Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 82: The Knockout Drink

Rory Linden had a class reunion on Saturday, so she asked for leave and left work a little early.

The reunion was on the same day as the university’s anniversary, and there were events scheduled all day.

After work, Rory Linden called Stella Yates, and the two agreed to meet at the entrance of the main university building.

When they met, many students had already finished dinner and were trickling into classrooms with books in hand to save seats.

The two of them took a stroll down the hallway, watching the students studying in the classrooms.

Stella Yates couldn’t help but say, "Hey, to be honest, when we first met freshman year, we all thought you were an ice queen."

"Me? An ice queen?"

Rory Linden had no idea how Stella Yates could have come to that conclusion.

Because she was living under someone else’s roof, she always subconsciously tried to please others.

No one had ever called her cold or aloof before.

"It’s just that you were always so elusive. We’d only see you in class or in the lab. We could never find you any other time, and you wouldn’t even come back to the dorms until right before lights-out."

Stella Yates recalled her impression of Rory Linden from their university days. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Rory Linden replied that she hadn’t wanted to be so busy either.

As medical students, they already had more classes and exams than students in other majors.

And on top of that, she had to work part-time to cover her daily expenses.

She had to meticulously plan out every moment of her time.

"I was working," Rory Linden admitted freely. "After all, you know about my family’s situation."

Stella Yates’s expression immediately changed. "That’s what makes me mad! We didn’t find out about your family’s situation until we were about to graduate. You should have told us sooner. If we had known things were so difficult for you, we definitely would have helped however we could."

Stella Yates’s family was from Veridia.

While they weren’t fabulously wealthy, they were comfortably well-off.

Stella Yates linked her arm with Rory’s. "But you’re doing great now. Have you locked down that handsome guy who’s pursuing you? You need to make a move before someone else snatches him away."

This time, Rory Linden could finally admit it openly. "Don’t worry, I already made my move."

The two of them wandered around the campus for a while.

They made it to the restaurant just before dinnertime.

Soon, their classmates had all gathered.

These classmates, like Rory Linden, were all in the eight-year integrated Bachelor-Master-Doctorate program. With the exception of their classmate Mia Dempsey, who had married and become a full-time housewife, the others had all gone to work in public hospitals.

Sitting together, their conversation was filled with complaints about their superiors, colleagues, and certain patients who monopolized medical resources.

In the end, after comparing notes, they all realized that the private hospital where Rory Linden worked was actually the best choice.

After dinner, Stella Yates started clamoring about finding a place for a second round.

Mia Dempsey volunteered, "I just called my husband. He booked a premium room for us at a karaoke bar. Let’s all go sing! It’s all on me!"

"Wow! Thanks, Mia!"

Stella Yates practically jumped for joy.

Rory Linden wasn’t particularly interested in singing or drinking.

But she couldn’t resist Stella Yates’s persistent pleading and had no choice but to go along.

Sitting in the private room, Rory Linden texted Sean Harrison to update him on her plans.

He replied that he had no objections.

Sean Harrison: [Okay. Let me know when it’s over, and I’ll come pick you up.]

Rory Linden lowered her gaze and read the message again.

Now that their relationship had changed, she could finally accept his kindness without reservation.

A few of them took a cab to the karaoke bar together.

Once inside the room, some started drinking while others started singing.

Mia Dempsey sat down next to Rory Linden and said, "Rory, back in school, you were the prettiest one in our class. So many guys were after you, but you rejected them all at first. We thought you were just playing hard to get, but then you got yourself a rich second-generation boyfriend. Only then did we realize what you were waiting for."

"..."

Rory Linden instantly felt the malice in Mia Dempsey’s words.

Stella Yates, who was sitting right beside Rory, quickly tried to smooth things over. "Mia, what are you talking about? You’ve had too much to drink."

Mia Dempsey looked at another guy sitting nearby. "Wayne Lloyd liked you back then, right? He chased you for quite a while. Why didn’t you say yes to him?"

