Chapter 6 A Kind Stranger

Scarlett looked into Austin's eyes and wished she could bury herself deep in the ground. She was living the worst day of her life, but no amount of torment she had gone through earlier could compare to the moment when the man she loved looked at her with disgust and disappointment.

A whimper broke out of her. She wanted to say something-anything-that could make that look on Austin's face go away, but the longer she stood there, the more convinced she became that it was a lost cause. She knew her fiancé was stubborn, and he had clearly made up his mind about her already. Walking in on her acting like a beast in the middle of the restaurant certainly hadn't helped her case either.

"Let me explain..." she breathed out nonetheless, tears pooling in her eyes.

Scarlett took a step forward and gasped when Austin moved out of her way to avoid her touch, as if she were too dirty to even look at.

"Austin-"

She saw Megan move from the corner of her eye. Megan walked to Austin and held onto his arm. Scarlett cringed at the sight of that bitch touching her fiancé. Megan wore a pitiful look on her face as she said:

"Listen to her, Austin... You're being too harsh. Give her a chance to explain, at least."

She forced a sympathetic expression, pretending to be selfless enough to defend Scarlett. But Scarlett was the only one who could see right through Megan's game. Venom dripped from her, and Scarlett wondered why everyone else was so blind to it.

"What could she possibly say to me?" Austin's angry voice rang out. "You slept with another man."

"She set me up!" Scarlett replied.

"You're lying!"

Scarlett's tears soaked her cheeks. His sharp words were as deadly as daggers. She stared at Austin and wondered where her kind fiancé had gone. They had dated for four years. Four years, gone with the wind as if they had never even existed. Had he forgotten all her sacrifices? All the pain she had gone through for him?

A few years back, Austin had been involved in a terrible car accident that didn't end his life but left him with an injured leg. His condition was so severe that many thought he'd never recover and would end up crippled. Scarlett recalled those long, sleepless nights when she had stayed by his side at the hospital. Even his family hadn't been as invested in his recovery as she had been.

She had taken him to the best doctors and clinics in New York, even if it meant putting her own life on hold for a while. She had prepared his meals herself, taken him to every single rehabilitation session, held him as he cried every night... She had been there with him every step of the way-and now, when she needed him the most, he was gone.

The least he could do was give her a chance to explain. But who was she fooling anyway? If her own father could abandon her, it shouldn't be surprising to see anyone else do the same.

Her father was standing by the door with his eyebrows drawn together near the bridge of his nose. He spoke:

"I see it wasn't enough for you to cause trouble at home. You had to come here and do the same again. In public."

"Dad..." Megan jumped in. "Please... You must speak to her. I begged her, but she doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. Scar is set on not coming home if we are going to be there. Please, try to convince her."

If Scarlett hadn't already been so broken, she might have laughed at Megan's fake acts of kindness. But her father's next words stripped her of any desire to laugh:

"Well, Scarlett... It doesn't matter to me anymore. If you don't want to come home, you don't have to. Do as you please."

Scarlett blinked at her father's words. She felt numb all of a sudden, as if she had been hurt so much that she could no longer feel pain. Her eyes moved from her father, to Austin, to Megan. They were all unrecognizable. They were nothing more than strangers.

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed the group of security guards entering the restaurant with one of the hotel's managers. The middle-aged man stepped in front of them and spoke in a cold voice:

"May I know what the issue is here?"

Austin turned to the manager and pointed a finger toward Scarlett.

"We apologize for the noise, sir. The thing is, this... woman came in here and made a fuss. I can assure you we played no part in this scandal. Please, we would very much appreciate it if you escorted her out of the hotel so we can have our meal in peace."

The manager looked at Scarlett, who had wrapped her arms around herself, shivering with shame and heartbreak. Her fiancé was literally asking for her to be kicked out. It hurt, of course, but maybe a part of her was hoping the guards would obey that request. She wasn't sure she had the strength to walk herself out of the restaurant.

