The next time I saw Ryan Brooks, I was working at Club Renaissance, the most popular nightclub in the city. Dressed in a revealing bunny costume, tray in hand, I let the greedy eyes of the men linger on my legs as I passed by. A drunk customer bumped into me, knocking the tray from my hand, and the champagne crashed to the floor. The man was overweight, and with one slap, he struck me across the face. “You stupid girl! Do you even know how much these shoes cost?” My face stung, and my lips swelled almost immediately. I forced my aching mouth to move as I knelt down to wipe his shoes with my palm. The man seemed pleased, crouching down to grab my chin. “Not bad. How about coming with me tonight?” I smiled slightly, shaking my head. The alcohol made him bolder. Furious at my refusal, he kicked me hard in the stomach. He raised the bottle, aiming to strike me, but a tall figure stopped him. I looked up, and even after three years, I recognized him instantly—Ryan Brooks, the man I had dreamed of day and night. I was taken to a long black Lincoln limousine. Smooth piano music played, and I curled up quietly in the corner. Ryan poured himself a glass of whiskey and casually asked, “With ice?” I hesitated, nervous under his gaze. Seeing he wasn’t joking, I nodded. I sipped my champagne slowly from the crystal glass. Three years had passed, and Ryan had changed so much. The youthful boy I once knew had transformed into a man who carried himself like a king—powerful, regal, untouchable. His sculpted face, sharp features, and thin lips paired with his dark, intense eyes. Even when he lowered his gaze, you could see his long, thick eyelashes. He undid the buttons of his tailored suit, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked at me with a calm expression. “Why did you end up working as a hostess?” My face flushed, and I felt embarrassed as I tried to explain. “I’m not a hostess, I’m just a club girl…” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with a mocking smile. “Is there a difference?” Of course… there wasn’t. Even though I was only making money carrying trays, in everyone else’s eyes, I was just another trashy hostess. “For your bedridden grandmother? Or was it for that little bit of tuition you needed?” Ryan’s tone was light, dripping with mockery, making me squirm in my seat. “Nina Morgan, if you agree to be my mistress, I’ll give you everything you want.” His voice was soft, but the words hit me like a bomb. I looked up at him. “Shouldn’t I be your girlfriend?” He finished his whiskey, tilting his head to look at me. “Girlfriend? Do you think you deserve that?” And just like that, I became Ryan Brooks’ mistress. He had good habits, never seeing other women, always keeping himself clean. That’s probably why I managed to stay in this role for ten long years. From the intensity of our nights together, I knew I was the only mistress he had. It sounded ridiculous, but it gave me some peace. The Morgans and the Brooks families were close since I was born, and Ryan and I were childhood sweethearts. I didn’t have any siblings, so I clung to him. We were in love with each other, even though he was always cold and distant. Still, he spoiled me endlessly. In the spring, we’d fly kites. In the summer, we’d watch the flowers bloom by the lake. In autumn, we’d walk under the tall sycamore trees, and in winter, we’d roast marshmallows at the cottage. When my parents fought, he comforted me. When I forgot my holiday homework, he stayed up all night helping me finish it. We promised to attend the same school. He would propose to me, become my lifelong partner, and make me the happiest woman in the world. But everything stopped that day. Ryan and I had gone back to my house after school, just like we always did, when we got the call from the police. My mom and Ryan’s dad had left suicide notes before driving off a cliff into the sea.
