Chapter 2: Buying People?

 

FAITH

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, disbelief and horror flooding through me all at once. “Excuse me?”

Jared smiled for the first time, as if he hadn’t just said something completely vile. “Should I repeat myself?”

I felt sick. “You are joking… right?” I managed to say, though the look in his eyes told me this was anything but a joke.

“I assure you,” Jared said, “this is a very real offer. You do the task, get the money, and we all move on from this unfortunate incident. No lawsuits, no bills to pay.”

This guy thought he could just stroll in here, make some sleazy offer, and I’d fold?

Without thinking, I ripped the IV out of my arm, blood immediately dotting the bed sheets. “Who the hell do you think I am?” I shouted. “Just because I owe you some medical fees doesn’t mean you can talk down to me like this!”

Jared blinked in surprise for a moment, but remained calm overall.

“Sleep with your boss for 100 grand?” I continued, my fists shaking with the urge to punch the guy in front of me, but I didn’t need another lawsuit hanging over my head. “Do you hear how low and cheap you sound? You think you can buy people because you have money?”

I wanted to scream louder. My body was trembling with a mix of disgust and anger so intense I could barely breathe, while he remained infuriatingly composed and took a step closer.

“I am not here to argue with you,” he finally spoke again. “You are emotional right now, and I understand that. Just call me if you change your mind.”

With that, he pulled a sleek, black business card from his suit pocket and placed it on the table beside me. He didn’t bother waiting for a response, didn’t give me a chance to yell at him again. 

He turned and walked out of the room, as though this was all just regular business. Just how many people did his boss ask out like this? What a disgusting man! 

“God, I never want to have anything to do with these kinds of people.” If his boss wanted to pick up girls, why didn't he just go to a club or wherever hookers were available?

Did I look like a hooker to them from any angle?!

I stared at the door after Jared left, eventually my adrenaline cooling off.

“Were hookers actually paid that much usually?” I mumbled as I plopped on the bed. “If I had that kind of money, all of my problems would have been solved…” 

My eyes drifted to the card sitting there, almost taunting me.

My fingers itched, and I hated that part of me even considered looking at it, even thought for a second about what a hundred grand could do. 

The anger surged back up, stronger this time. I wasn’t going to let them buy me. I wasn’t going to sell my dignity for their sick games.

Swearing under my breath, I grabbed my necklace—the golden pendant my grandmother had given me before she passed. It was the one thing I had left of hers, but right now, it was all I could give. 

“Sorry about this, granny.” I unclasped it, the chain slipping through my fingers like it was saying goodbye.

Without looking back, I placed it on the bedside table, hoping it would cover at least some of the medical fees.

As I left the cabin, my head throbbed from the accident and my stomach ached from twisting anxiety. I barely noticed I had grabbed the card on my way out.

With a frustrated breath, I threw it in the nearest dustbin in the corridor and headed out of the clinic.

Once again, I started walking aimlessly. With everything that had happened in the past few hours, I felt like venting to someone.

Before I could stop myself, I pulled out my phone and dialed Austin’s number. I knew he didn’t like me calling him at this time. We’d talked about it a million times. 

But I needed him. I needed to hear his voice, to feel like someone was still on my side.

“Hi, babe,” I said, my voice wavering as I tried to keep it together. “Sorry, I know you told me not to call you at this time, but so many terrible things happened to me—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Austin cut me off, his tone flat, like he wasn’t really listening. “Good thing you called. I meant to call you myself.”

For a brief moment, hope flickered inside me. Maybe he was worried about me. Maybe he wanted to make things right between us. But just as quickly as that hope came, it shattered.

“Faith, let’s break up.”