Served on a Silver Platter

Peter tore off the ring I once risked my life to hold onto without hesitating and tossed it into a trash bin cruelly.

He looked at me and said with disdain, "Sammy doesn't need your leftovers. Stop pretending to be so generous, Riley Iverson. This fake act of yours disgusts me."

I fled the room like I was running for my life. If I had stayed even a moment longer, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from regretting everything.

I locked myself in a bathroom stall and cried until I felt light-headed. My stomach churned violently as the acid rose.

I cursed at myself in a fit of despair. "Riley, how could you be this pathetic? How could you throw yourself away like this for a man?"

Was I stupid and beyond reason?

No. The true reason was that I loved Peter. I loved him with all my heart.

I heard the sounds of footsteps outside the stall. So, I clamped a hand over my mouth, terrified someone would hear how miserable I was.

"Did you see Riley's face just now? God, it was hilarious. I've been waiting for this day forever."

"I know, right? She thought she could rise in social ranks after marrying Peter, but she only managed to do it by taking someone else's rightful place."

"Ugh, I heard she snuck into Mr. Sullivan's bed right after Sammy died. Finally, someone put her in her place. This is so satisfying!"

I froze upon hearing their voices.

They were Peter's so-called "friends," and his elder sister, Penelope Sullivan.

Each word they uttered stabbed straight into my heart. I bit down on my fingers as the bitter taste of bile rose from within.

In that moment, I realized something awfully gut-wrenching. The people I thought were my friends and the family I believed I had never respected me. They never even liked me.

And Peter, the man I sacrificed everything for, had never once stood up for me. Not even once.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. But in the narrow washroom stall, those faint vibrations were inexplicably amplified.

"Who's in there?"

My heart skipped. I didn't dare move.

The women outside didn't give me a chance to hide.

Penelope began kicking the door to my stall while shouting at the top of her lungs, "Who said you could hide in there and eavesdrop on our conversation? Get out! I'm the heiress of the Sullivan Group! Get on my wrong side, and I'll make you wish you were dead. Come out now!"

I pressed my hands against the rattling lock with all my strength. However, the relentless and forceful pounding ultimately caused the lock to give way, and there was nothing I could do about it.

The door burst open.

Penelope and her posse stared down at me, huddled on the floor. They did not look the least bit sorry for talking badly about me behind my back. On the contrary, their faces lit up with amusement when they realized that it was me.

With a wicked grin, Penelope yanked my hair and dragged me out of the stall.

She mocked, "Well, look who it is. The lady of the house, sobbing in a bathroom stall. Want us to comfort you, sweetheart?"

They then burst into cruel laughter.

I covered my ears, curling up in shame. But my pathetic reaction only made Penelope laugh harder.

She grabbed my phone and gave my cheek a few taunting pats. "Quit the act. No one will protect you now. That little pitiful act of yours is useless."

I lunged for my phone, but two of the other women held me down.

Penelope looked at me like I was some cheap toy she'd grown bored of.

She sneered, "What goes around comes around, Riley. You need to pay back what you're due. If you know what's good for you, leave the Sullivan Estate on your own. Do that, and I may let you suffer an end that's not too terrible."