Chapter 1

I was born in a village on the border of Westernia. Mom was a local, and I never met my dad.

According to Grandma, Mom was a renowned beauty in the area. She was shy and gentle by nature. Dad was a photographer from the mainland. He was handsome and charming.

It was due to his looks and charm that Mom fell for him. They made love, and she became pregnant with me. On their wedding day, Dad disappeared without a trace. He didn't even leave behind a note.

From that day on, Mom became depressed, and her personality changed completely. She channeled all her resentment for Dad onto me. She called me a cursed child and punished me constantly with verbal abuse or beatings.

Later, Mom opened a massage parlor in town, and we lived in the shop. The walls were adorned with pictures of scantily clad women in suggestive poses, although it was supposed to be a massage parlor.

When men walked past, Mom would deliberately lean forward to reveal glimpses of her curves as she called out to customers at the entrance of the shop.

Every night, I could hear noises such as the sound of a bed creaking, women moaning, men's obscene words, and their heavy panting from the other side of the partition.

I had always wanted to escape Mom and that place I despised, so I worked hard at my studies. However, Mom believed that a girl like me didn't need much education. She thought that graduating from high school was enough for me.

On the day of my college entrance exams, Mom deliberately gave me laxatives to prevent me from leaving her like Dad. I ended up doing poorly in two subjects and could only enroll in a local community college in Westernia.

I was furious at Mom's actions, but it was pointless. She spent her days and nights gambling and mingling with men. Mom was too preoccupied to care about my protests.

During my college days, I had to work to cover my tuition. I also studied hard in secret and eventually earned a place at Jesseltown College for my postgraduate studies.

As a poor, powerless, and unloved country bumpkin, I knew my greatest asset to survive in Jesseltown was my extraordinary beauty. My face, skin, chest, hips, legs, and allure were all tools that made it easier for me to survive in this world.

It was while I was leveraging my looks for convenience that I met Zack Spencer.

At the age of 22, I worked as a hostess promoting alcohol in a nightclub in the summer of 2022.

One night, I was helping a drunk but rich scion, Wallace Lance, into his car. He had one arm draped over my shoulder, which was slowly sliding downward. He unhooked my bra through my sheer yellow blouse, smirking playfully as his hand wandered to my chest.

Although he was handsome and I was short on money, I hadn't reached the point of selling my body. I didn't confront him immediately as I knew he was a generous benefactor.

I was about to feign anger and brush his dirty hand away when Zack appeared at that moment. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he wore a stern expression on his handsome face and exuded an air of hostility. He was so tall that I barely reached his shoulder despite being almost five foot six.

Zack strode over and flung Wallace's wandering hand away from my body before shoving him into the car.

"If you cause trouble again after drinking, I'll make sure you won't be able to leave the house next time," he said in a calm yet commanding tone.

Wallace was about to curse him when he rubbed his eyes and saw who it was. He stammered in shock, "Zack, I'll behave. Just don't tell my mom!"

He ordered the driver to start the car and sped off, disappearing into the night.

The street was still busy with traffic, but time seemed to stand still. There was only Zack and me with my loosened bra at that moment.

The neckline of my blouse fell directly at my decollete. The fabric trembled ever so slightly along with the rhythmic rise and fall of the heartbeat within my chest.

Zack looked up and glanced at me, not hiding the disdain in his eyes. I swiftly hooked my bra back in place and gave him a smile.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before? If you're willing to spend, I'll entertain you too."

Zack's gaze darkened, and he turned to leave. I didn't care about his opinion. I was used to being called a seductress and accused of luring men.

Even my colleagues who were there to sell alcohol looked down on me. But who among us was truly holier than the others? How could they make money if they weren't willing to use their looks?