Chapter 2

Coming out of the ballroom, the rain outside was even heavier.

I had no umbrella, letting the cold rain pelt down on me, soaking my expensive gown.

It was late when I returned to my tiny, 30-square-meter rental apartment.

I rented this place myself. Ethan owned countless mansions, but I never asked to move in.

I knew my place: a hidden lover, unworthy of entering his formal world.

Just as I pulled out my keys, the door was suddenly yanked open from inside.

A strong smell of cheap cigarettes and alcohol wafted out.

My heart sank. "Oh no," I thought.

"You little brat, you finally decided to come home!"

A scruffy, fleshy-faced middle-aged man grabbed my hair and violently dragged me inside.

It was my father, Frank.

"Where's the money? Hand over the money now!" Frank's eyes were bloodshot, like a madman who had lost everything gambling, as he frantically patted me down.

"I don't have any money!" I struggled desperately, my scalp screaming in pain. "Last month's salary was already taken by you to pay off gambling debts! Where would I have any money?"

"Bullshit!" Frank slapped me hard across the face.

With a sharp "smack," I staggered, falling to the floor, instantly tasting blood in my mouth.

"Do you think I'm a fool? You're with that big boss, Ethan. He wouldn't give you less money, would he? You unfilial daughter, living it up, enjoying the good life, watching your old man being chased by loan sharks, aren't you?!"

Frank yelled, frantically ransacking the room.

My design sketches, brushes, and paints were strewn across the floor, trampled to pieces.

"Stop it! Don't touch my things!" I rushed forward, my eyes red, desperately shielding the scattered designs on the floor.

Those were my life's work, sketched out over countless sleepless nights!

"Get lost!" Frank kicked me hard on the shoulder.

I gasped in pain, cold sweat breaking out.

"I'm telling you, Jade, if you don't come up with five hundred thousand today, I'll sell your sister, Stella, who's still in high school, to a club to settle my debts!" Frank threatened viciously.

"You wouldn't dare!" I snapped my head up, glaring at him. "Frank, are you even human? Stella is your own daughter!"

"So what if she's my daughter? I brought you into this world, you owe me!" Frank sneered. "Three days. I'm only giving you three days. If you don't come up with the money, just wait to pick your sister out of a club!"

With that, he slammed the door and left.

The room was a mess, as if ransacked by thieves.

I curled up on the cold floor, my shoulder aching as if it would split, and tears finally began to fall.

Why?

Why, despite my desperate efforts, could I never escape this swamp?

Just then, my phone vibrated in my bag.

"Ethan" flashed on the screen.

I took a deep breath, wiped my face frantically, and answered the call.

"Where are you?" Ethan's voice was cold and commanding.

"Home." I tried to keep my voice steady.

"Half an hour. Get over here."

"Mr. Ethan, it's one in the morning," I bit out. "I'm a person, not your on-call machine."

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a cold scoff.

"Jade, your temper's really grown, hasn't it? What, still upset about the engagement rings?"

"No, I'm not."

"Good," Ethan's tone was full of condescending generosity. "Come over. Chloe can't sleep and wants to look at your old design drafts for inspiration. Bring them over and explain them to her yourself."

My hand, gripping the phone, tightened, my nails digging deeply into my palm.

He wanted me to brave the heavy rain in the middle of the night, just to explain design drafts to his fiancée?

"I'm sick. I can't go," I refused coldly.

"Jade, don't make me angry," Ethan's voice darkened. "Your sister, Stella, is taking her college entrance exams next month, isn't she? I heard she wants to get into NYU? What do you think would happen if I made a call to NYU? Would she still get in?"

It was always like this.

For five years, he always knew my weaknesses, forcing me to bow, to compromise.

He knew Stella was my life.

"I'll be right there."

Hanging up, I numbly got up from the floor, picked up the scattered designs, and put them back in my bag.

The rain continued to fall.

I stood by the road, waiting half an hour before finally getting a taxi.

By the time I reached Ethan's villa in the hills, I was shivering uncontrollably, my lips blue.

The villa was brightly lit, warm as spring.

I pushed open the door and saw Ethan lounging on the sofa in loose pajamas.

Chloe was nestled in his arms like a lost puppy, wearing a silk slip dress, a warm glass of milk in her hand.

Seeing me standing at the door, drenched like a drowned rat, Chloe gasped.

"Oh my god, Jade, why are you so soaked? Come in and dry off!"

She made to get up, but Ethan held her down.

"Don't worry about her. She's perfectly fine," Ethan said, not even lifting an eyelid, his gaze sweeping coldly over me. "Did you bring the designs?"

I stood in the entryway, not changing my shoes.

Cold rainwater dripped from my hair, spreading a dark stain on the carpet.

I took out the stack of designs, slightly soiled by Frank's footprints, from my bag and walked over to place them on the coffee table.

"They're all here," my voice was hoarse.

Ethan glanced at the footprints on the designs, his brows instantly knitting into a tight knot.

"Jade, what kind of attitude is this? Are you trying to fool me with this garbage?"

He violently threw the designs at my face.

The sharp edges of the paper grazed my cheek, leaving a faint scratch that bled slightly.

"Ethan, don't get angry. Jade didn't mean it," Chloe quickly hugged Ethan's arm, her voice soft and coaxing.

Then she turned to me, looking with those innocent eyes, "Jade, are you upset about designing my ring, that you deliberately soiled the drafts? It's really okay, I can find someone else…"

"Shut up," I cut her off coldly.

Chloe flinched, her eyes welling up again.

Ethan stood up abruptly, grabbing my throat and pinning me against the cold wall.

"Jade, you dare to yell at her?!"

His grip was incredibly strong; I instantly struggled to breathe, my face turning crimson.

"Ethan…" I choked out, forcing the words from my throat. "Five years… even if you kept a dog… it would have some affection, wouldn't it?"

"Affection?" Ethan laughed, as if he'd heard the biggest joke, his eyes full of mockery. "Jade, do you really think you're worthy of talking about affection with me? You're just a tool I paid for, a plaything for my amusement. Did you actually think you were special?"

His words were like a blunt knife, slowly cutting open my heart.

In the face of such extreme pain, I actually smiled.

"Yes, I'm not worthy," I looked at him, my eyes growing colder by the second. "Mr. Ethan is right. A tool should know its place."

"Let me go. I'll explain the designs to Ms. Chloe."

Ethan stared at my eyes, so calm they held no ripple of emotion, and a flicker of irritation crossed his face.

He suddenly released me.

I slid down the wall to the floor, clutching my throat and coughing violently.

"Jade, remember your place," Ethan looked down at me. "Dare to disrespect Chloe again, and I'll make you regret it."