Chapter 2

"Be more careful next time," Steven simply said before turning his attention back to his phone.

I knew exactly what he was doing.

Aside from live-streaming, Steven's account had thousands of videos uploaded.

There were clips of me being forced to scrub the floor after getting doused in beer by customers. There were also clips of me gathering my belongings, which were thrown into the trash can when I couldn't make rent, in humiliation.

All of it had become Steven's content without exception.

Looking at his back, I finally worked up the courage to speak. "I don't want to sell beer anymore…"

Steven paused, then turned around to coax me. "Don't fuss over something so trivial, Mel. Besides, aren't you already used to this kind of thing?"

His words felt like cold water down my back.

Of course, getting groped by drunk men while working at a dive bar was nothing unusual. Steven would just brush it off and tell me to put up with it every time I told him about it.

It turned out that my fear and humiliation had been nothing more than content for him.

The bulb above us flickered a few times before it went out, plunging the basement into complete darkness.

Steven cursed under his breath before grabbing his jacket without looking back. "I'm going to work overtime in the office."

The door slammed shut.

I habitually pulled out a flashlight, reached under the bed, and took out a cookie tin. At the very bottom lay an acceptance letter from Karnell University.

It wrote, "Dear Ms. Reid, we would like to inform you that this position will remain available to you for a period of three years. We truly hope you will reconsider your decision."

Three years of poverty flashed before my eyes.

I took a deep breath and typed out an email to the listed address. "I've made my decision, Professor Donovan."

…

Late at night, while lying on the damp floor, I tapped into Steven's live stream without even realizing it. On the screen, he was lazily lounging on a designer couch, with a glass of red wine in his hand.

"Guys, I made it out!" Steven laughed into the camera. "That basement is unlivable. Mold on the walls, a leaking toilet, and cockroaches all over the floor… But that's the only way to prove she really loves me."

My body started trembling uncontrollably as I watched the smug curve of his mouth.

The live stream comments flew by.

"Mad respect, Mr. Delaney! Bet your broke girlfriend's crying by candlelight right now."

"The show's getting boring lately, Mr. Delaney. Isn't it time to spice things up and mess with her again?"

A familiar sneer tugged at Steven's lips as he swirled his wine. "Sure. Honestly, I'm getting a little bored, too."

"Get her to sell her blood!"

"Pretend you're terminally ill and see if she'll donate an organ!"

"Didn't she save up a million dollars for your startup fund? Hire someone to rob her."

My heart plummeted, my fingers involuntarily clenching tight at the blanket.

For the past three years, I had lived on as little as possible, saving every dollar I earned and putting it into the bank as Steven's startup fund.

He knew exactly how hard I'd earned that money.

They came from the tears I swallowed when customers harassed me at the dive bar. They were gathered from my cracked, bleeding skin from washing piled-up beer glasses in the dead of winter. They were also scavenged from the meals I skipped daily, eating only once just to save a little more.

"That's a great idea!" Steven suddenly shot up straight, eyes lit up. "I'll gather a few guys together to put on a show tomorrow!"

Tears spilled onto my phone uncontrollably the moment the screen went dark.

I recalled how I'd taken three jobs at once last winter, just to make more money.

One night, as I got off work at 3:00 am, I slipped on an icy road and ended up smashing my knee open. But that was also the day my bank balance finally crossed six figures.

Suppressing my tears, I forced a smile, took a photo, and sent it to Steven.

He'd praised me for doing a good job, then turned around and posted a screenshot of my stupid grin in the group chat.

Steven wrote, "A hundred thousand dollars is nothing. The necklace I bought Selena today cost ten times that."

…

The next morning, the door was kicked open just as I finished getting ready for work.

A man with a slash scar across his face dragged Steven in, throwing him at my feet. "I heard you're the one willing to pay off the Delaneys' debts. Perfect. He still owes me 100 thousand dollars. Hurry and pay up now!"

Steven's face was badly bruised. He collapsed to the floor and started playing his part. "Please, give me a few more days!"

"A few more days, my foot!" Scarface swung his baton and smashed the breakfast I just made. "If you can't pay up, I'll take one of your legs instead!"

Trembling, Steven turned his helpless gaze toward me.