Yet, to her greatest surprise, the manager didn't ask for security to remove her. Instead, he turned back to Austin:

"Sir, I must ask you to leave."

Austin's eyes widened, as did her father's and Megan's.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, sir. We've witnessed everything that happened here, and it seems to us that this young woman has done nothing but defend herself after being humiliated by the other lady's words. Our establishment does not tolerate certain behavior, and you do not fit the type of customers we intend to serve here. That is why we must ask you to leave at once."

"This must be a joke!" Scarlett's father exclaimed. "May I remind you that I have always been a loyal customer to this hotel? You cannot throw me and my family out. I demand to speak to your manager."

"I'm the manager, sir."

"Then call your damn boss!"

"My boss is the one who specifically demanded that you leave this restaurant now."

They all frowned. Scarlett didn't know much about what was going on, but seeing the shock that passed through her father's and fiancé's faces, she could tell they knew exactly who the boss was. In fact, the Drunken Moon Hotel was one of many enterprises under the Globex Corporation. What surprised Austin and Scarlett's father was that its unknown CEO was rumored to be abroad-but clearly, that was no longer the case.

They paled, knowing that someone so powerful was against them. They tried to hide it, but fear was evident in their eyes.

The security guards surrounded them, and their group had no choice but to walk toward the exit, including Megan's mother. Scarlett followed behind them, but the manager quickly stopped her. His expression softened as he said:

"Please follow me, ma'am. We've prepared a private booth for you upstairs for your dinner, and then we will check you into one of our best rooms for the night."

"...Me?"

Scarlett pointed to her chest, surprised by the sudden turn of events. Megan turned around and pushed away the guard guiding her to the door. She hollered, her voice shaking with anger:

"So you're kicking us out but letting her stay? How is that fair?"

"It's a special request from the boss, ma'am," the manager said.

Megan and Austin exchanged a look. They didn't need to say a word-they already knew what the other was thinking: Why was the CEO of the Globex Corporation taking care of Scarlett? They would have loved to find out, but the guards were now nudging them toward the exit more forcefully. They cursed and protested, humiliated in front of everyone.

Once they were gone, the manager called over one of the remaining security guards and said:

"Make sure those people are never allowed back here again."

The guard nodded and spoke into his earpiece. Scarlett followed the manager up the stairs under the gaze of the entire restaurant, where whispers had already begun to rise. She was certain all the conversations were about her.

As she climbed, questions flashed through her mind. She was being protected by a complete stranger, and she had no idea why. Could this day get any stranger?

The booth she was led to was probably the most expensive one in the restaurant. She could see her reflection in the polished marble floor, and the décor looked more valuable than everything she owned combined. The table was made of Bocote wood, for God's sake.

Even though she had grown up in wealth, Scarlett was still not used to this level of luxury. She had never been to a private restaurant booth before, and this one exceeded all of her expectations. She sat on one of the leather cushions, and a waitress handed her the menu. She looked up and saw the manager smiling at her:

"Make yourself comfortable, ma'am," he said. "Tonight, you are one of our VIP guests, and we've received specific orders to tend to all your needs. Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything we can do for you."

"Oh... T-thank you so much. Uhm... Who should I show appreciation to for all this?"

"Our boss doesn't wish to reveal his identity at the moment, but I'm sure he will reach out to you when the time is right."

"Oh... Fine, I understand. But please thank him for me."

"Of course."

The manager smiled once more and left the booth. Scarlett looked down at the menu in her hands, and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips-before she suddenly burst into tears. The entire day had been hell for her, but in the end, someone had shown her a bit of kindness. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be cared for. Remembering how Megan, her father, and Austin had been thrown out of the restaurant, her sobs turned into laughter.

There were many things she didn't understand about what was going on, but for the time being, Scarlett decided to relax, enjoy the luxuries around her, and relish the memory of Megan's furious face as she was escorted out by security. Whoever the boss of the Drunken Moon Hotel was, Scarlett hoped that she'd soon get the chance to thank him in person for his kindness.