His Destructive, Toxic Love

"I'm off to bed, so no more knocking, okay?"

The man who had just raised his hand to knock had to gently lower it again. "Alright then, sleep well. Tomorrow, I promise I'll move back in."

Casper let out a soft sigh.

Unreasonably snubbed.

And unjustly kicked out of the master bedroom.

He had warned her, hadn't he? That going to the class reunion might not be the best idea.

And he hadn't even gone yet, but he was already sent to the doghouse.

If he actually attended...

He couldn't even bring himself to imagine it.

The reunion was set at the Maple Leaf Hotel.

The moment he walked into the lobby, there was a big, welcoming banner like a beacon.

When classmates reunite, you can't escape the small talk.

Nobody knew Eliza had tied the knot with someone like Casper, so all the flattering glances were aimed at a woman named Kailee.

The class president was the first to cozy up to her, shaking her hand a bit too eagerly. "You've really scored the best out of all of us. Your husband's quite the big deal now. Don't forget to put in a good word for us, will you?"

Kailee tilted her chin slightly, her smile just the right mix of smug and subtle, soaking up the flattery.

"Class president, my Dustin's climbed up to this position at his age, not to serve you."

The class president looked a bit awkward but didn't let go of her hand. "Oh, we wouldn't dream of that. We can't wait to serve him instead."

Kailee gave a soft snort.

She pulled her hand back, playing with the three-carat diamond on her ring finger. Eliza stood not too far away.

The setting sun filtered through the glass, casting a glow on her, making the large, colorful diamond on her finger shimmer, quickly catching Kailee's attention.

She swayed over to Eliza, "Eliza, it's been ages!"

Eliza and Kailee weren't close in school, just enough to know each other's names and faces.

Now that she was a leader's wife and had come over to say hi, Eliza was a bit surprised.

"Yeah, it's been a while."

"I couldn't help but notice that ring on your finger... Why's it so colorful? Haven't heard about you getting hitched. It's not fake, is it?"

Kailee covered her mouth, laughing.

Her eyes hinted at mockery and scorn.

Eliza couldn't be bothered to explain and just smiled.

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Seeing the chance, the class president joined in the teasing, know, Eliza's ring does look like something you'd find at a street fair, three for ten bucks."

He was all in on Kailee's mockery.

Eliza was a bit miffed.

"Class president, you've got it wrong. This ring's from a dollar store; the three-

dollar ones aren't this big."

The class president felt a bit sheepish.

Kailee, however, burst into laughter, "Eliza, you're hilarious. That ring's got to be worth at least a few dozen bucks, not from a dollar store. Stop pulling the class president's leg."

She gently covered Eliza's hand with the ring, whispering as if giving her a friendly tip, "Better put it away people start laughing at you."

Eliza: ...

She really had forgotten to take off the ring before leaving the house.

How did it become a source of ridicule?

As classmates rushed over to chat with Kailee, someone nudged Eliza aside, "Don't block the way, I need to cozy up to the boss's wife."

Eliza was pushed slightly, her balance faltering.

"Zhang Lei, what are you doing?" Kailee feigned annoyance, "We're all classmates, can't you be a little gentler? What if someone gets hurt?"

"You're the top dog here, but others..." Zhang Lei turned to glance at Eliza, "...aren't made of glass. They won't shatter with a touch."noveldrama

Kailee soaked up the compliment, a smile she couldn't hide.

Eliza just chuckled to herself.

A class reunion, but filled with bootlicking and cliques, left her feeling queasy.