Wayne Lloyd was sitting close enough to overhear them talking about him.

To be honest, he had moved to Austrell for work after graduation and had only agreed to come to the reunion because he heard Rory Linden would be there.

He had liked Rory Linden since the very first day of university.

He had even confessed his feelings to her in their freshman year.

And Rory Linden had rejected him in no uncertain terms.

Later, he heard she had a boyfriend, but he never saw the guy.

"I already know who your boyfriend was. His name is Miles Harrison, the young master of the Harrington Family. And guess what..." Mia Dempsey took another sip of her drink, a smug look on her face as she stared at Rory. "He got engaged a little while ago. The engagement party was a huge affair. I heard all the most powerful and wealthy people in Celestria were there."

"Really?"

Stella Yates knew that Rory Linden’s current boyfriend wasn’t the same one from university.

But she never imagined Rory had dated such a big shot back then.

"Of course, it’s true. My husband was invited too," Mia Dempsey said with a laugh. "But that boyfriend of hers didn’t marry Rory Linden. He married some other heiress."

Rory Linden was getting annoyed. "So? What’s your point? That I failed to marry into a rich family while you succeeded?"

Wayne Lloyd listened from the side.

’I can’t believe she’s just like all those other shallow women, obsessed with marrying a rich heir.’

"Oh, no reason. I just found out about it recently and thought I’d mention it." Mia Dempsey stood up. "Right, let me order some drinks for everyone."

When Mia Dempsey walked away, Stella Yates tugged on Rory’s arm and said, "She’s just drunk. Let it go."

Rory Linden was fed up. "I want to leave."

"Rory..." Stella Yates pleaded, holding onto her. "Just stay with me a little longer. My song hasn’t come up yet. We can leave together right after I sing, okay?"

"..."

Rory Linden looked at Stella Yates, who was begging her with her hands clasped together.

After a moment of silence, she agreed.

’Marrying a rich man and becoming a housewife never seemed like a good thing to me. It was just like the time I spent living with the Harrington Family. The Harringtons provided me with a place to live, paid for my education, and made sure I never went hungry. But they could also take it all away at any moment. And as a child, in order to keep receiving that help, I had no choice but to carefully try and please every single person in the Harrington family.’

Soon, the first song Stella Yates had selected came on.

While she sang, Rory Linden just sat to the side.

Wayne Lloyd quietly slid into the seat next to her. "Rory Linden, long time no see."

A server came in with a tray, placed it on the table, and said, "Here are the drinks you ordered. Please enjoy."

Each glass was sealed.

At a place like a karaoke bar, it was common for people to tamper with drinks.

This was a safety precaution.

Wayne Lloyd reached over, grabbed two drinks, and handed one to Rory Linden. He repeated, "Long time no see. I thought I’d never see you again."

"Long time no see," Rory Linden replied politely. "You’re all so busy, not like me."

Wayne Lloyd broke the seal on his drink, took a sip, and then said to Rory, "You should try it. This one’s pretty good."

"Is this... a cocktail?"

Rory Linden had almost never been to a bar, but she knew that cocktails like these were made by mixing different kinds of spirits.

Some of them were very strong.

"Yeah. I just saw that it’s called something-or-other Tea, but it just tastes like cola. It’s pretty good."

Wayne Lloyd said, taking another sip.

A third of the drink in his glass was already gone.

Over on the other side, Stella Yates finished her song. Seeing that everyone had a drink, she quickly unsealed one for herself, clinked glasses with Rory in a "cheers," and began to sip it.

Seeing her friend drink, Rory Linden finally took a small taste.

It had a bit of a spicy kick, but the cola flavor was very strong. It was sweet and sour, not particularly unpleasant to drink.

Wayne Lloyd stared intently at Rory Linden. Only after seeing her drink it without a change in her expression did his own features relax slightly.

He hadn’t said the full name of the drink.

The drink’s full name was Long Island Iced Tea.

Its nickname: the "lose-control" drink.