Chapter 2: I Agree

As Annie left the hospital room, she crossed paths with the doctor primarily responsible for her mother's treatment. Annie engaged in a brief conversation, taking the opportunity to inquire about the status of the medical bills.

"Doctor, can I delay my mother's medical bill payment for a few more days? I really don't have enough money right now," Annie said sadly. She had been working multiple jobs lately, but the enormous medical expenses remained a pressing issue. No matter how hard she saved, it never seemed to be enough. The doctor empathized with Annie's family's situation and shook his head helplessly.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible. What a pity, we can only proceed with treatment after receiving the payment."

"And your mother's condition is specific, requiring timely and regular treatment; otherwise, it could lead to health complications."

Annie looked down at the ground in despair, thanked the doctor, and promised to do her best to gather the money. She then left and headed to the bar where she had recently started working, thanks to a friend's referral. Despite the chaotic atmosphere and environment, the pay was substantial. Annie gritted her teeth and went to work on her first day, feeling exhausted but determined.

Annie wears a slightly short uniform dress, snug enough to reveal her long, porcelain-white legs. Her face was heavily adorned with makeup, exuding a captivating allure. As she moved through the bar, there was no shortage of men whistling and playfully teasing her.

Feeling uneasy, Annie discreetly adjusted her dress and carried a tray of drinks into the private room 103 of the bar, commencing her evening shift in a perpetual atmosphere.

About ten men were sitting inside the room, each dressed in upscale suits, emanating an air of affluence and sophistication. Beside each sat a beautiful young woman, serving them fruits from the table. Annie composedly placed the drinks on the table, intending to leave. However, her spine suddenly stiffened as she felt a man seated nearby reaching out to caress her back, smirking and teasing.

"Sweetie, you look this beautiful, and you're just here to serve drinks? How about sitting on my lap and having a drink with me? I'll pay you whatever you want; how does that sound?"

The man likely had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, and his breath reeked of the strong liquor. His arm gradually moved down to her hip, making her tremble as she quickly brushed his hand away, her voice tinged with fear.

"Please, don't, don't do that. I'm a waitress, and I can't sit and drink with you. Please understand," Annie implored.

Frustrated by Annie's rejection, the man angrily grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit beside him, drawing dangerously close. He held her chin to make her look directly into his eyes, a menacing grin spreading across his face.

"Don't act all innocent and pure. I know what kind of girls work here. Tonight, be a good girl, serve me some drinks, let me touch a bit, and I will buy you an expensive purse tomorrow, okay?"

Annie continued to evade his advances, attempting to stand up, but the man's grip on her arm remained tight, like a vise, preventing her from moving. The woman sitting next to the man now chuckled, offering a soft word of advice to Annie.

"Yes, that's right. Duane is a wealthy and generous billionaire. If you sit down and drink with him for one evening, he won't let you leave empty-handed."

"Last time, I sat with him for one night, and he immediately bought me three designer handbags."

Annie bit her lip once more, stood up, and made a determined effort to escape from Duane's embrace again, stammering as she spoke.

"I'm sorry; I already said I'm not."

Perhaps Annie's repeated rejections had genuinely infuriated Duane. He slammed the wine bottle she had just brought onto the ground, creating a loud noise that startled everyone in the room. Duane's face darkened, and his forehead veins bulged as he yelled at the woman beside him.

"Quickly, call the manager over here. I'm losing my temper. Suddenly hiring such a foolish employee, who dares to act so high and mighty even when favored by me, disgusts me."

The woman was genuinely frightened and hurriedly went to find the manager. When the manager arrived, Duane raised his voice, recounting the incident from earlier and pointedly declaring it was Annie's fault.

"Today, I have to resolve this peacefully. I'm a regular customer at this bar, and she doesn't respect me, acting all high and mighty, which has killed my interest in drinking."

"Now, there are three options. One is fire Annie, two is let her spend the night with me, and another is all of you can forget about doing business in this city."

Duane, a wealthy and powerful billionaire, could shut down this bar within half a day. The manager didn't dare delay and quickly complied. Duane wanted to persuade Annie to reconsider and accompany him to a hotel tonight, but Annie was resolute. She had come here to work seriously and earn clean money, not to sell herself or sleep with playboy billionaires.

So, Annie was directly fired and didn't receive any payment. Before leaving, the manager couldn't help but offer some advice.

"You may appear beautiful, but don't be so stubborn. Sometimes, a little compromise can make life easier. He just made a pass; you wouldn't have lost anything. Sometimes, you have to be more flexible."

"For instance, if you had obediently followed Duane's orders tonight, he would have generously given you a significant tip. You wouldn't have been fired, and if luck favored you, your life might have taken a different path."

Annie left, returning to her empty home. She was alone inside, not turning on the lights, sitting quietly on the bed, tears falling silently. The lingering feeling of disgust on her back continued to haunt Annie, making her loathe herself even more. Her cheap pride had made everything worse, and now, the medical bills remained unpaid, her mother's condition deteriorated, and even her sole family member couldn't receive proper care. The sense of helplessness overwhelmed Annie, causing her tears to fall on her pale face, wetting her collar.

What was the value of her pride now that Annie had fundamentally succumbed to life's hardships? She sobbed for a while until her tears seemed to dry up. Annie turned around slowly, got up, and went to the bathroom to clean herself thoroughly. She scrubbed her back so hard that it felt like she was peeling off a layer of skin, trying to rid herself of the feeling of disgust. Then she retrieved Sofia's business card, which she had neatly stored in a drawer.

Annie stared at the phone for a while, finally making up her mind. She picked up her phone and called Sofia. Sofia picked up quickly, and in the stillness of the night, her cheerful laughter was crystal clear in Annie's ears.

"Well, my dear sister, isn't this a surprise? The girl with so much pride and purity is calling?" Sofia teased, not waiting for Annie to speak.

Without waiting for Annie to respond, Sofia already knew what she wanted to say and chuckled teasingly. She pursed her lips, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction, and after a few seconds, she continued, "I'll ask again: are you willing to help me take care of my crippled and foolish fiancé, Finn?"

Annie clenched her lips, reluctantly accepting even though her heart was unwilling.

"I agree."