Chapter 4

"You shameless slut, I've been wanting to beat you for a long time. Mess with me and I'll make sure you regret it!"

Rhonda's grip was brutal. Pain tore across my scalp, and I cried out.

Suzanne wrenched the leash out of my hand.

Just then, a burly man walked in from outside, smoking a cigarette. "Are you the people selling the dog? We agreed on a hundred dollars."

Paige called out at once, "Yes, that's us."

Nugget reluctantly backed away, whimpering toward me. He sensed the man in front of him meant him harm and was crying out for me to save him.

My vision went red. I swung back and punched Rhonda square in the face. She shrieked and dropped to the floor.

I lunged recklessly for Nugget, but the man shoved me back, cursing. "I paid for him. He's mine now. If you want him, pay me 250 dollars."

I snatched for the leash back and shrieked, "I'll pay you!" I pulled 250 dollars out of my bag and threw it at him. He counted it, satisfied, and walked off.

Nugget burrowed into my arms, trembling all over. I murmured to calm him down, but before I could even stand, a stick came crashing down on his head. Nugget yelped and collapsed instantly, his legs twitching.

I fell apart, clutching him and sobbing, my tears dropping onto his fur.

Paige, the one responsible, showed no trace of guilt. If anything, her smile grew even more pleased.

"It's just a mutt. If it dies, it dies. I'll pay you back for it, big deal."

Suzanne brushed it off too. "Stop your sniveling; it's such bad luck."

Rhonda wiped blood from her nose and spat in disgust. "Fucking slut. Serves you right."

Seeing Nugget go still and silent, rage tore through me. I lunged for the phone and dialed the police. The instant the call connected, a slap knocked me to the floor.

Suzanne snarled, "You're making all this trouble over one dog! Calling the police would humiliate Bradley. That dog's already dead; we might as well use it as fertilizer for the garden! Let's see how arrogant you can be now!"

My head rang, and an unfamiliar pain spread through my lower abdomen from being hit so many times.

I didn't waste time fighting them anymore. I scrambled up off the floor and ran for the door.

But Rhonda, still furious about the punch I'd landed on her, grabbed my hair from behind and tripped me to the ground. She straddled me and started slapping me across the face.

"Fucking slut, if I don't teach you a lesson today, I'm not worth anything."

Years of hard labor had given Rhonda a punishing grip. Within moments, my lip split open and wouldn't stop bleeding.

I curled up, screaming, barely able to breathe. "Stop it! Get off me!"

Suzanne watched coldly. She'd disliked me for a long time, and now that someone else was doing the punishing, she was more than happy to enjoy the show.

Paige pinned down my legs with one hand while filming my humiliation with the other. "Go on, keep acting arrogant! So what if you've got some money? You're still spending my husband's money!"

A flood of new viewers poured into the livestream.

[This has gotten way out of hand. There's a dead dog right there. And they're beating her that badly?]

[Wait, this is huge. I found out who she is. That's the Arnault family's heiress! These women have lost their minds, actually beating up the Arnault heiress.]

[Hang in there, Miss Arnault, I've already called the police for you and messaged your parents.]

The moment Paige realized someone had recognized me, she cut the livestream instantly.

I lay there barely conscious and felt some kind of fluid slowly flowing out beneath me.

Paige looked thoroughly pleased with herself. But before she could say a word, her phone suddenly rang.