelle had no intention of helping Jared.