The Man They Betrayed Reborn as Their Boss

Chapter 5

The waiter standing by the door stepped forward, his expression awkward yet unfailingly polite. He bowed slightly, a small notebook in his hand.

“Excuse me, sir, ma’am,” he said softly, his tone gentle, but clear enough to draw everyone’s attention at the table.

“Before you leave, may we finalize the payment for tonight’s dinner?”

The words were simple, almost harmless. But they fell into the air like a crack in glass shattering the easy laughter that had filled the room. The hum of conversation died instantly. The laughter that had only moments ago brightened the table now flickered out, like a candle reaching the end of its wick.

Mr. Hargreaves lifted his head, surprise knitting his brow.

“The bill?” he repeated slowly, one eyebrow rising. Then his gaze shifted toward Lucas, heavy with unspoken questions.

“Didn’t you say you’d already taken care of it, son?”

A few of Claire’s relatives turned to look at each other, exchanging glances and faint, knowing smirks.

Claire herself looked uneasy. Her fingers twisted the napkin in her lap, eyes darting nervously toward Lucas as if hoping this was all just a small misunderstanding that could be cleared up with a single word.

Lucas froze for a moment, but quickly forced a laugh.

“Oh, of course, of course, Mr. Hargreaves,” he said quickly, trying to cover the rising panic clawing up his throat. 

“Yes, I did say that, I thought the staff had already handled everything. My apologies for the little mix-up.”

But the waiter remained where he stood, posture polite yet unmoving, voice calm but firm.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir, but so far, no payment has been received under the Hargreaves party’s name.”

The sound of it hit the room like a stone dropped into still water.

One of Claire’s brothers crossed his arms, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

“Well, that’s funny,” he said under his breath, though loud enough for all to hear. “Said he was treating us, but I guess it was just a joke.”

Claire let out a slow, heavy breath, staring at Lucas with a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.

Lucas, on the other hand, felt heat creeping up his neck and flooding his face. Inside, curses flared and tangled in his mind.

Damn you, Jeremy… You really didn’t pay, did you? Normally you’d cover everything quietly, like the self-righteous gentleman you pretend to be. But this time you left me to hang in front of them.

He forced a steady smile, though his jaw was clenched tight.

“Ah, my mistake. There must’ve been some misunderstanding,” he said with a stiff chuckle. “How much is the total, if I may ask?”

The waiter opened his notebook and read the number aloud.

The sound was soft and polite, yet to Lucas, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. His eyes widened. The amount was staggering. Ridiculous, even, for a single family dinner.

In the boiling chaos of his thoughts, he could almost see Jeremy’s calm face flash before his eyes.

This was deliberate. He knew. He knew this family thrives on appearances and he’s letting me take the fall.

But all eyes were on him now, Claire’s, her father’s, her mother’s, her two brothers’, even the waiter’s patient gaze beside the table.

There was no way out but forward. He had to keep the image intact.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Lucas said lightly, his voice just steady enough to sound believable. “Put it all on my card.”

The waiter nodded and walked away. Lucas watched his retreating back, exhaling slowly as he tried to steady himself. His hand trembled slightly when he pulled his card from his wallet, but he masked it with a practiced smile.

Once the waiter was gone, the atmosphere at the table began to loosen again but this time, what filled the air wasn’t warmth, it was a thick, suffocating hypocrisy.

“Ah, Lucas is such a responsible young man,” said one of Claire’s uncles loudly, his voice meant for everyone to hear.

“No wonder you’ve done so well at such a young age. Look at that, never afraid to take responsibility, even for something small.”

“Exactly,” chimed in one of Claire’s aunts, laughing sweetly. “Not like Jeremy… always busy with something, but no one ever sees the results. Lucas knows how to maintain dignity in front of the family.”

Claire opened her mouth, as if to protest, but her father’s sharp gaze silenced her instantly. She lowered her head, pretending to fiddle with her glass instead.

Lucas gave a modest shrug, the very image of humility.

“Oh, please, you’re exaggerating,” he said with a gentle smile. “It’s just a simple dinner hardly worthy of being called generosity.”

But beneath that calm, polished façade, his chest burned.

God… if it weren’t for keeping up appearances, I’d never have spent this much money! This is all Jeremy’s fault. That self-righteous act of his, too noble to play along. And now look, I’m the one paying for it.

One of Claire’s brothers clapped Lucas on the shoulder.

“You really know how to treat this family right. Claire’s lucky to have a friend like you. Not like… well, her fiancé who runs off the moment there’s trouble.”

Soft laughter rippled through the table, gentle but laced with poison.

Lucas joined in the laughter, though his eyes remained cold and joyless. He took a slow sip of his wine, trying to swallow the frustration boiling inside him.

Inside, disgust warred with false pride. He despised this family, their obsession with wealth, with names, with appearances. But he also knew that in their world, image was everything. And as long as he looked perfect, he had already won.

When the waiter returned with the receipt and handed back his card with a polite bow, Lucas smiled serenely.

“Thank you.”

But deep down, he was cursing the total all over again.

As the Hargreaves family stood to leave, Lucas kept his composure perfectly intact. He walked just behind Mr. Hargreaves, his friendly smile never faltering.

Yet deep within his mind, one name echoed.

Fine, Jeremy. You want to play your little game in silence? I’ll wait. But this time, I’ll be the one laughing last.