Chapter 6 The Scar

I finally snapped and slapped him hard across the face. "Disgusting pig!"

Jeremy stared at me, not angry but smirking with perverse delight. "Such soft hands. Must be wonderful in bed."

Nausea rose in my throat as I turned to leave, desperate to get away from him.

"Walk away, and you'll be branded as someone who skips out on bills," Jeremy called after me. "Everyone at Skyline will despise and ostracize you. You have no choice. Sell your body to me, and at least you'll have a comfortable life at the company."

I couldn't even bear to look at him. Wasn't my current situation entirely his doing?

If not for him, would I be where I am today?

I walked away in a daze, my spirits crushed. The salary from this job was tempting, but where would I find two hundred thousand dollars to cover this bill?

And if I stayed, would Jeremy ever leave me alone?

This was only my first day, and things were already this bad.

I couldn't imagine what the coming days would be like.

Jeremy followed me like a shadow, his voice slithering into my ear. "Aviah, your pathetic principles are meaningless in the real world. Stop living in a fairy tale."

"Thinking of leaving? How? You either pay up or you don't leave here at all. Here, when you can't pay, your body becomes the currency. I'm giving you a chance—better one man than a crowd. Take it while you can."

My heart sank. I knew he was telling the truth.

Only now did I understand his true intentions.

He had orchestrated everything to back me into a corner, forcing me to comply with his demands.

I didn't know what to do except to get away from Jeremy.

"Bitch," he snarled. "So ungrateful."

In one swift motion, he grabbed me and began dragging me toward a private room.

I struggled desperately, screaming for help, but it made little difference.

As the door opened and he pushed me inside, I caught a glimpse of the room before a man rushed forward, delivering a powerful kick that sent Jeremy flying backward.

The man's cold voice cut through the air. "Three seconds. Get out."

Jeremy didn't hesitate; he turned and ran.

"Thank you," I began gratefully. "You—"

I stopped mid-sentence. On the couch behind my rescuer sat another man, shirtless, with blood and some powder on his right arm, apparently treating a wound.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. What made my heart nearly leap from my chest was the long, distinct scar across his chest.

That scar!

It was him!

I froze, my pulse racing.

I had last seen this man just a week ago, sitting in a Rolls-Royce.

There was no mistake—it was him, the same man who had raped me five years ago.

Everything began with him.

The accumulated pain from the past and tonight's humiliation finally broke through my self-control. I lunged toward him.

"I'll kill you!"

Only now did I notice he wore a mask, concealing his features, hiding something.

Just as I was about to reach him, the man who had chased away Jeremy intercepted me.

"Stop it, Lady. He's off-limits."

Before I could respond, the masked man spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. "It's alright. She and I are old acquaintances. Leave us for a moment."

The other man shrugged, turned, and left, closing the door behind him.

I regained some composure and asked shakily, "Is it you?"

"It has to be you, right? That night five years ago—I remember the scar on your chest. I could never forget it. It was you."

The masked man replied calmly, "That night, we had sex."

With his confirmation, my rage surged anew.

I had paused only because I feared attacking the wrong person. Now that I was certain, there was no reason to hold back.

"I'll kill you! It's because of you that I became like this! You ruined my life! Die!"

He easily blocked my wild, untrained attacks with one hand. I had never fought before and could only flail ineffectively.

"You're blaming everything on me to make yourself feel better," he said dispassionately. "You were drugged that night, if I'm not mistaken. I happened to walk into that room. If it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else. Your fate was already determined. Okay, it's on me, but you can't put all the blame on me."

I was not unreasonable. After five years, my emotions weren't as intense as they once were. But something didn't add up.

"Wait," I said. "If you weren't the person originally arranged to be there, then who was?"

If what he said was true and he wasn't the person Scarlett had arranged, then who was supposed to be there?

He shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps I inadvertently locked the door behind me, preventing someone else from entering. Or maybe there was another reason. I'm not privy to those details."

"I was wrong back then. I'll do what I can to make amends."

I looked at him and scoffed. "How would you compensate me? You're just a male escort. Though I suppose that pays well."

His eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I'm a male escort?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's winter, yet you're half-naked, wearing a mask, dressed provocatively—clearly appealing to both men and women. And that guy who just left? Probably your client."

"Plus, only small-time thugs working in places like this would have so many scars. What happened to your shoulder? Got stabbed fighting over territory?"

I rambled on, not noticing his increasingly darkening expression.

"What do you look like? Let me see. You slept with me five years ago, and I don't even know your face."

Not knowing what he looked like had always bothered me.

He seemed uncomfortable with my directness. "How can you be so vulgar?"

I understood what he meant. Once, I had been refined and dignified. Now my language was boldly direct.

Without those life-changing experiences, I wouldn't believe such words could come from my mouth.

But I felt no shame. My dignity had been stripped away five years ago.

If I was willing to endure Jeremy's humiliation just to keep my job and earn money, why would I care about propriety now?

Just as I was about to respond, my phone rang. It was Jeremy.

"Aviah, everyone is leaving. This welcome party was organized for you, and it's rude for the guest of honor to be absent. Come back now and pay, or I guarantee you won't survive in Lakeview."

The audacity! How many despicable people exist in this world?

Scarlett was a bitch, but Jeremy was a total bastard.

"Go to hell!" I snapped, furiously ending the call.

I desperately needed to vent my frustration. Eyeing the drinks on the coffee table, I grabbed one and downed it in a single gulp.