7. Betrayal

May blinked several times as she finally regained consciousness. She found herself in a small windowless room with bright lights overhead. Squinting, she turned to the side and saw a small bathroom near the bed she was lying on and a tiny wardrobe next to it.

It took a few seconds before May remembered what had just happened to her.

Bruce!

As the realization hit her, she jerked upright and grew more panicked when she realized she was still wearing nothing under the blanket.

Her sudden movement triggered a wave of pain throughout her body, causing her to groan.

"Thank God she's still alive." A low feminine voice came from the corner of the room. "Welcome back, May."

May immediately pulled the blanket to her chest and held it tightly as she turned towards the source of the voice.

By the door sat a woman on a chair, smiling broadly at her.

"W-who are you?" May asked hoarsely.

"I am the one who is responsible for this place. You can call me Madame Jade," the woman replied with a low seductive voice.

"W-what?"

"You know, Darling," the woman continued as May blinked in confusion. "I'm sure you'll bring a lot of money to this place. You have an innocent face that men can't resist. Wide eyes, pouty red lips, fair skin, and a petite trembling body like a leaf when frightened. Plus, with your name as a minor celebrity, you'll be a star here."

"I-I-I don't understand. What place is this? Wh-where's Sean?"

"Sean?" The woman laughed. "You mean your useless husband? Oh... he went home after signing a document stating that you now belong to us. As for where you are now, welcome to your new home. By the way, how old are you now?"

May’s head spun. She didn’t understand what was going on. She was about to cry when the woman yelled, “HEY! I was asking you a question! Are you deaf? How old are you?”

May gasped before answering.

"I-I am twenty-two."

"That's better." Madame Jade tapped her red lips with her finger. "Hm… to be honest, you are a little older than I thought. Ah... no matter. I'll tell those who ask that you're still 17. Men here love young girls, and with your high school girl looks, no one will know."

May pressed her hand to her chest and forced herself to breathe as she realized the implications of what Madame Jade said. This woman was going to sell her for pleasure.

"Y-you can't do this to me," May protested, her lips trembling. "I don't want to be here. I'm not a prostitute."

"Your husband sold you as one."

"That can't be possible." May shook her head vigorously. "It must be a mistake. Sean wouldn't do this to me deliberately. Let me talk to him; he'll sort this out and take me home."

The woman tilted her head and looked at May as if she were the stupidest person she'd ever seen.

"There's no mistake in all of this, Darling. Your husband knows exactly what he's doing. Hell, wasn't he the one who handed you over to Bruce himself? Do you think he doesn't know what Bruce did to you in that room?"

May's breath caught again. The image of Bruce's body pinning her down flashed back, making her feel sick.

"S-so— So... Bruce owns this place?"

"Oh no, Darling." Madame Jade chuckled softly. "Bruce Kettler is just one of the... uh... let's say supplier here. He sometimes brings new women to show to my boss, and if my boss is interested, he'll make an offer."

"When did Bruce introduce me to your boss?" May asked, her head throbbing. "I didn't see anyone in that room."

"There are CCTV cameras in all the rooms here, including the room you used last night," Madame Jade replied flatly. "I admit I was quite surprised by the offer my boss made to buy you. You must have put on quite a show."

"What show? All I did was lie there and cry."

Madame Jade raised her eyebrows. "You'd be surprised how many men like that."

"N-no," May shook her head, holding back tears. "I don't want to be here. Please, let me go. I-I'll find a way to refund the money your boss paid. Please let me go."

Madame Jade lifted her head and laughed. Her booming voice sounded like a slap in May's face.

"How could you get ten million dollars, May?" she asked while still laughing. "Oh no, no. You'll work here until you can't work anymore. While you passed out,  I've already instructed my doctor to give you birth control injections so you won't get pregnant. Most men here like it without a condom. Our doctor has also shaved you down there, so you’ll look younger and clean. Make sure you keep it that way."

May's stomach churned at Madame Jade's blunt words.

"You're a woman. How can you be so cruel to me?" May asked, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't want to be here. You can't keep me here without consent. This is kidnapping."

The smile on Madame Jade's face vanished instantly. She stood up from her chair and slowly walked towards the bed.

