My Enemy Came Back for Me

The Fall From Grace

Her words stopped me cold.

Back in college, Ariana had told me more than once how much she despised Elliot. She used to say he was arrogant, entitled, and utterly shameless—always throwing his family's wealth around and playing with women as if they were toys. He'd cheated on every girlfriend he'd ever had and even forced more than one girl into an abortion.

And now, that same scumbag had somehow become her boyfriend. I could hardly believe that the sweet, innocent girl who once stood by my side had turned into someone like this.

I didn't want to say anything more. I turned to leave, but Elliot stepped in front of me with a grin. "Don't go, Chase. You're a server, right? Perfect. You can personally serve our table tonight."

Before I could reply, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into their private room, dropping himself into a chair and throwing one leg up onto the table. "Come on, Chase. Start by cleaning my shoes. Let's see how good you are at your job."

The others burst into muffled laughter.

Even Ariana was leaning toward Cleo, whispering and snickering as they watched me.

I swallowed my anger and let out a cold laugh. "Elliot, if you're here to eat, you're more than welcome. But if you're here to cause trouble, I'm asking you to leave—now."

Elliot barked out a laugh. "Hahahaha! Ptui! Don't make me laugh, Chase. Who the hell do you think you are? The restaurant owner?" His smug grin turned malicious.

Cleo immediately chimed in, eager to please. "Exactly! You should feel honored that Elliot's giving you the chance to clean his shoes. Honestly, you should be licking them clean with your tongue. Do you even know how expensive those shoes are? You couldn't afford them if you carried trays for the rest of your life!"

"Yeah! Lick them!"

"Make sure they shine!"

The others immediately joined in, chanting and laughing. A few of Elliot's lackeys even rushed forward, grabbing me and shoving me to the ground. One of them forced my head toward Elliot's shoe.

That was the last straw. "Let go of me! I'm the owner of this restaurant! Are you out of your minds?"

Elliot burst into laughter, doubling over in his chair. "Owner? Hah! Give it a rest, Chase. Look at you—you're dirt poor! A guy in a waiter's uniform claiming he's the boss? What a joke!"

He motioned to his men, and their grip tightened. One even dropped to his knees and pushed my head down against Elliot's shoe.

I was surrounded, humiliated, faces all around me twisted with mockery and glee. Cleo sneered and glanced at Ariana. "Seriously, what were you thinking? How could you ever fall for a loser like Chase? Good thing you dumped him after graduation, or you'd have missed out on someone like Mr. Reid—rich, handsome, and way out of his league."

At that, she tossed Elliot a flirtatious wink.

Ariana's expression darkened at that. She swayed her hips and sank onto Elliot's lap, her voice dripping with possessiveness. "What are you talking about? How could Chase ever compare to my darling babe?"

Then she looked down at me, disdain curling her lips. "I can't believe how pathetic you've become in just three years. Thank God I broke up with you when I did. I'd hate to be the girlfriend of a penniless loser."

Her words hit me like a brick to the chest. So that was it. The breakup three years ago hadn't been because she had to take care of a sick family member back home—she'd been cheating on me with Elliot all along.