Chapter 2. A Painful Slap

That bright morning turned dark as Rebecca opened her eyes. Her eyes widened in shock, blinking rapidly as she tried to dismiss the illusion of a dream that made her heart feel like it was about to leap out of her chest. But it was futile. The warmth mingling from their touching skin confirmed that this was no illusion, but reality. She was not dreaming at all.

Rebecca jolted in surprise. Her hands quickly pushed away the strong arm that was embracing her. No matter how curious she was, she had to get away from the naked figure lying under the same blanket as her. Hastily, she picked up her clothes from the floor and covered her sticky, aching body. Her mind, shaken by the shock, began to fill with flashes of last night’s erotic events… Her face tensed as she realized the man beside her was not her fiancé, but a handsome stranger-who was still sound asleep. Her heart nearly stopped beating. Fear and panic enveloped her. Her breath grew heavy and tight. The world seemed to stop spinning. Her body almost collapsed. What had happened? She clearly remembered seeing her fiancé last night. They touched, they kissed… But who was this man sleeping beside her?

Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling self. She remembered how she ended up in that room. It was her trusted confidant who brought her there. Slowly, she realized the spontaneous, torturous change in her condition last night. Then, she drew one conclusion. That her body’s reaction was triggered by something she ate or drank the night before… With her wedding day just around the corner, there was no way Rebecca would ruin her happy day with such a foolish act. Sleeping with a man she didn’t know? She must have lost her mind!

The beautiful woman would never tarnish her own dignity or good name. She was born into a respectable family in Manchester. Her father owned a manufacturing company in the food industry, while Elvis-her fiancé-was a surgeon born into a family that owned one of Manchester’s hospitals. Could someone be so malicious as to ruin her perfect life?

April? Did April do this? she wondered. But for what reason? Why would April harm Rebecca, who had always been kind to her? Why would her secretary commit such a crime, when Rebecca had never treated her badly?

Her breath came in gasps, her chest grew tighter, and her legs trembled from the pain and shock. But she refused to wallow in her distress. She hurriedly put on her clothes and decided to escape before the man woke up. It was better to treat this misfortune as a one-night stand and forget about it.

Unfortunately, she made that decision at the wrong moment. As Rebecca opened the door, her steps froze at the sight of two men glaring at her as if they wanted to kill her.

They were Nelson Clovin, her biological father, standing with a face red with anger. Not only him, but Elvis was also there, catching her red-handed in that room. There was no need to ask how they found her. April’s expressionless face behind Elvis answered everything. The irony of a disastrous morning... Rebecca wasn’t allowed a moment’s peace, not even for a second, until her aching body went numb. She wasn’t given a chance to find a solution to her fatal mistake.

Despite being overwhelmed by fear, she managed to think clearly enough to quickly exit and shut the door tightly behind her. However, she couldn’t hide the kiss mark on her neck-the result of the stranger’s bite from the night before.

Slap!

Nelson’s large hand landed hard on Rebecca’s left cheek before any words were spoken. The middle-aged man’s anger was uncontrollable at what he saw before him.

“Where is your brain, Rebecca? You sneaked out to do something this disgusting?” Nelson shouted arrogantly, ignoring his daughter’s tearful gaze.

“Dad…”

“Don’t call me daddy! I’m ashamed to have a daughter like you!” Nelson snapped.

What nonsense is this? ... Rebecca stared unblinking at her father, who was so cruel to her. Even though their relationship had grown distant due to the presence of her stepmother and stepsister, she believed her father had no right to judge her without hearing her explanation.

Nelson truly gave her no chance. He sternly ordered Rebecca to go home, turning his face away as if looking at his daughter was utterly repulsive.

Elvis’s cold stare urged Rebecca to approach him. She believed her fiancé would listen to her explanation of how she ended up in that room. But, just as before, that hope vanished! Her hand was harshly brushed aside when she tried to reach for Elvis’s wrist.

Slap!

“If you want to cover up your lies, do it properly!” Elvis growled in anger.

The desperate woman shed tears at her fiancé’s words. “Don’t get me wrong, Honey. I can explain everything,” she whispered painfully.

Elvis nodded, but his lips curled into a mocking sneer, belittling Rebecca’s words. His eyes clearly showed uncontrolled disappointment and anger. “Then explain those red marks on your neck!” he demanded.

Instinctively, Rebecca touched her neck. She panicked and was shocked to realize the erotic traces of the stranger’s bite were still there. This was truly insane! She never imagined this would happen to her.

