3

The voice, laced with arrogance, stirred a sense of recognition in Bella Moonshadow. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a woman caking herself in excessive makeup. "Isn't this Samantha's best friend, Yelena?" she thought to herself.

Yelena seemed just as startled to see Bella. Bella was dressed in her work uniform, so Yelena naturally mistook her for a waitress. However, her surprise was palpable when they locked eyes and Yelena recognized her as Bella Moonshadow.

"It’s you?" Yelena gasped.

Ignoring her, Bella set off to carry on with her work. Yelena looked stunned momentarily, but she quickly collected herself and barred Bella's way. “So, you're a server here? This is too funny!” she jeered.

“Is it really that amusing?” Bella retorted, cool as ice.

“Absolutely, Bella. Weren't you all high and mighty prior to this? Look at you now, reduced to a mere waitress. Life surely takes unexpected turns, doesn't it? Now, how about you fetch me some food,” she continued, her words like slaps in Bella's face.

Yelena appeared to relish her newfound dominance over Bella. She had always carried deep-rooted animosity towards Bella. Bella had been blessed with beauty, luck, and nobility, but now, abandonment by Alpha Xavier left her as a common server, providing Yelena with the perfect chance to humiliate her.

Bella found Yelena's attitude revolting. She walked past her, resolved not to waste her time arguing with a bully.

However, Yelena seemingly had her heart set on pulling Bella down. “Bella, do you honestly think you can disobey me? Don't underestimate me, I can have you fired,” she threatened.

“You intend to fire me? Yelena, you're very good at self-flattery!” Bella snapped back at her.

“Dare you disrespect me?" Yelena’s foot stomped angrily. Her fury was evident. Previously, she had been hesitant to mess with Bella as she was Alpha Xavier's mate, and he was fiercely protective of her. But with him out of the picture, Bella was merely a lowly server to her. In Yelena's eyes, crushing Bella would be as easy as squashing an ant.

"I'll get the Alpha informed right away and have you dismissed!” Yelena yelled, her voice echoing across the room.

"What's the matter, Yelena?" a soft voice infiltrated the situation.

"Samantha, you couldn't have shown up at a better time. Look who's here!" Yelena sneered, gesturing towards Bella.

Bella stared steadily at Samantha, meeting her gaze head-on. Unmistakable shock flashed across Samantha's face. "Why is Bella here?" she must have been wondering.

Samantha looked utterly stunned, but she did a good job at concealing it. She flashed a polite smile and said, "Hello, sister!"

Bella regarded her icily and retorted, "Miss, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Dear sister, I know you still hold a grudge against me. Yet my hands are clean. Alpha Xavier was the one who fancied me."

Even though it had been three years, the past still ached like a fresh wound. Bella didn't want to expose her torment to these people, so she pivoted and strode away.

However, Samantha's arrival seemed to empower Yelena. She scuttled towards Bella and shoved her hard, causing her to spill her drink all over. Some of the juice splashed onto Yelena as well, sparking an outburst, "Hey, look what you've done!"

As Yelena fussed, her eyes sparkled with a strange glee. Clearly, she now perceived Bella as a simple waitress, eager to slander her in hope of getting her fired.

Bella's eyes smoldered with indignation. In days past, she would have countered Yelena's audacious move with a firm slap. But times had changed; she was no longer Bella Moonshadow, beloved mate of Alpha Xavier. With this in mind, she swallowed her anger and attempted to leave.

However, Yelena was not done. Seeing Bella not retaliate, she shot a triumphant glance at Samantha before making a grab for her hair. Without any warning, she upturned a glass of red wine onto Bella's neck.

The freezing beverage seeped down her neck and drenched her clothes. Whether it was intentional or not, Yelena had pushed her into Samantha's path. Samantha carelessly swung her arm, spilling more wine onto Bella's face.

The stinging assault on her eyes was unbearable. Bella had wanted to maintain her dignity and walk away. But Yelena's relentless goading stirred up her anger. It was obvious that Yelena and Samantha were on the same team, ready to tarnish her reputation once again. Since they were hell-bent on painting her as the villain, she saw no reason to show them any courtesy.

Enraged by their blatant disregard, Bella seized the food-laden plate she was holding and dumped it on Yelena's head.

Yelena let out a piercing scream. Clearly, she hadn't anticipated that. Being a fan of spicy food, Bella's plate was packed with it. The chili-laden sauce ran down Yelena's hair and soon seeped into her eyes. The pain must've been unbearable. Yelena's grip on Bella's hair slackened as she shrieked in agony.

Without heeding Yelena's cries, Bella turned towards Samantha. Then, without any warning, she slapped her across the face. Samantha wore a flabbergasted expression – probably didn't expect Bella to retaliate. Casually, Bella flicked some leftover sauce from her plate onto Samantha, ruining her designer gown with spice splatter.

Visibly distressed, Samantha began hollering, "Come here, someone! Help me out here!"