Chapter 227: Virgil

"Why are you here, Jared?" Juliette frowned, noticing Jared. After Warrick and the others had been beaten up by the man, she'd been practicing more restraint.

"Oh, we ran into him outside, so we invited him to join us! We're all former classmates, and we know him," Leroy interjected with a smile.

Only then did everyone notice Jared standing behind Leroy. Their eyes showed disdain as they assessed his clothes. One man jumped up, exclaiming excitedly, "When did you get out, Jared?" It was clear he knew about Jared's incarceration.

"Virgil? You're here too?" Jared was surprised to see him.

Virgil Hancock was Jared's former classmate and dormmate; they were close. In university, Virgil often helped Jared financially, despite not being wealthy. Jared hadn't expected him at the reunion, which had become a display of wealth by its well-off attendees.

"It's been years! I missed you! Come sit!" Virgil dragged Jared to the seat beside him. "Why didn't you tell me you were released? I would have thrown a party!"

"I've only been out a few days, and it would have been too much trouble," Jared replied, a faint smile appearing. He'd initially come to see his former classmates' materialism, but seeing Virgil, he felt he'd made the right decision.

"How inauspicious to dine with an ex-convict!" someone whispered loudly enough for everyone, including Jared, to hear. He glared at the speaker but didn't react further. The others looked at him with contempt.

Virgil looked embarrassed. He quickly pulled Jared aside and asked, "Have you found a job?"

"Nope," Jared shook his head.

"Work with me! I have construction teams. I'm the foreman. It's hard work, but you can earn three to five hundred a day!"

Virgil had attended the reunion to network for construction projects. [Remove the website promotion]

"Virgil, would the former student council president do that? You call those 'construction teams' and yourself a 'captain'? You think you're something special because you have a few laborers?" Leroy sneered, cigarette in mouth, placing his Mercedes-Benz key on the table.

A bitter smile touched Virgil's lips. "Compared to you, Leroy, I'm nothing! I hope you'll help me!" He obsequiously lit Leroy's cigarette.

Leroy nodded. "Sure. Any project from me will support you for a year!"

Virgil offered his business card, but Leroy tossed it aside after a glance. He exhaled smoke at Jared. "Jared, you were student council president, and a classmate, so I'll give you a security guard job. Three thousand a month. Saves me having to use my expensive Tibetan Mastiff to guard the door."

Everyone erupted in laughter. Juliette laughed loudest. Initially annoyed by Jared's presence, she was now gleeful at his humiliation.