"How can there be such naive women like you, May?" Madame Jade asked as she reached May. "You say I'm cruel? I'm just doing what I need to do to survive. I've learned a lot in a short time, but I've learned. I clawed my way up and did whatever it took to get to this position. You will also learn your place. Understand?"

Madame Jade grabbed May's cheek with her hand and squeezed until May winced.

"Let go!" May pushed away Madame Jade's hand with one hand, causing Madame Jade's face to harden.

She raised her hand and slapped May's cheek with all her might.

"Don't think you're special, May," Madame Jade growled lowly. The tempting softness in her voice vanished instantly. "You're just one of the many here. You're valuable as long as you make money. And before you think you can escape, let me tell you that it's pointless to try. Your room will always be locked, and there are guards in every hallway and entrance. There are CCTV cameras everywhere, and the men who come here won't care about you because they have reputations to maintain. It's pointless to try."

May clutched the blanket on her chest tighter and bit her lip as tears began to fall. She had never felt so scared in her life because she knew the woman was right. There was no way she could escape from that place, and the people who came, all were immoral like Bruce.

Madame Jade sighed as May began to sob uncontrollably.

"Oh, don't act like this is the end, Darling," she said in her low, seductive voice again. "I know you think you're in hell right now, but trust me, there are worse places than this. At least the people who come here are influential. So cleanliness and privacy are important. I also make sure that all my girls are checked regularly and free from diseases."

"D-d-do you want me to thank you for not getting pregnant and not getting infected after being raped by your guests?" May asked, her voice choked with tears.

"Yes, of course," Madame Jade replied flatly. "I am not drugging you like other places. I will also give you decent and nutritious food three times a day. If you do good, I will even let you have sweets every now and then. You don't know how lucky you are."

May clenched her jaw while Madame Jade observed for a few moments. After a few seconds, the woman clapped her hands loudly.

"Alright, then," she said. "You didn't bring anything, so I put some clothes for you in the wardrobe. And don't worry. No one will come for you today. So you can rest."

With that, the woman turned and walked out.

Once May heard the door lock, she ran to the bathroom and vomited everything in her stomach into the toilet. The clumps of carrot and corn that reminded May of the dinner she had at her birthday party.

How different her life felt now. Before today, she was a well-known realtor's wife. An actress and model of some recognition. Now she was no different from a farm animal being squeezed until she couldn't stand.

Today was her birthday. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but in exchange, May was willing to do anything to get out of that place and back to her old life.

***

***

"What?" Jackie's high-pitched voice rang in Sean's ears. "You sold May to Nikolai Belosokov? Are you out of your mind, Sean? That man is dubbed the Devil of the South for a reason. May won't last long in his hands."

Sean stood up from his chair and paced around the room.

"What's the difference? We were about to hand her over to Stone anyway?" he asked, his tone matching Jackie's intensity. "They're practically the same. Nikolai is willing to pay more, so why should I refuse?"

Jackie took a breath and turned her face away. It was her idea to hand May over to Stone Black. She had met Stone Black a few times at an event, and despite the man's terrifying reputation, Jackie saw something resembling empathy in his dark eyes. In Stone's hands, May might have a chance compared to Nikolai's.

Sean approached and grabbed Jackie's shoulder. He turned her body towards him.

"Don't worry, Darling," Sean said, bending down to meet Jackie's eyes. "With the remaining money from Nikolai, we can do whatever we want. We can start a new business and buy a new house. Hell, we can move out of this city if needed. Why bother thinking about May? Weren't you the one who was always complaining about May? Let’s just…forget about her and enjoy our life."

Jackie looked at Sean's face for a few moments and knew that he was right. May may be her friend, she always hates May. She was the one who had always wanted to be a model. She was the one who had been attending auditions and agencies for years to become famous. And what had May done? She just accompanied her once and got an offer while she was always rejected.

Slowly, Jackie nodded.

"Yes," she whispered softly. "You are right. Forget about May."

"Alright then." Sean stroked Jackie's cheek and lifted her head. "Let's enjoy our new life. Do you love me?"

Jackie nodded again. "Very much."

And with passion, Sean captured Jackie's lips into his own.

***

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