Episode 3

Violet’s mother watched Rachel leave and then turned to Lucas, her stern demeanor softening. "Son, do you blame me for suggesting Rachel have her womb removed too?"

"Violet lost her baby and her womb because of her, so no, I don’t blame you for that. An eye for an eye" Lucas replied.

Violet’s mother let out a sigh of relief. She had expected Lucas to be angry, but his response made her smile. "I’m glad you see it that way."

She felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her.

***

"Did I hear you say Lucas supports you getting your womb removed?"

It was nearly evening when Rachel left the hospital, feeling confused. She decided to call her close friend Ava to meet up.

Ava was known for her bluntness, and she got upset as soon as Rachel shared the news. "Both Lucas and Violet’s mom are heartless. Who knows if Violet is just pretending? How can she lose her womb so easily?"

Rachel gave a bitter smile. "Maybe she is playing us all. I didn’t even push her."

Ava looked at Rachel with concern. "You didn’t push her, right?"

"Yeah, but that doesn’t matter now since Lucas doesn’t believe me."

Ava clenched her jaw. "Are you really going to let them push you around like this? Removing your womb means you can’t have kids. Is that what you really want?"

Of course, Rachel didn’t want that. No woman would...

"If I don’t get my womb removed, my family will suffer for it. Do you think I have any other choices right now, Ava?"

Ava fell silent, deep in thought. Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "Well, you could ask that Mr. for help."

"Which Mr.?"

"Don’t you remember the night you came to the club with me? That guy who stopped someone from harassing you? The handsome one?"

At the mention of that man, Rachel's face went pale, and fear flickered in her eyes.

For the past eight months, she had been trying hard to forget him and that night.

He was a man as frigid as ice.

That night, he didn’t just help her; he kissed her forcefully while calling out another woman's name and whispering his love for her, nearly crossing a line.

In that moment, Rachel was terrified, tears streaming down her face as she felt her fate was sealed.

He tasted her tears, hesitated just before going too far, then rushed to take a shower. When he returned, he lit a few cigarettes and said, "I don’t get involved with married women. I was a bit drunk earlier. I’m sorry if I upset you."

His apology only made her cry harder.

His patience wore thin, and he snapped, "Stop crying. If you cry again, I... I will..."

Frightened, she held back her tears, letting them fall silently instead.

He looked at her with a mix of helplessness and concern, then noticed her phone. He asked her to unlock it, entered a number without her permission, and said, "What happened today is on me. If you ever need anything, just call this number. I owe you. I promise I’ll be there for you and can help with anything..."

The events of that day didn’t leak out afterward, and Rachel suspected he had made sure of that.

"That guy seems wealthy and claims he can help you with anything. Now that you’re in a tough spot, wouldn’t it be worth reaching out to him?" Ava suggested.

Rachel’s face showed hesitation.

That man seemed dangerous.

For the last eight months, she had been trying to move on from that incident.

But now, she felt completely lost, and he was her only chance.

"Where’s your phone? Just give it a shot..."

Ava grabbed the phone from her.

"What did you save his number as? You still haven’t deleted it..."

Rachel didn’t have many contacts, so Ava found it quickly. The name was simply "Grumpy man."

Without thinking, she type and hit send.

Rachel was eager to grab the phone, but Ava held it up out of reach.

"Don't, Ava!" Rachel exclaimed, reaching for it.

"Too late! I already sent the message," Ava replied with a smirk.

Suddenly, the phone beeped.

"Oh no! He replied already!"

Ava's eyes sparkled as she opened the message, "Awesome! The guy is in New York."

"M & N hotel, Room 21," Ava read aloud before passing the phone back to Rachel.

"Let’s go! We need to hurry," Ava urged, pulling Rachel along.

An hour later, Rachel found herself reluctantly knocking on the door of VIP room No. 21.