I was working part-time at a high-end karaoke bar when I ran into my supposedly poor boyfriend. He was dressed in expensive clothes, wearing a luxury watch, and shouting, “I’m picking up the tab for everyone tonight!” I couldn’t believe my eyes. This was the same guy who insisted on splitting the bill when we shared a bowl of pasta. Then the girl in his arms called out his name. “Alex, you said you were pretending to be poor and dating that bitch to get revenge for me. How long are you planning to keep up this game?” Alexander pecked her lips. “Of course, until she loves me the most. Then I’ll reveal everything and humiliate her just like she humiliated you…” My nails dug into my palms. But I had never wronged him… Hearing Alexander’s words, the mask I wore made it hard to breathe. My hands trembled uncontrollably, making it difficult to pour drinks. My whole body felt cold. I was still in disbelief. At that moment, Alexander lit a cigarette. “You don’t know, that bitch is head over heels for me now. She brings me water, washes my feet every day, and willingly lies in bed to serve me. Even when I hit her, she still shamelessly tries to comfort me… She’s utterly despicable!” He waved his hand dismissively. “If it weren’t for wanting to get revenge for Scarlett, I’d lose my appetite just looking at her greasy face!” Someone chimed in, “Exactly! How dare such a lowlife hurt Scarlett and almost get her assaulted.” He turned to Scarlett and raised his glass. “We’ll all stand up for you!” I stood still, suppressing the chill that kept rising in my heart. It turns out that when you suddenly discover the truth, you can’t react immediately. Someone nearby shamelessly approached Alexander. “How about we all have some fun with that bitch too?” Alexander casually took out an intimate video he had tricked me into making. “Sure, take a look. Anyone interested? When the time comes, I’ll make up an excuse about needing money. She might even let you guys do whatever you want with her for my sake.” Hearing this, my hand shook violently. It felt like a huge hole had been torn in my heart, letting in a gust of cold wind. I did know Scarlett, but I truly had no idea when I had ever hurt her. And it turns out this rich young master had gone to great lengths to pretend to be poor, deceiving both my body and my heart. Some of the alcohol I was holding splashed onto Scarlett. She gave me a strange look, as if she had noticed something, and then started screaming. “Watch where you’re going, you blind idiot!” Alexander’s dangerous gaze turned towards me, his eyes darkening. “Oh, looks like someone’s upset Alexander’s precious darling,” the crowd jeered. Alexander twirled his wine glass, his gaze lingering on my face before he spoke coldly. “You’re so clueless, you can’t even be a good dog. As punishment, get down on all fours and bark like a dog,” he said, scattering money from his hand. “Crawl around this room five times on your knees!” “However much of this money you can catch in your mouth, you can keep!” The intense humiliation rushed to my head. If it weren’t for the mask covering my face, I’m sure I would have looked paler than the mask itself. Was this really the same gentle, kind-hearted man who would roll up his sleeves and say he’d stand up for me when I was treated unfairly? I stood there, motionless. Scarlett turned her head and clicked her tongue a couple of times. “Aren’t you desperate for money? Why pretend to have dignity now?” She draped herself over Alexander’s neck and said in a deliberately coy voice. “Speaking of needing money, I saw that bitch Olivia getting pretty close to some rich guy the other day. I bet she’s trying to climb the social ladder…” Others laughed, “Tsk tsk, even a lowlife like her is trying to move up in the world!” “Haha! If she knew that Alexander is the son of the richest family in the city, I wonder how much she’d regret it!” “We’re all looking forward to seeing the look on her face when she finds out the truth!”
