Sonya noticed the disdainful looks from the group, and felt utterly embarrassed.


    "Fifty grand wouldn''t even cover my dinner tab. Just you wait, I''ll be back to y soon. Unlike you, I don''t have a useless husband hanging around at home."


    Their friendship was flimsy at best, and her words lit a firestorm.


    "Sonya, what''s that supposed to mean? Just because you''re single, it doesn''t make you better than us. It''s not like guys are lining up for you. If you had half the smarts your sister does, you''d have been married ages ago."


    "Exactly. Your sister''s living the high life as a society wife, while you''re just lounging around with no real job. You don''t even know how my husband talks about you. He says you''re not worth his attention at all. Better get with the program, girl."


    Men were Sonya''s Achilles'' heel. Back in the day, she had her fair share of charm, but her standards were sky-high. Then Ada married into the wealthy Ferguson family, making Sonya''s single status even harder to swallow.


    She felt the sting of humiliation. Her cheeks were aze, but noeback came to mind. In this neighborhood, being single was like wearing a sign that read "gossip fodder."


    With determination, she put her hands on her hips. "I''ll marry someone even better than Ada''s husband."


    Laughter erupted around her. Ada''s husband was from the elite Ferguson family, and Sonya''s im seemed straight out of a fantasy.


    With this sour experience lurking in her mind, when Sonya met up with ra, her mood was a dark cloud, and her face etched with annoyance.


    ra, even without makeup, looked effortlessly stunning. Seeing her only twisted Sonya''s mood further. If she had ra''s looks, finding a guy would be a breeze.


    ra ordered them coffee and a dessert for Sonya, but dessert was just crumbspared to what Sonya wanted.


    "ra, if you''re looking for my forgiveness, it''s gonna cost three million—not a penny less."


    "Sonya, wouldn''t you rather marry someone from the Ferguson family? Being a high-society wife beats any amount of money. No matter how much you earn, people will just keep mocking you for being single."


    ra knew exactly where to hit, aiming right for Sonya''s weak spot.


    Sonya''s face fell, her fists clenched on the table. ra''s next words were the bait, and Sonya was ready to bite.


    "I can help you. If Ada can do it, so can you. You''re her sister, and you''re just as attractive. I saw Ada recently, and she spoke about you with such disdain. Do you really want to live in her shadow?"


    Sonya''s face turned beet red, and after a long pause, she finally stammered, "Can you really help me?"


    ra leaned in close, whispering, "I''ll help you snag Ada''s husband. If he can cheat on her, why not with you?"