Chapter 3
The crowd instantly fell silent.
I turned and walked away, keeping my back straight as I forced myself into the restroom.
Pulling out my phone, I contacted the studio’s finance team and had
every last cent of my available funds transferred out. It wasn’t enough to leave me destitute, but compared to the cost of buying up every single one of those albums, it was a drop in the ocean.
My mother had sacrificed her entire life for me. I couldn’t just sit by and watch others trample on her name now that she was gone.
Her past might not have been respectable, but she had still raised me to be someone who could hold her head high.
That thought broke the dam. My tears began falling uncontrollably.
In that moment of complete despair, my eyes landed on a number saved in my phone for years–a number I had never once dared to call.
The restroom echoed with the faint sound of dripping water. I stared at the screen, then finally tapped the call button.
The last thing my parents ever taught me was this: Once you make a decision, don’t look back.
Ten minutes later, I returned to the auction hall.
Across the crowd, I looked up and met his gaze.
10.30 C)
Chapter 3
17
For a brief second, something dark and unreadable flickered in Jackson’s eyes–but it vanished almost immediately. His smirk returned as he tilted his head and playfully pinched Jessie’s cheek, shooting me a sidelong glance before kissing her hard.
“Baby,” he murmured, “tonight I’ll make sure you’re satisfied. Every bit of injustice you’ve suffered, I’ll make them pay back tenfold. Trust me.”
I looked away, expressionless.
Returning to my seat, I spoke in a calm voice, “Thank you all for waiting. We may begin now.”
The auctioneer glanced at Jackson. Only after Jackson gave a slight nod did the gavel drop, signaling the start of the auction. The first set of photo albums appeared on the screen.
Ten photos per set.
My mother’s humiliation, her suffering, was exposed without restraint for everyone to see.
My phone buzzed quietly. It was a message from Jackson.
“If you kneel right now and apologize to Jessie in front of everyone, I’ll buy every single one of those photos and take them home. No one else will ever see them.”
I gave a slight tug at the corner of my mouth, then silently turned off my phone.
The auctioneer announced the opening bid: 160,000 dollars per set, with each raise requiring a minimum of 80,000 dollars.
In less than a minute, bidding had already soared past 800,000 dollars.
41.026
10340)
Chapter 3
20 s
My phone kept vibrating–Jackson’s taunts popped up one after
another.
Everyone around me was watching, entertained by my downfall, eager for the moment I finally crashed into hell.
I slowly raised my hand and then made a gesture toward the auctioneer.
Word by word, I said, “Those all, unlimited bidding.”