I stood there rigidly, feeling like everyone’s gaze was piercing into my body like needles. That rich guy they mentioned was my childhood friend. After my family went bankrupt, he was the only one who didn’t look at me differently. I had gone to him to ask if he could help Alexander find an easier, more respectable job. “Hurry up and crawl! Bark like a dog!” Those spoiled rich kids were used to toying with people for fun. Seeing me frozen in place, Alexander viciously kicked my knee. I felt a sharp pain in my bones. My head hit the coffee table hard. Blood spilled everywhere. “How disgusting!” Alexander saw that I stubbornly refused to move and gave up his malicious gaze. Scarlett extended her high-heeled foot and ground it into my hand. The pain made me break out in a cold sweat, but I clenched my teeth to avoid making a sound. Alexander finally lost patience. He carelessly tossed a wad of cash into my shirt collar and had someone throw me out of the room. I quickly treated my wounds and stumbled home. Looking at the simple, familiar furnishings in my rented apartment, I felt dazed. Just this morning when Alexander left, he had kissed me and said he would love me forever. Now, coming back here, it felt like the beautiful world had shattered, revealing dark fangs. I started packing my things. Late into the night, the door opened and Alexander walked in. “Baby, I’m done with work. Look, I bought your favorite cake with my bonus.” I noticed the obvious signs that someone had tampered with the cake, and silently avoided his embrace. He kept rambling about how much he had sweated and been bullied by others just to buy this cake for me. I glanced at my phone and saw Scarlett’s new post on Instagram. The photo showed the same cake, but she had many pieces spread out on the floor. The caption read, [Craving cake… The one who loves me will always bring what I want right away… (heart emoji)] As I listened to Alexander’s words, I looked straight into his eyes. “Alex, do you really love me?” Alexander was taken aback for a moment, then quickly put on his trademark pitiful expression and tried to hug me. “I love Olivia, I’ll love Olivia forever.” I looked at him, remembering what he had said at the karaoke bar not long ago… “When the time comes, I’ll make up an excuse about needing money, and she might even let you all have your way with her!” “Just looking at her face makes me want to vomit!” I couldn’t help but tremble and stepped back, bumping into the table. The wad of cash he had stuffed into my shirt fell out. Alexander’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed dangerously, once again looking like the young master from earlier. “Well, well, Olivia! So you really have hooked up with some rich guy. How shameless can you be?” “How did I end up with such a slut!” Seeing his expression, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. He raised his hand as if to slap me. I flinched and stumbled into the bedroom. He followed me in and saw the luggage I had packed all over the floor. He paused for a moment, then folded his arms and blocked the door, his mouth curving into a deep sneer, his eyes sinister. “Planning to elope with someone else, are you? Do you look down on me that much? Is it just because I don’t have money?” I wanted to explain. He slammed the door shut. Alexander also cut off the power to the room. He knew full well that I had claustrophobia.
The darkness rushed towards me like a tidal wave. I felt like I was drowning, gasping for air but still suffocating. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard voices outside. “Alex, baby, aren’t you worried that poor bitch will get jealous if you bring me here?” I could hear the sound of passionate kissing. Alexander’s voice was full of suppressed desire. “Don’t worry, she can’t make trouble. She can’t get out. She’s probably just wailing in there right now.” So he knew about my suffering. At that moment, I could almost see him lifting Scarlett’s lingerie, just like he had at the karaoke bar. His low whisper hit me like a hammer, making my brain reel. “Besides, don’t you think her screams make it more exciting?” My throat was already hoarse from begging. It felt like I had swallowed a huge block of ice in my chest. I could barely move my body. In my hazy consciousness, images from the past floated before me. I first met Alexander on a sweltering summer day. I was wearing a heavy mascot costume, handing out flyers, when a group of kids started chasing and hitting me with sticks. My body swayed, and I nearly fainted. “You can’t bully people like that!” It was Alexander who stopped them and chased them away. Then he handed me a bottle of ice-cold water, saving me from heat stroke. He sat down beside me and said gently, “I’ve handed out flyers in the heat before too. I know how tough it is.” Then he told me that he came from a similar background as me. My heart pounded like a drum, and the world seemed to go silent except for the sound of my racing heartbeat. After that day, we naturally got together. We rented a small studio apartment together and slept on a narrow twin bed. But he was good to me, bringing me gifts every day after work. When I burned myself while cooking, he would kiss my fingers with tears in his eyes. “Olivia, thank you. You don’t know how much I love you.” Due to family troubles, I developed a sleepwalking problem. He would thoughtfully put foam padding on the corners of tables and cabinets, afraid I might bump into them. I thought he cared about me, but that day at the karaoke bar, I clearly heard him tell others, “That bitch even sleepwalks. It’s disgusting how she wanders around in the middle of the night!” I fell into a deep sleep. My last impression was of Alexander’s contemptuous and arrogant face at the karaoke bar that day. That