Cody shot me a disgusted look and snapped, “Am I talking to you?” He continued, “I was talking to Ariana. What gives you the right to butt in? You don’t have a say in this.”
Ariana’s expression darkened as she pointed at him. Then, with a sharp tone, she snapped, “Shut up! He’s my boyfriend! Why shouldn’t he be allowed to speak?”
“You—” Cody parted his lips, wanting to say something. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes as he studied me closely. “Hold on. You look familiar. I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
She wasn’t in the mood to continue the conversation, so she said, pointedly, “Cody, I brought my boyfriend with me today, so I’m sure you understand what that means. I finally hope you stop bothering me. There are plenty of women out there, so you should stop pursuing me.”
With that, she pulled me to my feet. “There’s no point in staying for this meal, Joshua, let’s go.”
However, Cody stopped us, preventing us from leaving. He stared at me, his eyes lighting up as something clicked. With a sly grin, he pointed at me. “Ariana, do you know who this guy is? He’s the Smith family’s adopted son and Racquelle’s lapdog.”
I stayed calm and said nothing, but Ariana’s expression changed instantly. She shot him a look of pure disgust and snapped, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Cody laughed heartily and clapped his hands. “I was wondering why he looked so familiar. I saw him at the banquet before Racquelle schooled him and made him look like a fool. She made him bow, and he didn’t have the guts to refuse. He was so scared that he wouldn’t even think about disobeying her. And she told us that he was just her family’s lapdog and we could do whatever we wanted with him.”
He clicked his tongue and added, “You should have seen it, Ariana. It was quite a spectacle.”
“That’s enough! Shut up!” Ariana furiously pointed a finger at his nose and shouted, “Are you going to get out of our way or not? If you don’t, I’ll tell my parents to cancel the collaboration with your family.”
Cody finally stopped smiling and glared at me. He shook his head in disbelief and said, “You’re canceling our collaboration over a guy like him? I wonder what your parents would think if they found out.”
Then, he sized me up with a disdainful look and sneered, “Brat, is being a moocher really that appealing? First, you’re living off Racquelle, and now you’re mooching off Ariana. You think that makes you worthy of being called a man?”
“Get lost!” Ariana pointed at the door.
“Just you wait! I’ll make sure you see this guy’s true colors sooner or later!” With a frosty glare, Cody turned his back on us and swaggered away.
Ariana quickly turned to me. Her expression softened as she asked, “Are you okay? That’s typical of Cody. He can be rude and mean. Don’t let his words get to you.”
I gently shook my head and said calmly, “Don’t worry. I’ve heard worse, so those remarks don’t bother me anymore.”
“Joshua,” she paused and continued, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
Her expression softened with concern after hearing my words. She gently touched my shoulder, unsure how to comfort me.
I smiled and shook my head. Then, I reassured her, “It’s okay. I’m used to it.” Cody’s remarks were nothing compared to the humiliation Racquelle put me through. Ariana would be utterly shocked if she knew what Racquelle had done to me.