By the time we got to the scene, a crane was pulling the car out of the water. My mom and Ryan’s dad were lying on the beach, their bodies bloated from the water and starting to smell in the summer heat. I don’t remember how much I cried that day. All I know is that on the way to identify the bodies, Ryan’s mom was in a car accident. In just one day, he lost both his parents. He grabbed me by the neck, his face streaked with tears, but he smiled bitterly. “Nina, I don’t have a home anymore. What should I do?” I didn’t know how to comfort him, so I just hugged him and cried. Before he left, he looked at me with empty eyes. “Nina, I hate you.” After that, I never saw Ryan Brooks again. I heard that after his parents’ deaths, his uncle took over the family fortune. I tried looking for him many times, but he refused to meet me. Before long, I heard he had gone abroad to study, with the help of family friends his parents had before they died. I didn’t have it easy, either. My mom had barely died when my dad brought his mistress into the house. That’s when I found out that not only had my dad been seeing someone behind my mom’s back, but that he also had a daughter about my age. Now I had to call my dad’s mistress “Mom” and her daughter my “sister.” Speaking of that “sister,” I owe my job at the nightclub to her. Since Chloe Morgan arrived, my life had spiraled downward. I had no allowance, and my dad kicked me out to live in an old shed in the outskirts of town with my sick grandmother. I had to fend for myself, or I would’ve starved to death. One day, I saw a black Bentley pull up outside. Ryan Brooks was back. I took off my bathrobe, revealing the champagne-colored slip underneath. Ryan was the one keeping me alive. If it weren’t for his help, my grandmother wouldn’t have been in the hospital. He was unpredictable. I always had to be on guard around him. If I made the slightest mistake, I wouldn’t get any sleep that night. When I got downstairs, the butler was already holding the door for him. I rushed to greet him with slippers and a basin of warm water for his feet. Ryan leaned back on the couch, watching me intently. His gaze made my skin crawl, and I hesitantly asked, “You’re home early today. Tired? Should I make the bed for you?” He didn’t say anything, just handed me a red velvet box. “I saw this in the store window. It’s beautiful. I thought you’d like it.” I stared at the box, swallowing hard. “Is it a bracelet?” He shook his head, his eyes darkening with something more menacing. Fear ran cold through me, draining the color from my face. “Then it must be a necklace. I love necklaces. Thank you.” I reached for it, but he suddenly opened the box and wrapped the necklace tightly around my throat. I hadn’t expected it, and the chain nearly cut off my air supply. I struggled desperately to breathe. His breath was hot against my ear, and just when I thought I would die, he released his grip and fastened the necklace around my neck. “Pure ruby red. If I had squeezed a little harder, the blood from your veins would’ve been the same color, don’t you think?” I clutched the cold gemstone at my chest, gasping for air. It had been ten years, and he had never stopped finding ways to torture me—letting me experience death up close. And every time, it was always suffocation. I knew deep down, he wanted me to relive the shame and horror of my mother and his father’s deaths, to never forget the humiliation of our past. When the night was finally over, I went upstairs to take a shower. Ryan was a clean freak, so I had to scrub myself thoroughly, inside and out. When I got out of the bathroom, he was gone. After searching the house, I found the light on in the study. Good. He had work to do. That meant I could finally get some sleep. I turned around, only to bump into his broad chest. The familiar smell of cigarettes washed over me, and I almost fell to my knees in fear. Ryan stood there holding a cup of coffee, glaring down at me. He hung up the phone he was holding, but I still heard the sweet, sugary voice of the woman on the other end.
“What are you doing?” My shoulders trembled, and I lowered my head. “I’m going to sleep,” I murmured. Ryan Brooks gave a soft smile and pulled me into the bedroom. Tonight, he was unusually gentle. I let myself get lost in the moment, pretending, for once, that we were a real couple, entangled in passion through the night. When we were done, I got up and began dressing. It was his rule—I wasn’t allowed to stay the night in his room. He said it was because he found it “dirty.” He leaned on his hand, watching me with an amused expression. Casually, he tossed a card toward me. I glanced at it, confused. “I already have a limitless card—you gave it to me, remember?” Ryan smiled, the kind of smile that made him look like a cunning fox. “Tomorrow’s your mother’s death anniversary. Why don’t you buy some ‘paper money’ for her?” His next words cut deep. “Better take a little extra to keep her mouth shut down there. Otherwise, the other lost souls might mock her, calling her a cheap whore who seduced a married man.” I was furious. Ryan always knew exactly where to strike, never missing a chance to twist the knife. He hated when anyone brought up the past, and so did I. “Ryan, can’t you have just a bit of decency?” I spat out. He didn’t care about my anger. “Decency? Does a woman who broke up someone’s family deserve decency?” Tears welled up in my eyes, and I glared at him, wishing my gaze could burn a hole right through him. He got up, grabbing my neck. His muscles flexed, and for a moment, it felt like he could snap my neck with just a little more pressure. “Are you going to cry now? Poor little thing. A whore raised by a whore. You’ve already sold yourself; why not go all the way? What’s the point of pretending