scene pierced my heart like a sharp sword. I woke up gasping for air, to find Alexander staring at me intently. His eyes were deep, his thoughts unreadable. Seeing me lower my head submissively, he said, “Done throwing a tantrum? That’s better. I’ll take you out for our anniversary.” He dragged me to an upscale restaurant. Alexander lied without blinking an eye, “I saved up for a whole year to bring you here.” I sneered inwardly. One meal here probably cost less than what young master Alexander spent on drinks in a single night. Alexander expertly pulled out a chair for me and prepared the cutlery. “I’ll spend time with you properly today, to celebrate us making up.” “From now on, I’ll accompany you here for every anniversary. It’ll be our special secret.” He whispered in my ear. My heart fluttered slightly at these sweet words. Seeing his sincere and doting gaze, I felt a bit dazed. Was he just too good at acting, or had he started to believe his own act? Maybe he did have some genuine feelings… Just then, Alexander’s phone started ringing. Scarlett’s coquettish laugh came through. “Alex, baby, I need you for something.” Alexander didn’t hesitate for a second. “I’ll be right there.” I watched Alexander impassively. “I have to go.” The person across from me left without a second thought, completely forgetting his promise to spend our anniversary with me. Watching his cold retreating figure, the last flicker of emotion in my heart was completely extinguished. I saw Lucas and greeted him. Just as I was about to leave, Scarlett walked in through the door. “Well, well, I was wondering why this restaurant smelled so bad. Turns out it’s the stench of poverty from someone here!” She had brought a group of her friends. Before my family went bankrupt, these people used to flock around me. I straightened my back and stood up, not wanting to cause trouble. I tried to leave through the side. “Excuse me, I have somewhere to be.” But Scarlett had her friends block my way. “What could you possibly have to do? Go seduce some rich man?” “Or have you already picked your target and can’t wait to strip naked and throw yourself into his bed? So eager… Olivia, how can you be such a slut?” “Is this really the daughter of the Reed family, one of the richest in the city? What would your parents think if they saw you like this?” Scarlett covered her mouth dramatically and raised her eyebrows. Her friends laughed along on cue. “Don’t go too far!” I glared at her angrily, suppressing my fury. My family had always helped her, but for some reason she kept targeting me and my family.
Hearing my angry rebuke, Scarlett laughed even more arrogantly. “I’m going too far? I can go even further…” Scarlett yanked the tablecloth off, sending all the dishes crashing to the floor. “You must be really short on cash right now,” she signaled with her eyes, and two people came over to grab me. “If you eat all the food off the floor, this money is yours.” She took out a wad of cash and patted my cheek with it. “I won’t!” I struggled as they twisted my arms and pushed my head down into the spilled soup on the floor. The pain in my arms felt like they were being torn apart. The jeering laughter of those people exploded in my ears like an evil curse. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, a voice rang out. “What are you doing?” Alexander stood in the doorway, frowning as he looked at me. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a hint of heartache in his eyes. I opened my mouth, wanting to speak. But Scarlett beat me to it, clenching her fists. “Alex, baby, your girlfriend was trying to seduce rich men. I was teaching her a lesson for you!” Alexander helped me up and handed me a napkin to wipe the soup off my face. I took a deep breath, looking at Scarlett’s coquettish smile. Anger surged within me. “Aren’t you the one seducing my boyfriend?” Whispers rippled through the crowd of onlookers in the restaurant. People had been speculating about my relationship with Scarlett. Scarlett’s face paled, and she threw herself into Alexander’s arms. “Alex, baby, why don’t we tell her the truth? She really thinks she’s your girlfriend…” She shot me a coy glance. But Alexander dodged her embrace and said in a low voice, “What truth?” I suddenly felt it all so pointless and turned to leave the restaurant. Alexander chased after me. “Scarlett means well. She’s just looking out for me. Who told you to smile at other rich men…” I was surprised. “So you knew?” Alexander nodded. “I went to find Scarlett and saw it on the security cameras.” “So you saw Scarlett ordering others to torment me? And you… you waited so long to come…” My lips curved into a bitter smirk. “You must have enjoyed seeing me in such a miserable state, right?” Alexander choked. “I…” I turned to leave, but Scarlett chased after us. “Olivia, to show how sorry I am, I’d like to invite you to a party. You won’t refuse, will you?” Looking at her malicious eyes, I felt like a cold snake was staring at me. I was about to refuse when Alexander answered for me, “She’ll be there.” I looked at Alexander in shock, my chest aching. My voice was already choked with tears. “Don’t you know how she humiliates me every time?” But Alexander was unmoved. “Scarlett means well. You must have done something to upset her.” “So you need to go and apologize…” Alexander forcibly dragged me to the party. The crowd was wildly dancing, champagne spraying everywhere. It was a celebration for a bunch of rich brats. When they saw me arrive, their eyes lit up with malicious glee. All eyes turned to Scarlett, as if waiting for something. Sure enough, Scarlett walked over with a thin piece of cloth in her hand. “Olivia, I heard you’re short on cash. If you put this on and do a striptease for us here, we’ll all give you some money.”
