Chapter 43

"Yes," Selena replied with confidence, her voice carrying an air of certainty. "They’ve been best friends since college!"

She glanced at Colby, her lips curling into a secretive smile. You and Andrew might think your friendship is unshakable, but just wait—I’m going to turn this into something you’ll never forget!

Selena felt victorious already. She had thought this through. There was no way Andrew could have given Colby anything that truly mattered. At best, it was something cheap, something random. Maybe an old souvenir from their college days, or worse—some useless trinket that had no real value.

However, before she could bask in her moment of triumph, Wyatt let out a deep sigh and said in an approving tone, "It’s clear that Andrew is a great friend! Why else would he give such a meaningful gift?"

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

Selena’s confidence wavered.

Wait… what?

Did he just say the gift was meaningful? Was he implying that the dusty old painting Andrew had given Colby was actually worth something?

Selena had assumed it was nothing more than a cheap decoration, something you’d find at a garage sale for five dollars. But the way Wyatt spoke made it sound like it was some kind of treasure.

Meanwhile, John stood there, barely holding in his frustration. He gritted his teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn’t shatter.

Oh, come on! Seriously? He wanted to shout. That painting looks like it belongs in a trash heap!

Clearing his throat, Wyatt took a step forward, his gaze steady as he addressed the crowd. "This is a genuine work by Eleanor van Dijk, a talented artist from history. While she isn’t the most well-known today, she was one of the finest painters of her era. She was also the first woman to be accepted into a prestigious art society, which was unheard of at the time."

Wyatt studied the painting carefully, as if assessing its worth one last time before revealing the most shocking part. "Judging by its condition and authenticity, I’d say this piece is valued at around two hundred thousand dollars."

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

Selena’s mouth fell open.

Two. Hundred. Thousand. Dollars?!

She had assumed it wasn’t even worth a hundred!

Colby, who had been standing proudly just moments ago, now looked completely stunned. He turned to Andrew in disbelief. His voice was shaky as he asked, "Andrew… why did you get me something so expensive? I… I can’t accept this—it’s way too much!"

But Andrew simply smiled in his usual calm manner. "Colby, it’s just a gift. No need to overthink it."

Colby felt a lump in his throat. He had always considered Andrew a close friend, but this was beyond anything he had ever expected.

Meanwhile, John’s entire world had just crumbled beneath him.

His confidence, his arrogance, his sense of superiority—everything had been shattered in an instant.

What kind of sick joke is this? he thought, his hands clenched into fists. How is this painting actually worth that much?!

His body felt cold.

This wasn’t just a minor loss—it was a total defeat.

And now, the entire room was looking at Andrew differently.

Before, they had viewed him as someone insignificant, someone they didn’t need to take seriously. But now?

A man who could casually give away a gift worth two hundred thousand dollars wasn’t just anyone.

People started whispering among themselves.

"Did Andrew really just give that away?"

"What kind of background does he have to do something like that?"

"I always thought he was just an average guy, but now… I’m not so sure."

Even Selena, who had been so sure of herself before, found her opinion shifting. She suddenly saw Andrew in a completely different light.

Her father, Wyatt, was an expert in appraising valuable items. If he said the painting was worth two hundred thousand, then there was no doubt—it was truly valuable.

Selena found herself stealing glances at Andrew. He wasn’t just generous—he was mysterious. There was something about him that made her curious.

On the other hand, Clara frowned, her skepticism showing. She turned to Andrew and asked, "Andrew, be honest with me—how much did you actually pay for that painting?"

Andrew chuckled, his voice light. "Honestly, I got it for a good price. A friend of mine bought it from a collector for much less than its actual value, so I got a deal too."

Clara narrowed her eyes. "So you’re telling me someone just handed you a painting worth two hundred thousand dollars… for cheap?"

Andrew shrugged, a playful smile on his lips. "Not everyone sees money the same way. And if I was that concerned about it, I wouldn’t have given it away as a gift, would I?"

Clara stared at him, her expression unreadable.

After a moment, she sighed and said, "I guess you have a point."

Meanwhile, Andrew turned his attention to John, his eyes filled with amusement.

With a smirk, he asked, "So, John… do you want to eat the table as it is, or should I cut it into smaller pieces for you?"

John felt his soul leave his body.

How… how had things ended up like this?

Just minutes ago, he had been so sure of his victory. He had been laughing at Andrew, thinking he was making a fool of himself.

And now, he was the one getting humiliated—again.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that an old painting would be worth so much money.

But he had already made a bet.

Did this mean he had to actually eat the table?

That was impossible!

He started sweating.

Losing his car in a bet was one thing—he could replace it eventually. But eating a table? That was completely out of the question!

The people around him weren’t letting this go.

"Hey, John! You made a bet. Don’t back out now!"

"You promised! Are you gonna go back on your word?"

Someone even banged on the table and laughed. "It’s time for your meal!"

John felt his face burning. He wanted to disappear.

Andrew, on the other hand, looked completely at ease.

"You were the one who set the rules," Andrew said, crossing his arms. "Now you’re upset because they don’t work in your favor?"

John swallowed hard. He knew there was no way out of this, so he took a deep breath and mumbled, "I… I’m sorry. I acted too rashly. Andrew, I shouldn’t have looked down on you. Everyone, I apologize. Please forgive me."

The entire room was stunned.

Was this really John Curtis?

The arrogant, loudmouthed John? The same John who never admitted he was wrong?

No one had ever seen him apologize before.

But what choice did he have?

Eat the table? Impossible.

Break his word? That would make him a laughingstock.

So the only way to save face was to apologize and hope people moved on.

Sure enough, someone in the crowd spoke up.

"Well, it’s rare to see John apologize. Let’s just forget about it."

"Yeah, let’s enjoy the celebration!"

Andrew knew John would never actually eat the table, but that wasn’t the point. The goal had been achieved—John had been completely humiliated.

However, this was only the beginning.

The real disaster was still coming.

Andrew casually pulled out his phone and sent a message to Janet.

"Do we have a deputy manager named Josh Curtis? His son is John Curtis. Can you check on that for me?"

A response came quickly. "Yes, Josh Curtis works under us. Why?"

Andrew’s lips curled into a smirk.

"Fire him. Immediately."

"Understood. It’s done."

At that moment, Josh Curtis had no idea his career had just been destroyed.

John, feeling relieved that he had avoided eating the table, was secretly planning his revenge.

But what he didn’t know was…

The real punishment was just about to begin.