to have morals?” “If you make your benefactor mad and lose your chance to make money, your mom might curse you for being bad at your job.” Blinded by rage, I slapped him across the face. “This isn’t my fault, Ryan! Why are you treating me like this?” He tilted his head, cold light flashing in his eyes. The oppressive silence suffocated me. Just as I was about to run, he grabbed my waist and threw me onto the bed. That night, I endured unspeakable torment. My cries echoed through the bedroom until the early morning. By the time the light crept through the windows, Ryan had already left. I dragged my exhausted body downstairs, where the maids were preparing breakfast. Seeing my disheveled appearance, they all kept their distance, avoiding eye contact. The events of last night must’ve been heard by everyone. “Where’s Ryan?” My voice was hoarse as I asked. “Miss Riley has returned from abroad. Mr. Brooks went to pick her up,” one of the maids said, hastily setting down the breakfast and practically fleeing the room. I sat there, stirring the bowl of porridge absentmindedly. Riley Carter, heiress of the Carter Group, was the one who funded Ryan’s education abroad after his parents’ death. I’d only met Riley once when I was very young. It was at Ryan’s birthday party, and I still remember the proud way he introduced her, saying that I would be his future wife. I didn’t have much to do with Riley. Frankly, I didn’t care to know more about her. The weather was beautiful today, and I felt the need to get out. The driver dropped me off at the street corner, where I bought a bouquet of white chrysanthemums and took a taxi to the cemetery. The cemetery was old and overgrown with weeds, looking like it hadn’t been tended in years. I placed the flowers on my mother’s grave and started pulling out the surrounding weeds. My mother lay peacefully beneath the earth, while her picture on the tombstone had already faded with time. But even in the photograph, her gentle eyes smiled softly. I never understood what drew my mother to Ryan’s father or what kind of love story they had. I only knew that their tragic affair had dragged Ryan and me into hell. I leaned against the tombstone, gazing at the sky. The blue was so pure, dotted with fluffy white clouds, and for a moment, I felt lighter, as if I could breathe again. But the sudden ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. I fumbled for my phone, seeing the familiar number. My heart clenched. “Hello?” I answered, clutching the phone tightly, but there was silence on the other end. Swallowing hard, I spoke again, “What made you call? Don’t you have a meeting today?” Still no response. I knew this was Ryan sulking. I didn’t dare say more, waiting quietly. After a moment, I heard him take a sip of something, his tone growing lazy. “You’re out?” “Yes, just shopping,” I lied, my hands and feet tingling with fear. I had lied to him many times before, but I could never tell if he believed me or if he was playing along. All I knew was that if he ever found out, I’d be in serious trouble. Then came a low chuckle from the other end of the line. “Nina, you’re cold-blooded. Shopping on your mother’s death anniversary? What a devoted daughter you are.” I bit my lip, letting him ridicule me. I knew that the only reason he had called was to throw salt in the wound, just because of today’s significance. It had been like this for ten years. When he was done mocking me, he asked, “Did you buy anything? Something for me, perhaps?” Cold sweat trickled down my back. “I haven’t found anything yet. What would you like?” He laughed again. “Even though it’s your mom’s death anniversary, you wouldn’t want your benefactor to be tainted by bad luck, would you? Dead people aren’t worth as much as the living.” I swallowed my tears, pretending to be indifferent. “I understand.” “Come home later. I’ll pick you up tonight.” And with that, he hung up. That house. It was the last place I wanted to go, especially on a day like today. Going back to the Morgan Family Estate only meant more disdain, but I couldn’t disobey Ryan’s orders.
I left the cemetery and headed to the nearest mall. I casually picked out a designer watch, making sure to remind the sales associate that I wanted the latest model. Ryan had given me a black card with no spending limit. I could swipe it as much as I wanted. I had thought about buying a house and running away with my grandmother, but Ryan would be notified of every transaction. Plus, all the medical expenses for my grandmother were handled by his assistant. I couldn’t make a move without risking everything. If he ever found out I planned to escape, I’d be doomed. The watch was expensive, but I paid for it with my own card. I also picked up some groceries and rushed over to the estate. It was just about dinnertime at the house. The housekeeper looked awkward when she saw me, then handed me a pair of disposable slippers. I didn’t care much about the cold reception and headed into the living room with the gifts I’d brought. Diane Morgan, my stepmother, was sitting on the couch, painting her nails and watching TV. She muttered, “That old housekeeper must be losing her mind, letting any stray cat or dog in here. Doesn’t she worry about catching some disease?” Then she noticed me and flashed a fake smile, holding her coffee cup up as if to toast me. “Well, Nina’s here. Have a seat.” I nodded and deliberately placed the gifts in the most visible corner, making it clear I wasn’t here to freeload. She glanced at the gifts, her expression full of disdain. “Next time, don’t bother wasting money like that. Your dad and I don’t eat knock-offs.” Ignoring her insults, I moved to sit down, but she suddenly shrieked, her voice shrill and mocking. “Where’s the housekeeper? Get over here! The couch is