Chapter 2

From that day on, Damien changed.

He was no longer gentle or considerate.

He no longer treated me like his girlfriend.

Instead, he treated me like a plaything to summon and dismiss at will.

When he was thirsty, I had to deliver coffee under the scorching sun.

When he was hungry, I had to bring him meals I'd cooked myself.

When I finally managed to deliver them, he'd dump everything in front of me.

Then casually say: "I suddenly lost my appetite."

Like a game he never tired of playing.

Toying with me again and again.

He even made me wear revealing dresses to accompany him to cocktail parties.

"So this is Damien's girlfriend?"

"You've kept her hidden so long and finally decided to show her off?"

His friends came over with drinks, teasing him.

But Damien denied it outright.

"No!"

"Why would I bring my girlfriend to this kind of occasion?"

When his eyes swept over me, they held a trace of contempt:

"She's just a toy I bought with money!"

A casual remark, yet it stabbed into my heart like a knife.

The pain made it impossible to breathe.

For my father's medical bills, I couldn't defend myself.

I could only stand there stiffly.

The air around me instantly solidified.

The previously curious and scrutinizing gazes all turned to mockery and ridicule.

"A toy? Interesting!"

Damien's friend looked me up and down lecherously.

"When will you let me play with her too?"

"You like this type?" Damien asked casually.

"I'll send her to you when I'm done with her!"

My head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief.

I couldn't imagine Damien would give me away like an object to someone I'd just met.

"Feeling upset?"

Damien watched my embarrassed and humiliated expression with interest, wrapping his arm around my waist.

The corner of his mouth even held a faint smile.

"Serena Locke, since you're after money, why pretend to be so wronged?"

"I didn't lie to you."

I forced out each word through gritted teeth:

"You can just investigate at the hospital."

"I really just wanted to borrow money for my dad's medical expenses..."

Before I could finish, Damien pulled me into a small room next to the hall.

"You think I didn't investigate?"

"I did look into this patient."

"It's just a pity..."

With a tearing sound, Damien roughly ripped my dress.

"Fiona told me it's all fake—a fake patient."

"That's impossible—she's lying!"

Before I could protect my clothes, a tearing pain shot through my entire body.

"Damien!"

My eyes widened in terror.

"You can't do this here..."

This room was separated from the main hall by only a glass door.

Anyone could see with just a glance.

Damien's head expertly rested on my shoulder:

"Afraid your new target will see?"

He pressed my head against the glass:

"Serena Locke, I never realized you were so capable."

"How many men have you hooked in such a short time?"

"Who's your next target? Mr. Morrison or the Mr. Bennett?"

"I didn't—I'm not that kind of woman!"

I tried to struggle free, but Damien held me firmly in place.

Pain crashed over me.

My whole body shuddered uncontrollably.

Damien ignored my words completely.

Instead, he playfully lifted a strand of my hair: "I can stop."

"But... you can forget about getting another cent from me."

Thinking of the remaining medical bills for my dad, I fell silent.

"See!" Damien's husky voice sounded:

"You're no different from those other women."

Tears rolled down the glass drop by drop.

I bit my lower lip hard, trying not to make a sound.