“Who’s in there?” Elvis demanded again.

“No one.” Rebecca quickly denied.

“You’re cheating?” Elvis accused harshly.

“No!” Rebecca shook her head desperately.

“You got bored with me after three years together?” Elvis pressed his fiancée further. ... “No! Never! I always love you, Elvis,” Rebecca pleaded.

“Shut the fuck up! You wouldn’t have broken my trust if you really loved me!” Elvis spat out his disappointment, his tone pressing and intimidating. He continued, “I don’t want to marry a filthy traitor like you!”

Rebecca was stunned. She doubted her ears at such a cruel statement. Was this the same sweet-talking man now hurling insults at her?

“Y–you mean… you don’t want to marry me?” she stammered, needing confirmation.

“You still need to ask? Of course, I won’t marry you!” Elvis replied harshly.

“Elvis, you’re completely misunderstanding.” Rebecca said in panic, her trembling hand gripping Elvis’s wrist. “You love me, Elvis! And I love you. This wedding… this wedding is our dream!” She pleaded desperately with him. ... Ironically, Rebecca’s plea was met with Elvis’s rough behavior. He angrily pushed her hand away. Not stopping there, he deliberately shoved Rebecca until her back slammed hard against the hallway wall.

Rebecca closed her eyes. Her spine felt like it would break from the impact. The pain and soreness near her groin made her collapse to the floor.

“You are the most hypocritical and selfish woman I’ve ever met, Rebecca! You always refused to let me fully touch you! You always told me, ‘It’s better if we wait until after we’re married!’ You gave me your lips, but to your lover, you gave your whole body!” ... Elvis’s cruel accusations pierced not only Rebecca’s heart but also her soul, leaving her trembling with pain. Yet, despite the pain, she refused to give up. She tried to gently reach for her fiancé’s hand.

“What must I do for you to listen and believe me?” Her hoarse voice pleaded desperately.

“I’m disgusted and hate you, Rebecca. Don’t ever appear before me again. We’re done! There will be no wedding, let alone love between us!”

Elvis’s cruelty in trampling Rebecca’s dignity didn’t stop at his words. Again! He harshly brushed off her hand, causing her frail body to be painfully pushed back.

Rebecca’s tears streamed down her cheeks as Elvis left her without listening to her explanation. The same went for Nelson. The furious middle-aged man decided to walk away.

***

When he opened his eyes, Glenn Romanov realized he had overslept. Strangely, the charming tycoon wasn’t surprised. He was content to remain lying on the messy bed that bore witness to a night of spent energy.

Yes, he was the handsome man who spent a passionate night with that stranger. The night before, Glenn had only wanted a peaceful rest. He was exhausted after a series of business meetings on his first day in Manchester.

His expectations were derailed by reality. The 32-year-old bachelor was simply swayed by lust. The sweet, submissive voice, the deliciously soft lips, the alluring fair skin, and the enticing assets. Glenn smiled slightly, thinking about the night full of sweet traps that left him addicted. He was usually a cold man, never involved in controversy with women… “She’s already gone.” Glenn muttered as he sat up and realized the woman he had slept with had already left.

His handsome face showed a gloom that sent shivers down his spine. The next moment, the erotic and sweet memories were erased by Glenn’s judgment that the woman from last night was an escort.

He couldn’t blame the woman who had been with him almost all night. For him, it was only right that she left before he woke up. No matter how satisfied Glenn was with her body, she was still an escort.

The 32-year-old man decided to get out of bed and clean himself up. He was struck by a strange feeling when he saw scratch marks on his right arm.

Damn! There shouldn’t be any marks to remind him. He quickly finished cleaning himself and hurriedly covered his athletic body with a formal suit.

“Good morning, Mr. Glenn.” ... Glenn turned to his secretary who entered his room. “You’ve worked for me for a long time. But why did you forget the rules I set?” he protested.

Eric looked confused by his boss’s words. “What do you mean, sir?”

“The woman from last night. You arranged for her, didn’t you? You know very well I don’t like things like that.”

Eric’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Woman? What do you mean, Mr. Glenn? I would never dare make such a mistake.”

The room fell silent as Glenn suddenly thought hard. If his secretary hadn’t arranged for the woman last night, how did she get into his room?

While he was deep in thought, his eyes caught something shiny on the floor. Glenn walked over and picked it up. His fingers held an earring-strongly suspected to belong to the woman from last night who had dropped it.