Chapter 2 Kicked Out
I hung up the phone, thinking about how Seth had never been without a woman by his side-and I was the one who lasted the longest.
Because I was willing to grovel. No matter what, I just couldn’t be driven away.
At the height of my devotion, I’d even peel a whole sack of shrimps with my bare hand for Seth and his new flings, ruining my designer hands with cuts and scrapes.
Everyone thought I was hopelessly in love with Seth, that I could never leave him.
Seth believed it too. That’s why, when he put my face into that video, he didn’t hesitate-he didn’t even think it was something he needed to hide from me.
But all of this was just a bet between me and someone else. The game was almost over, and there was nothing left for me to hold on to.
Still, I worried that person was just trying to comfort me, so I didn’t tell Seth right away that I wanted to break up.
I decided to go back to Seth’s place first, to quietly erase every trace of myself.
I had just pulled out my suitcase when Fiora and Seth walked in.
Fiora looked at my suitcase in surprise. “Elaine, are you really throwing a tantrum because you’re jealous?
“Is it necessary? Do you need me to apologize?”
I kept my head down, packing my things. “No, I just want to clear out what I don’t need anymore.”
Fiora clicked her tongue and let go of Seth’s arm.
“Seth and I are just childhood friends-do you really have to get jealous over that? Seriously, I don’t get you. Fine, I’ll leave, okay?”
Seth frowned and kicked my suitcase hard.
“If Fiora wasn’t so obsessed with her freedom and kept turning me down, you wouldn’t even be here.
“If you want to leave, then go. Don’t bother cleaning out your things. The most useless thing here is you. Get out, and don’t stick around making Fiora upset.”
Seth yanked and shoved me out of the house. In the dead of winter, I didn’t even have a coat on, and all my IDs were still inside.
Shivering, I pressed the doorbell over and over, “Let me grab my stuff. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done.”
0.0 %
08:20
52.9 %
Chapter 2 Kicked Out
288 Vouchers
But no one inside paid me any attention. Through the window, I could see the two of them fooling around together. Snow started to fall, light and cold. I was only wearing a thin sweater, and I was shaking from the chill.
With no ID, I couldn’t even check into a hotel. All I could do was head back to my studio.
But as soon as I arrived, I saw the glass door plastered with dozens of little flyers-someone had cut my face from that deepfake video and made them into cards.
My face went pale as I tore them down, one by one.
Suddenly, I heard men’s voices in the hallway. “Didn’t expect to get this lucky tonight.”
The two men had once been my clients, and now they were eyeing me up and down with sleazy.grins.
“No wonder we could smell something so ripe from all the way down the hall.”
I backed away, wary. “There are security cameras here. Don’t try anything.”
They just laughed, unconcerned. “Your flyers are everywhere. Isn’t that just telling everyone what you do?”
“You were wild enough in that video. We’re your clients-what’s wrong with giving us a little extra?”
They kept closing in, my heart pounding in my throat. I darted into my studio and locked the door behind me.
But they didn’t leave. Instead, they started banging on the door, faces twisted with anger.
“Slut, quit pretending! From the look of you in that video, you’ve already been used up.”
“Not coming out? Fine. Tomorrow we’ll tell all your clients exactly what you are. Let’s see how long your studio lasts.”
One of them grabbed a fire extinguisher and started smashing it against the glass, over and over.
“What’s wrong with having a little fun with us? It’s not like we wouldn’t pay.’
Terrified, I cowered in the corner, shaking, tears streaming down my face.
That’s when my phone buzzed with a new video message.
い
08:20
Chapter 3 The Return
