2025-04-11 18:13:20Jackson dragged his tired feet into the hostel, his shirt damp with sweat, his pockets heavier than usual but never heavy enough. Another day of being everyone’s errand boy—running across campus, fetching food, carrying bags, doing whatever it took to scrape together a few dollars.
Today was his birthday. And Emily’s too. The one thing they had in common, the one thing that made him work even harder. He had skipped lectures, swallowed insults, and humiliated himself all day just to make sure he had enough for her.
Two thousand dollars. Enough to buy her a luxurious handbag, maybe. Enough to take her out to an expensive restaurant. Enough to make her happy, at least.
As he stepped into his room, the scent of cheap vanilla frosting filled his nostrils.
“Hey, birthday boy!” Andrew grinned, pointing at a small, homemade cake on the desk.
James patted Jackson’s back. “We know you’ve been running around all day, so we thought, you know… You deserve something too.”
For the first time all day, Jackson smiled. His friends were the only ones who treated him like a human being and genuinely cared for him. They have been friends since he joined the school. Same department, same room, and same level.
He took a bite, hardly chewing, his mind already elsewhere. Emily was waiting. He needed to get to her place fast.
Just then—a loud, impatient bang at the door.
Jackson opened it, and there stood Jonah.
Tyler Stanley’s lackey.
Tyler was the son of a multimillionaire, and he was a playboy. Jonah was also from a wealthy background, his family were surbodinates to the Stanleys, Tyler’s family.
Jonah’s gaze crawled over Jackson like he was looking at filth. He tossed a wad of cash on the floor—$500. A pack of condoms followed.
“Deliver this to Tyler’s place. Now.”
Jackson hesitated. It was degrading. Disrespectful.
But $500 was $500. It could mean just one thing—an even better gift for Emily.
Jonah scoffed, shaking his head. “Pathetic.” Then, without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked away.
“Don’t do it, man,” James warned.
“Forget about them,” Andrew added.
But Jackson had already made up his mind. Today was Emily’s birthday and his only thoughts were towards anything that could help him prove his love for her. Jonah’s gig may be humiliating but came with great prize—$500. If the other jobs he did all day paid as much each, he would have being a rich man by now.
Jackson sprinted to Tyler’s apartment, two blocks from the hostel. The house of a prince. Tyler had it all—money, power, and the arrogance to match. Son of a multimillionaire. Playboy. Untouchable. No wonder he always had his way with others.
Jackson didn’t care. He just needed to drop the package and leave.
As he reached the door, it opened on its own.
And then—he heard it.
Loud moans. Breathless gasps. Tyler’s name, repeated between them. The sound of skin against skin.
Jackson froze. ‘What is going on? This is too loud,’ he thought to himself. Of course, who doesn’t know Tyler the Playboy? He is fond of bringing in all kinds of baddies to his apartment, especially, other people’s girlfriends. “I wonder which guy lost his girl to Tyler tonight.” Jackson mutter to himself as he slowly walked in.
Walking in, he was met with an unexpected sight. Something he never thought he would meet. The lady held in a doggy-style position was not just a familiar face…it was Emily.
His Emily.
Naked, bent over by Tyler Stanley.
The world stopped.
Jackson’s voice trembled as he stepped forward. “Emily?”
She look up, her face flushed—not with guilt, but with shame that he had seen her. Emily quickly pulled away from Tyler and wrapped herself with the sheets.
Almost a year of dating and Jackson had never had the pleasure of seeing Emily undress. The most he got was a hug and he could count on one hand how many times that occurred. Yet, here she was on a day so special to them both, fully naked and intimately involved with another guy.
Jackson was the unfortunate one tonight. Tyler was hosting his girl.
Before Emily could speak, Tyler laughed.
Laughed.
“Damn, bro,” Tyler smirked, adjusting himself carefree. “You look like a kicked puppy.”
Jackson clenched his fists. “How could you—after everything—”
“Everything?” Tyler cut him off. “What? Those cheap-ass gifts? Your broke ass running around campus like a slave just to afford what? Dinner?” He scoffed. “You really thought a girl like Emily would settle for that?”
Laughter erupted from the door. Jonah and a group of students had gathered with their phones recording.
Jackson turned to Emily, begging her with his eyes.
“Say something. Please.”
She hesitated. For a second, he thought she might defend him.
Then she sighed, brushing her hair back. “I can’t waste my time on you, Jackson. Tyler’s a better man.”
Jackson staggered. Like she had just stabbed him.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the envelope filled with $1,500. “I—I saved this. For you. To get you an expensive birthday gift tonight.”
Tyler snatched it. Tore it open. Pulled out the bills and let them rain onto the floor.
Everyone burst into laughter at the litters of one-dollar bills which made up most of the money in the envelop.
“Fifteen hundred?” Emily scoffed. “Tyler got me a $15,000 gift.”
Silence. Everyone was left in awe.
Then Tyler smirked. “Wanna stick around? Maybe watch what I do to her next?”
At this point, Jackson’s heart was heavy. He has faced humiliations all his life and even throughout the day today, but nothing was compared to what he just witnessed with Tyler and Emily. He snapped.
His fist crashed into Tyler’s jaw.
A second later, Jonah and his gang were on him, punching, kicking, stomping.
By the time James and Andrew reached him, Jackson was curled on the floor, bleeding, broken.
Back in his hostel, Jackson lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything was pouring on him all at once—poverty, betrayal, humiliation. He couldn’t sleep as the thoughts of his misrable life made him restless.
While at it, he recieved a text on his phone but refused to check it. He switched off the phone. To Jackson, maybe it was Emily texting to apologize or Tyler texting to humiliate him further. Either way, he has had enough of them both for one day.
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Chapter 368: Time To Come Back Home!
“Isn’t she?” Don took a slow sip of water, his eyes never leaving hers. “She took in a woman who compromised your relationship. She listened to a stranger’s story over your lived experience. She asked you to swallow your pride, your pain, for the sake of her own moral posturing. That is not solidarity, Samantha. That is patronage. She keeps you close to feel better about herself, not to protect you.”Each sentence was a brick, building a wall between her and the memory of Hailey’s laughter, her unwavering support during the darkest days after Jack. The wall obscured the truth that Don’s own manipulations had been the catalyst for Jack’s death. In her vulnerable state, the simplified, brutal logic of his words began to overwrite the messy, complicated truth.“Evans is lost in his own world,” Don continued, mercilessly. “A useful man, perhaps, but compromised. Unreliable. And this nurse… Lorraine. She is a symptom of the disease, not the cause. The cause is your continued allegiance to
Chapter 367: A Father’s Manipulation!
The amber liquid arrived, catching the low light like a captured fire. Samantha lifted the glass, the first sip a familiar, welcome burn that traced a path of heat down her throat, momentarily eclipsing the cold knot in her stomach. She took another, longer pull, willing the alcohol to do its work—to blur the lines, to soften the hard edges of Hailey’s disappointed face, of Lorraine’s frightened eyes.How could she?The question had morphed, twisting into a more painful cousin: Had she driven Hailey away? The bourbon offered no answers, only a deepening haze. She was halfway through the glass, the world beginning to lose its painful definition, when a prickling sensation crept up her spine. A shift in the air. The faint scent of expensive cigar smoke and old-money cologne cutting through the bourbon-and-perfume haze.Someone was behind her. Watching.Her body went rigid, the glass freezing halfway to her lips. Every instinct, honed by a life of navigating corporate boardrooms and pers
Chapter 366: Just A Bottle Of Alcohol!
Lorraine moved toward the door, her movements deliberate. She had no shoes, no money, no real plan. But she had her pride, and a burning need to protect Hailey’s peace. She has no idea yet that Hailey is her little sister Dorin, whom she had spent the last two decades of her life trying to find.But there was this thing about Hailey that she really couldn’t explain, and coupled with the kindness that Hailey had shown her, she knew it would be insensitive of her to be the reason for the fracture between her and Samantha, and with that, she had to leave.Samantha watched her go, her expression conflicted. The righteous anger was still there, but it was now tinged with a sliver of something else—guilt, perhaps, or the uncomfortable awareness that she was casting out a wounded person into the night.As Lorraine’s hand touched the doorknob, Hailey made a decision. “Wait.” Her voice was firm. She turned to Samantha, her own resolve hardening. “Sam, I love you. You’re already like a sister t
Chapter 365: A Difficult Choice!
Hailey shot Lorraine an apologetic, worried glance before crossing to the door. She opened it, and there was Samantha, her face tight with stress, like someone who had spent the entire day working her ass out. That had become typical of Samantha since she lost her brother Jack.."Hey, Sam, come in," Hailey said, trying to keep her voice light, stepping aside.Samantha walked in, already talking. "You won't believe the news vans still camped outside the—" Her words died in her throat. Her gaze had swept past Hailey and landed on the living room, on the figure curled on the sofa in borrowed clothes.All the color drained from Samantha's face. Her friendly, stressed expression twisted into one of pure, icy shock, then hardened into anger."What is she doing here?"The question wasn't curious. It was an accusation, a reminder that not everyone is welcomed, especially not someone like Lorraine."Sam, just try and calm down," Hailey said quickly, moving to block Samantha's line of sight, he
Chapter 364: When Sisters Meet!
"It's secure. We can take you there." She looked at Andrew for confirmation. He gave a tight, reluctant nod, his eyes still glued to the road, scanning for any sign of pursuit.They drove in tense silence to Hailey's apartment building. Andrew pulled into a guest spot near the entrance but left the engine running.Hailey got out and opened the back door for Lorraine, who emerged stiffly, the knife now tucked discreetly but awkwardly into the waistband of her jeans, hidden by her torn shirt. She looked up at the well-lit lobby, a world away from the concrete hell she'd escaped.Andrew rolled down his window. "Hailey. A word."Hailey gave Lorraine an apologetic look. "Just a second. You can wait inside the lobby, it's warm."Lorraine nodded mutely, shuffling toward the glass doors, her bare feet cold on the pavement. She stepped into the sterile, bright lobby and stood just inside, watching them through the glass.Outside, by the car, the conversation was hushed but intense."Hailey, lo
Chapter 363:Unplanned Reunion!
Lorraine then moved like a ghost in the sudden dark, her bare feet silent on the cold concrete. The enforcer was a hulking silhouette, arms outstretched, swearing as he tried to regain his bearings. She slid past him, close enough to smell his stale sweat, and slipped through the open doorway into the dimly lit hall beyond.Freedom was a narrow corridor with peeling paint and the hum of a distant generator. She didn't look back. She ran.The hallway ended in a T-junction. Left or right? She chose right, following the slight draft of cooler air. Her heart was a frantic drum against her ribs, her breath ragged in her throat. The sound of the enforcer's furious yell echoed behind her, followed by the pounding of his boots.The corridor opened into a larger storage area—a cluttered space filled with crates and old machinery. The cool air was coming from a half-open metal door ahead, beyond which she could see a sliver of night sky.She was ten feet from the door when a second man steppe
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