Part 34

34

"Thank you," Indri whispered. "But this is related to that night."

Cecilia remained silent, not interrupting until Indri finished her statement. "I'm begging you, Cecilia. A middle-aged man asked me to meet with you and persuade you to satisfy his desires. He offered 100 million. I'll borrow half of it from you, and I'll repay it every time I get a customer. I need about 55 million for my mother's operation. The surgery must be done tomorrow to save her life."

"So, you're asking me to come here just to plead with me to entertain that man, right?"

Indri nodded quickly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She had no other choice; Cecilia was her only hope right now. If only she hadn't satisfied her boyfriend's desires that day, Indri wouldn't have to go through this ordeal.

"If you hadn't introduced me to that man, I'd still be a virgin and could sell my virginity at a high price for my mother's treatment."

Cecilia massaged her temples. She was always blamed for Indri and her boyfriend's actions, even though she had introduced them. Even if she introduced them, if Indri had been able to protect her dignity, she would still be a virgin today, and it was up to her to do whatever she wanted with it.

"I feel sorry for you both, but I can't do it," Cecilia gently refused.

"Why? Don't you love me anymore? Aren't you sorry for my mother suffering in the hospital?"

"I feel sorry for both of you, but there's no way I can sell myself to that man. I can't do it, and it would only ruin my life."

"Ruining your life, or have you already sold yourself to Carlos?" Indri immediately accused Cecilia, as for the past two days, her friend had arrived in a luxury car. When Cecilia got out earlier, she even saw the man driving it. Carlos, the man who had been looking for a sugar baby in a chat app back then.

"Just say that you've already sold everything and that's why you can't help me."

Cecilia laughed. "So, you think that? Well, then, it must be true that I'm like that, and that means there's no way for me to help you. There's no way that the potbellied man yesterday would be interested in a girl who's been with someone else because I've sold myself to get money." She patted Indri's shoulder. "Now, go find another victim to help you. I have to go to class because I still have some assignments to finish."

Cecilia walked away, her heart aching as her own friend had judged her so harshly. Throughout this time, she had worked hard to earn money to pay for her father's treatment, using legitimate means. Now that her father was gone, she saw no need to continue looking for money. The money Carlos had given her was still intact since he covered all her expenses. For her personal expenses, Cecilia still had some money left from her father's medication purchase. One million may not be a large sum, but in Cecilia's hands, it was enough to support her. Moreover, she no longer had to worry about what she would eat tomorrow because Carlos had already provided everything she needed at home.

Cecilia was taken aback when her steps were blocked by a man who turned out to be Revan. He had been nearby, and apparently, he had overheard the entire conversation between her and Indri.

Cecilia tried her best to contain her emotions, anticipating that Revan might use inappropriate words to criticize her. He had already heard their conversation with Indri, so there was nothing more for her to hide. Even if she introduced them, if Indri had been able to protect her dignity, she would still be a virgin today, and it was up to her to do whatever she wanted with it.

Revan put his hand on Cecilia's shoulder, and her expression remained calm. He cleared his throat and spoke gently, "Is what Indri said true?"

Cecilia nodded slightly, still keeping her composure. "Yes, it's true."

"Then that means you're just like what she said?"

Again, Cecilia nodded. "Yes, I am."

Revan surprised her by hugging her tightly. Cecilia tried to resist but didn't want anyone to see Revan's actions that would further tarnish her reputation.

"I don't care who you are or what you do, Cecilia. I love you deeply. If necessary, I'll take care of your life as long as you leave that sinful job."

"Release me, Revan! I can't have a relationship with you anymore."

"I don't care, as I said before. I'll accept all your flaws and even replace those men who used to support you. How much for one date, so you'll agree to stay away from them? Ten million, twenty million, or fifty million?" Revan was still reluctant to let Cecilia go.

Cecilia kept squirming, refusing to answer Revan's questions.

"Or I could announce to everyone that you're an escort who can be hired anytime. I'm sure many men would like to use your services. I can register as the first customer."

"Enough, Revan." Cecilia gave a kick to Revan's thigh to get him to release her. "I may be cheap, but I'll never have a relationship with an egotistical, threatening man like you. If you want to tell everyone that I'm an escort, go ahead. I don't care. As you know, I've survived all this time thanks to my father's support. But now that he's gone, what's the point of me continuing to endure this? When I'm under pressure because of your actions, rest assured that you'll never see me again, even if it's the end of my life."

Cecilia pointed at Revan. "Remember, this isn't a threat but a warning. And this is the last time you'll treat me like you did earlier. I swear I'm grateful for choosing the wrong path and selling myself instead of being your lover."