The crowd started jeering. I knocked the cloth out of her hand, my face rigid with shame and anger almost overwhelming me. But Scarlett leaned in and whispered in my ear, “I know it was you at the karaoke bar that day. Should I tell all your old friends to go take care of your ‘business’?” The color drained from my face, and a chill ran through my body. Before my family’s bankruptcy, they had treated me like a princess on a pedestal. Now, I’m sure they’d be more than willing to watch me fall and be humiliated. I instinctively wanted to escape. I looked around, seeking help. But Scarlett curved her lips into a smile. “Let’s play a game. If you can find someone willing to save you, we’ll let you off today.” My hands shook as I took out my phone, barely managing to dial Alexander’s number. Into the phone, I pleaded desperately, “Alexander, I know you’ve found out the truth about why you approached me, but I really never bullied Scarlett.” “For the sake of all I’ve given you these past three years, please save me! They want me to do a striptease… They’re really going to assault me!” I was on the verge of kneeling, looking completely broken. Those people watched me with amused expressions, as if enjoying a show. I touched my earlobe, making sure that object was still there. Thankfully, ever since the last humiliation, I had prepared something special for them, just in case. Before I could finish speaking, Alexander’s impatient voice came through, “Now that you know my identity, you’re trying to butter me up? Using our relationship to threaten me? I never had any real feelings for you!” “Just do whatever they tell you to do.” “I saw with my own eyes how badly Scarlett was hurt. Just as Scarlett said, you’re nothing but a liar! You owe Scarlett this much. She has a soft heart; if you apologize sincerely, she won’t make things difficult for you.” The blood vessels in my head throbbed, and I could barely make out what he said after that. Seeing Scarlett’s triumphant smile, I lowered my head. …No one was going to save me. Scarlett waved her hand and announced into a microphone, “Come on, strip her clothes off and let her give us a striptease show today!” “We’re all looking forward to the great Olivia Reed’s striptease performance!” I tried my best to dodge, but grabby hands came at me from all directions. Seeing that I wouldn’t comply, someone grabbed a fork and stabbed it into my hand. Blood sprayed everywhere. Someone else kicked me hard. I crawled on the ground, my mouth filled with the taste of blood. Suddenly, Scarlett came over and tried to rip open the buttons on my chest. I dodged to the side. I grabbed the microphone next to me and smashed it towards Scarlett’s head. A hush fell over the crowd. Following the crowd’s gaze, I saw Alexander standing in the doorway. He walked over to Scarlett with concern, checking her injuries. Her hand was only red from the impact. The blood on it was actually mine. “Alex, baby, I was just trying to help Olivia fix her clothes. Look what she did to me…” She pouted, looking wronged. Alexander looked at Scarlett’s hand covered in my blood, then glared at me angrily. “And here I was worried about you, coming to check on you.” “You really are the same as always, just betraying people’s trust.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296280”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #狼人Werewolf #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply