Chapter 23 Being Set Up In A Bar

'When the company was running well, they were good friends. When something went wrong, they suddenly became strangers.' Mandy grimaced at the thought. 'This is the harsh reality. Indeed, nothing is permanent. You would know your true friends when you are at your worst, ' Mandy thought to herself.

"Mom, it's normal. That's how things work in this world. Now that you have seen their true colors, don't try to reach out to those people again," Mandy said as she stretched out her hands to give her mom a comforting hug. Now, it was her turn to take good care of her mother, especially now that her father was away.

"Mandy, let's visit your father tomorrow, okay?" Madeline suggested. She had stayed home the whole day. But she didn't dare to visit her husband, afraid that he would feel sorry for her.

"Mom, I've already been to the police station today. The officers said that we can't visit dad for a week," Mandy lied. She was afraid that her mom would be more depressed if she saw the awful situation with her father.

"Really?" Madeline doubted. She definitely longed to see her husband. She rubbed her temples and slowly closed her eyes.

That night, Mandy couldn't sleep and kept turning in her bed. She was bothered by problems all night. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She looked out of the window. The scenery had dramatically changed. She used to see and appreciate the most beautiful night scenes of the city, but now, all she could see was darkness. She had recently been miserable like this. There was no progress in the company's business, and the policemen said that the case was still under investigation. For unknown reasons, Mandy had not been allowed to visit her father at the police station for six days now. She was furious. She guessed that it was Nathan's ploy to show her what he was capable of.

'That self-absorbed, arrogant man

! Does he really want me to kneel down and beg him?' Mandy thought to herself. For the past six days, Mandy had felt confident and calm because Nathan did not bother her.

In the Queen Bar, Harry Li, the head of the Cardiology department, celebrated his birthday. The staff of the department had reserved a private room for his party. Mandy was the last one to arrive. She was hesitant to be in this bar because of her previous experience. She had too much to drink then, and she had been drugged. That had led to her losing her virginity. Her colleagues had already drunk a lot. When Harry noticed that Mandy came in late, he smiled and joked, "Mandy, why are you so late? Do you look down on me?" It was said in a friendly manner but apparently implied a double meaning.

Mandy knew that Harry didn't like her because her existence threatened his position. "Harry, I'm so sorry to be late. I needed to attend to a family matter. I'll make up by drinking three glasses of wine," Mandy replied humbly. She knew the rules, so she took up her glass and immediately drank three glasses of wine.

Harry's eyes were filled with mischievous plans. He gave a crooked smile and said, "Mandy, you're awesome. Why not have a good time tonight?" Mandy drank too much. So much that she did not notice how many glasses she had. She was so tipsy that she almost stumbled on her way to the bathroom.

A man dressed in a handmade Italian suit sat in the VIP room near them and was darting Mandy a cold stare. He studied her every move with his dark eyes. 'I haven't seen her for only a few days, and she's enjoyed her carefree life all too well. She even maximizes her blithe enjoyment by getting drunk in a bar. How could she?' Nathan thought to himself. The expression on his handsome face reflected resentment. The deputy mayor who was discussing business with him noticed that Nathan had lost his focus.