"And perhaps my decision to accept you as a lover back then was a wrong decision, even though I accepted you not out of love but out of pity. If you can bear the shame of being rejected in public," Cecilia left Revan, regardless of his calls and pleas.

She now truly didn't want to get to know Revan, who had once been a part of her life. She never expected Revan to judge her so harshly.

Although Cecilia had no feelings for Revan whatsoever, the man's words had hurt her deeply. Now she chose not to attend class because her mind was in chaos. Neither Indri nor Revan mattered anymore. They both judged her negatively without recognizing the real Cecilia. If only they knew the true Cecilia.

Of course, they would never speak such demeaning words. For example, regarding Indri, if Cecilia hadn't witnessed it herself, she would have never believed that her friend was capable of selling herself just to make money, even giving herself freely to her lover in the name of love. In Cecilia's eyes, Indri was a good girl with strong principles.

In reality, Indri was far cheaper than Olive, who openly admitted she could warm a bed as long as the payment was fair.

"Hey, don't you have classes today?" Vano greeted Cecilia as he sat beside her. He also offered her a bottle of mineral water.

"I suddenly didn't feel like going to class. Instead of sitting there like a fool, I'd rather sit here and wait for my mood to improve. If it doesn't get better, I might just go to Daddy's office."

"Why, is something bothering you?"

Cecilia nodded. "Yes, Indri just met me and begged me to sell myself to the man I mentioned earlier."

"W-what? Indri wants you to sell yourself?"

"That's right. Who wouldn't be shocked if a friend you considered family had such a shallow mindset? As for the current problem, I experienced it when Daddy was still alive. But in reality, I managed to endure it until I could offer the most precious thing to my husband," she emphasized once again that Carlos was now her perfect husband.

"Do I need to talk to Indri?"

"No need, she's already judged me as a call girl. So I'm sure after this, she won't ask for anything strange anymore because the man wants a virgin, not someone like me, who's already another man's wife."

"Yes, but doesn't Indri think you're selling yourself, Cecilia?"

"That's fine. It's better this way. Let them judge me however they want. As long as Daddy loves me."

"Is your love for Daddy really that big?"

Cecilia smiled. "If my love for Daddy weren't strong, I wouldn't have married him. As you can see, just two days into our marriage, my life already feels much better. And now, I no longer worry about the problems that may come my way because I have Daddy to come home to and share all my worries with. Daddy can even protect me from a mother who was never kind to me."

"Thank goodness. In that case, I hope your marriage and you and Daddy remain happy until death do you part," Vano sincerely prayed for Cecilia and her father. He was genuinely happy when he saw her father find the right girl to take care of him.

"Are you sure you don't have classes yourself today?"

"Actually, I don't have any classes at all today. But Celine asked me to come. She said there's something important to discuss, but she's busy now. So, I'm just wandering around campus, waiting for her to finish her class."

"How about we go to the cafeteria instead of sitting here and feeling bloated? Let's get some fresh air," Cecilia teased to lighten the mood, making Vano a bit more cheerful.

From the look in his eyes, Cecilia was convinced that there was once again trouble in Vano and Celine's relationship.

"Alright, let's go to the cafeteria," Vano invited her.

"This time, it's on me. You don't need to worry."

"No, you can't. As a mother, I should be treating you to a meal," Cecilia held Vano's hand and they walked together to the nearby cafeteria.

Their actions immediately drew the attention of several students because Vano was a popular but reserved student who avoided having friends.

However, today he seemed happy and relaxed, chatting with Cecilia, a student known for her ability to lighten the mood.

They never expected Cecilia's presence to distract Vano so much that rumors began to circulate that they were romantically involved.

It didn't take long for Celine to hear about it because Vano was genuinely famous on campus due to his unique charisma. What lover wouldn't be upset to hear that their partner was strolling hand in hand with someone else, displaying affection in public?

So, Celine became furious and sent a message to Vano, telling him that she wanted to break up immediately.

Vano, who received the message, was shocked. He almost choked on the noodle soup he was eating.

"Van, next time, pray before you eat," Cecilia teased as she handed a glass of water to Vano.

"Celine wants to break up with me."

"Why, what happened?"

"I don't know. I'll grant her wish right now."

"Van, hold your emotions for a moment. Maybe Celine is just angry."

"I don't care, Cecilia. If that's what she wants, I'll grant her wish."

"But, Van, I'm trying to help both of you. Please, be patient, I..."

"I'm tired of being patient, Cecilia. Maybe I can't do it anymore. Celine always asks for a break every time I make a mistake, even if it's a small one. So, I might as well grant Celine's wish to break up."

"Van..." Cecilia tried to stop Vano from agreeing to Celine's request, but unfortunately, he responded by accepting her wish.

"I agree, let's break up." That was the message Vano sent before blocking Celine's num