contaminated by someone who’s been on the streets!” I froze mid-squat as the housekeeper rushed over to cover the couch with several layers of plastic wrap beneath me. I decided not to sit after all, standing there instead, watching them. Just then, Chloe Morgan came downstairs, and her face immediately soured when she saw me. “Oh, no wonder it stinks in here. The plague has arrived,” Chloe sneered as she pushed past me and cuddled up next to Diane. “Mom, she smells awful. You should kick her out!” Diane caressed Chloe’s flawless skin like she was a precious gem, her expression gentle and loving, but her words were laced with venom. “What can I do, sweetie? The girl’s got legs of her own. I can’t stop her from coming in here to beg for our money.” Chloe pouted, picking a grape from the fruit bowl. That’s when I noticed the diamond bracelet on her wrist—my mother’s bracelet. It wasn’t just the bracelet. My mother had owned a lot of jewelry, all of it passed down from my grandmother as part of her dowry. But after my mother’s death, the estate had been absorbed into my dad’s possessions. Furious, I lunged forward, grabbing Chloe’s wrist to rip the bracelet off. She slapped me across the face. “What are you, crazy? Do you want me to have you arrested for robbery?” I wasn’t going to take it anymore. I yanked her up from the couch and slapped her across the face—twice. The loud smacks echoed through the room. Chloe had always been pampered, like a delicate flower kept safely in a greenhouse. Her skin wasn’t used to the rough treatment I endured every day. Her lips quickly swelled from the blows. “This is my mother’s dowry. What gives you the right to take it?” Chloe had clearly never expected me to actually hit her. She collapsed on the floor, screaming and crying. I took the opportunity to yank the bracelet off her wrist. Seeing her precious daughter in distress, Diane rolled up her sleeves and rushed at me, grabbing a handful of my hair. My mother had been a lady of grace and refinement, but Diane and Chloe were different. Despite living in luxury for years, their true nature showed when provoked. Diane clawed at my hair, screaming every vulgar insult she could muster, dragging my family’s name through the dirt. The words were filthy, words I wouldn’t repeat. But I wasn’t about to let her walk all over me. If acting crazy meant survival, I could play that game, too. I bit down hard on her wrist, making her howl in pain. Chloe jumped in to help her mother, but I kicked her away with a hard shove. Diane had wormed her way into my parents’ marriage, and it didn’t take long after my mom’s death for her to move in like she owned the place. She even kicked my grandmother and me out of the family home. I had to juggle school and work just to support us, and every so often, Diane and Chloe would show up to harass us. I’ll never forget the night it was pouring rain. My grandmother had a heart attack, and Diane threw us out of the storage shed where we lived. I knelt outside in the rain, begging for mercy, but Chloe had someone tear the roof off the shed. Everything I owned—my furniture, even my college acceptance letter—was soaked and ruined. Chloe caught a cold after that, and my dad came to the hospital just to beat me, then cut off my grandmother’s access to life-saving medication. Suddenly, I understood Ryan’s hatred toward me. After all, when his family’s fortune was taken from him, he was left at the mercy of others. He must’ve suffered the way I did. I could hate my dad, Diane, and Chloe, but who could Ryan hate, if not me? As Diane continued to wail, she suddenly collapsed, clutching her chest, gasping for breath. She looked pitiful, tears streaming down her face. I hadn’t even processed what was happening when I felt a strong hand grab the back of my head. In one swift motion, I was hurled across the room. I crashed into the wine cabinet, sending crystal glasses tumbling down. One of the shards sliced a deep gash across my hand, blood dripping onto the floor. “Calm down, Diane. She’s still a child,” I heard a familiar voice say. It was my father, Richard Morgan, the man who had abandoned me. “Dad, it’s my fault! I made her mad!” Chloe cried, rushing into his arms, tears and snot covering her face. “I just wanted to give my bracelet to her, but I guess her taste is too high for cheap things like this.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I shoved the bracelet toward my father, fury burning in my chest. “This was my mother’s dowry. What right does anyone have to take it from me?” Richard Morgan looked down at me with cold indifference. “When your mother married into the Morgan family, her things became the family’s property.” “Considering what she did, do you really think you have a claim to it? You ungrateful little brat. Do I need to remind you of your place?” Tears threatened to spill, but I held them back. “You have another child now. So who’s really at fault—my mother or you?” As expected, another slap came down on my face, so hard it made my teeth rattle. I staggered back, barely managing to stay upright, when I felt a pair of strong hands steadying me. I turned, and there stood Ryan, his face impassive as ever. He addressed my father with a calm, detached voice. “Apologies, Mr. Morgan. I’m here to take Nina home.” Ryan let go of me, and the moment he appeared, the tension in the room thickened. Mr. Morgan’s eyes narrowed, and Chloe stopped crying, her face lighting up. She hurried toward Ryan, throwing herself into his arms. “Ryan, thank God you’re here! My sister’s gone crazy! She really scared me.” I stood there, frozen. I had no idea what to say, what kind of expression to wear. It felt like my world had tilted, leaving me standing on unsteady ground.
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