Part 3They Booked Their Reunion At My Hotel

The opening video was made by Claire. Old high school photos played on the projection screen, accompanied by a tear-jerking piano piece. Sports days, class photos, New Year’s Eve parties.

I carefully looked at each photo. There were twenty-three group photos. I only appeared in the first eight. From the ninth photo onwards, the person standing in my place was Felicity.

"High school was so innocent," Felicity sighed from table one, her voice just loud enough for everyone to hear. "The happiest thing back then was chatting with everyone after class."

Claire chimed in: "Yeah, our little clique was really tight." She didn't look at me when she said "our."

When the video finished, the lights came back on. Novak announced the start of the free dining segment, and the waiters began serving food. Table one was served first. I watched the white-shirted waiters carry trays to table one, silently counting—truffle risotto, black pepper short ribs, garlic steamed lobster. Table two followed. Table three was last.

When the dish was placed in front of me, I glanced down. Table one had lobster, table three had boiled shrimp. Table one had short ribs, table three had sweet and sour pork ribs. Standard A/B menu difference. But The Haven’s Hall B group meal only had one standard, no A/B distinction. So Claire had specifically set different tiers when ordering from the hotel.

"Wow, these shrimp are huge!" a girl from table one exclaimed.

No one at table three spoke. David Hardin quietly picked up a piece of pork rib, chewed it, and glanced at me. I smiled at him and took a piece too. It tasted good; our head chef’s skills were always consistent.

Halfway through the meal, Claire stood up with her wine glass. "Everyone, a few words." The entire hall quieted. She stood in the middle of table one, her red dress and gold necklace looking beautiful under the warm lights. "Ten years, and our class is full of hidden talents."

She raised her wine glass and addressed a bespectacled boy at table two. "Leo, I heard you're in tech in Shenzhen? Must be making a million a year now?" Leo pushed up his glasses, smiling and shaking his head. "No, no, just decent."

Claire then turned to table one. "Felicity and Kyle don't even need mentioning. They're a model couple. Everyone knows how well the Chen family's development in the south of the city sold." Felicity smiled, lowering her head, leaning on Kyle Brown’s shoulder.

Claire’s gaze swept around, bypassing table three. Then it returned. As if she’d suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, by the way—Evelyn." She lifted her chin, looking at me in the corner. "What are you doing now? I think you said earlier… running a small business?"

All eyes instantly turned to me. I put down my chopsticks. "Yes, I opened a business."

"What kind of business?"

"A hotel."

Claire paused, then laughed. "A hotel? What kind of hotel? A budget hotel?" A few people nearby also started to chuckle.

"It's not one of those hourly-rate motels, is it?" Anya, from table one, said in a shrill voice. The laughter grew louder. I didn't respond, taking a sip from the teacup in front of me.

Seeing my silence, Claire smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Just kidding. It's great to be your own boss, right?" She turned back, resuming other topics of conversation. Her voice gradually faded.

Jane Mantel at table three leaned over and whispered to me, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

I watched the group at table one clinking glasses, the light glinting on Claire’s gold necklace. That necklace was pure gold. I recognized it. Because it looked exactly like the one she claimed to have lost ten years ago. Except that one, ten years ago, was fake.