# Chapter 29: The Humiliation of Keith Ludwig
The night air was thick with tension as Keith Ludwig scrambled frantically, clutching Eric Ferguson's jacket to shield his face. His bare skin burned with humiliation as he dove into the car like a man escaping a fire.
"Get in! F*ck! Your ex-wife destroyed me today!"
Once safely inside the vehicle, Keith hurriedly pulled on his clothes, his hands trembling with a mixture of rage and mortification. "Your ex-wife is such a femme fatale. She's so ruthless and heartless! I can't beat her..."
Eric's expression darkened at Keith's muttered complaints. With deliberate slowness, he pulled out a cigarette, his slender fingers moving with practiced grace. The flame flickered, and soon smoke curled upward, obscuring his eyes in a haze of mystery and hidden thoughts.
Outside the bar, Yvette and Julie stood triumphantly beside Ian Carter, their faces glowing with satisfaction as they watched the humiliated men in the car. The victory was sweet—Nicole had not only won the bet but had stripped Keith of both his clothes and his pride.
Ian stepped forward, approaching the car with an easy, confident stride. Through the window, his lips curved into a playful, unrepentant smile. "Mr. Ludwig, it was just a bet, so don't take it to heart. We're still friends, right?"
Keith's entire body shook with barely contained fury. "Hmph! Easy for you to say—you're not the one that ran out naked! I'm afraid my name will become the laughing stock of the city from now on! What a shame. Utter humiliation! But... I brought this on myself. Even if I feel wronged, I can't complain..."
The memory flashed back—earlier, when Keith was still fully clothed upstairs, Ian had looked at him with cold indifference. "You don't want to strip? If Nicole lost, would you have let her go?"
The answer, of course, was a resounding no. Keith knew deep down that he would have shown her no mercy. So justice had been served, however bitter it tasted.
Keith wanted to ignore Ian, letting out a cold snort as he arrogantly turned his head away.
But Eric's gaze was sharp as a blade when he turned to Ian. "Mr. Carter, are you venting out your anger on behalf of Nicole today?"
"Mr. Ferguson, you're joking, right?" Ian laughed lightly, tapping his finger against the car window. "Isn't it obvious that Nicole won by herself? You should be willing to lose when you enter a bet. A big man like you can't even compare to a lady, huh?"
Ian paused, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. He held Eric's gaze meaningfully. "Mr. Ferguson, you didn't expect Nicole to win, did you?"
"It was indeed unexpected," Eric admitted, his voice betraying nothing.
"Three years of marriage, and you still don't know her at all." Ian's smile was faint, almost mocking. "I guess in your eyes, Nicole was worth nothing. But..." his voice dropped, becoming deliberate and pointed, "there's no need for you to get to know her in the future. Because to us, Nicole will always be the best!"
Ian cocked his thumb proudly, his eyebrows raised in a sneer that cut deeper than any insult.
Eric's eyes narrowed, his gaze suddenly sharp and threatening. "Mr. Carter, you wouldn't be interested in that woman, would you?"
Ian laughed out loud, meeting Eric's gaze without flinching. "I am. I want to pursue her, and I have to thank you for letting her go so that I could get this opportunity."
Eric withdrew his gaze as if he'd seen something distasteful, his face now completely expressionless as he stared ahead. Keith, who had been listening from the passenger seat, could no longer contain himself. "Why are you talking so much? Ferg, just drive!"
He couldn't bear to stay there another second.
The car roared to life as Eric stepped on the gas pedal, speeding away. But Keith immediately noticed the sudden shift in Eric's expression—a dark cloud had descended over his usually cool features.
"Are you angry?" Keith asked, genuinely surprised.
Eric didn't answer. Instead, he said coldly, "Don't you think you should be more concerned about your photos right now?"
"Damnit!" Keith cursed. This was the first time he had been defeated twice by the same woman in such a devastating manner. "Why did you have to marry her in the first place? There are plenty of women who are right for you, so why her? I honestly don't know what you were thinking. We all felt so sorry for you—lucky for you, we never treated her as one of us."
The car screeched to a sudden halt. Eric's face had turned several shades darker, and an uncomfortable tightness gripped his chest.
*They didn't treat her as one of us? Was I like that too?* The thought struck him like a physical blow.
"Get out!" Eric's voice was ice-cold.
Keith looked at him, confused. "Why?"
"I'm going to the office. You're in the way."
Eric's face was inexplicably gloomy, his jaw tight. Keith had no choice but to comply. As he stood in the cold wind, watching the car disappear into the distance, he suddenly realized Eric wasn't heading toward his office at all.
Back at the bar, Yvette walked over with a smug smile. "That Keith Ludwig should lay low for now. He really won't back down until he hits a wall!"
Julie nodded in agreement. "If we don't show him who's boss, he'll always think Nikki's a pushover."
Yvette paused, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face. "But when did Nikki learn to play poker dice? And she's so good at it?"
Julie and Ian exchanged knowing glances before bursting into laughter. Julie leaned in to explain. "When Nikki was studying in France, there was a month when she fought with her family, and they cut her off financially. She somehow got tricked into working as a dealer at the biggest underground casino there. To her surprise, she learned those skills under the table and even made a fortune! After Uncle Floyd found out, he was so scared that he immediately begged her to leave that place and compensated her with a black card that has no credit limit..."
Yvette's eyes widened in awe and admiration. For a moment, she bitterly regretted not attending the same university as Nicole.
---
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter was pure catharsis! Watching Keith get his comeuppance was deeply satisfying, especially knowing he would have shown Nicole no mercy if she had lost. The confrontation between Ian and Eric was electric—Ian's bold declaration that he intends to pursue Nicole, and his pointed reminder that Eric never truly knew her after three years of marriage, cut straight to the bone. Eric's sudden discomfort when he realized his friends never treated Nicole as "one of them" was a powerful moment of self-awareness. The revelation about Nicole's past as an underground casino dealer in France adds another layer of depth to her character—she's resilient, resourceful, and full of hidden talents. The chapter beautifully sets up the emotional battleground between Ian's open admiration and Eric's confusing, unresolved feelings.
⭐ **Rating: 4.7 / 5 Stars**
## Next Chapter Prediction
Eric's reaction to Ian's pursuit of Nicole will likely intensify. He drove off in a direction that wasn't his office—perhaps toward Nicole's home or somewhere to brood. The psychological warfare has begun: Ian is actively courting Nicole while Eric is forced to confront his past blindness. Expect Nicole to remain indifferent to both men, focusing on her own life, which will drive Eric even more insane with jealousy and regret. Keith's humiliation will also have consequences—he won't let this defeat slide easily.