Chapter 3

Everyone in the livestream cheered, but nobody sent any gifts. I heaved a sigh of relief knowing that nobody was willing to be the first to step up despite the commotion.

Ironically, it was their posturing that saved me.

As it turned out, I celebrated too soon.

A sinister look appeared in Ronald’s eyes. He proceeded to reach for his other phone, where he sent a gift to himself!

"Wow! Thank you very much for the $10! I’ll put on a good show for you all to see!"

With that, he warmed up his wrist before slapping me hard across the face. My cheeks immediately turned red and swollen. It hurt so much that I gasped from the pain.

The viewers began to react.

"Attaboy! You did not hold back at all!"

"Oh my god! Are you going to get in trouble for this?"

"What are you taking pity on her for? Let’s see if you’ll still feel this way when she scams you!"

After the first demonstration, more viewers began to send gifts out of curiosity.

One, two, three…

It did not take long before gifts came streaming in. It was starting to get out of hand.

Roland grinned from ear to ear. His hands were occupied with slapping me from left to right the entire time.

"Thank you for your support, everyone! I’m not going to hold back and will make sure the scammer gets what’s coming to her!

"Going easy on her would be unfair to the rest of us! I’m not doing this for money, I’m doing this to get revenge for everyone!"

My ears were ringing from the countless barrage of slaps. Blood would not stop trickling out of the corners of my mouth.

Ronald and the audience appeared to have descended into a frenzied, bacchanalian delirium. Driven by a thirst for spectacle, they began brainstorming increasingly cruel methods to inflict suffering upon me.

"She claims she’s a doctor? Let’s see if she can give me medical advice. I had a glass of water this morning, and now my heel hurts. Why is that? I’ll give her fifty cents if she answers correctly."

I was furious and cried out, "That usually means your brain isn't fully developed!"

After a brief pause, the viewer proceeded to send $150. Ronald grinned from ear to ear and proceeded to kick me in the stomach fifteen times.

My stomach churned with pain. I doubled over and felt like I was going to pass out.

"I’m sorry, she has no manners! I’ll make sure she gets on her knees and apologize!"

A chill ran through me. Before I could even react, Ronald kicked me in the shin and forced me to my knees.

Then, he shoved my head down and smiled while he apologized to the viewers. He made it seem as if he was reprimanding a child who had made a mistake.

I was trying to hold on for dear life, but my body was giving way. A wave of despair washed over me. Even breathing took so much effort.

How could I be expected to save someone else when I could barely save myself?

Just as I felt like my pride was going to be squashed entirely, I heard the sound of sirens approaching.