Sold to My Ruthless Ex

Chapter 2

The deafening noise of laughter and shouting hit Luna the moment she stepped into the casino on the edge of town.

It wasn’t a grand place, but it had been enough to bankrupt her aunt and force her to sell everything she owned. Crazy indeed. The stale scent of cigarettes and alcohol lingered under the dim lights, with every table crowded with eager patrons. Cards were scattered across each table accompanied by piles of money, while some were busy standing in front of slot machines waiting for their winnings.

Luna couldn’t fathom why these people placed their faith in such deceitful games.

Walking in the center of the room, Luna cast her eyes in all directions, looking for the 48-year-old woman among the crowd. The result was nil as she searched for several minutes. Her intention to immediately call her aunt was aborted when a burly man with tattoos on his body walked up to her.

"Are you looking for Mrs. Martha?" The heavy voice sounded cold, his flat face with several scars giving him a sinister look.

Luna's eyebrows shot up, looking at the man in his entirety. He looked like a thug guarding this place. "Right, do you know where she is?"

"Follow me." The man immediately turned around. Luna followed him into the dimly lit back area of the casino, several burly men were seen passing by. Luna was led through a dimly lit hallway, away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the gamblers outside. Going deeper, the hallway felt cramped and damp. The frown on Luna's forehead didn't go away. This closed place, even if someone was killed here, no one would know. She hated this kind of place, and her aunt had dragged her to this gloomy place to endure her troubles.

The hallway led them to a large metal door. The man stopped and turned to look at Luna.

"Enter!" He commanded with a grim expression.

Luna then stepped inside. Clearly she could sense something was off. Her guess was not the least bit wrong as she entered, her steps faltering.

In the center of the dim, warehouse-like room, her aunt was helplessly surrounded by three burly men, sitting on the cold floor, her forehead stained with what looked like dried blood.

"Auntie..." Luna stammered approaching her. Worried and angry all at once, she gritted her teeth. With wide strides, she approached her aunt and squatted by her side, under the watchful eyes of the men who were glaring at her.

"Luna... you finally came," Martha's voice was shaky and desperate as she tried to grab Luna's arm and grip it tightly. "Please... please let me go, Luna..."

Luna winced at the state of her aunt. Several parts of her aunt's body had turned blue from the blows. Even as much as she hated her aunt, Luna could never bear to see her suffer.

"Why... why does Auntie always end up like this..." Luna said coldly. She hardened her jaw, disappointment filling her eyes as she stared at Martha. Martha just looked down and remained silent.

"Why do you keep doing this and giving me trouble! You know how much I hate it when you beg for help, then repeat your mistakes again!"

"I'm sorry, Luna... This will be the last time." Martha slowly raised her head, her gaze desperate. Her pale face looked pitiful, making Luna again weak and feeling heartless for her, while she knew her aunt would do it again after this. But still... Luna couldn't leave her at this point.

"After this Auntie promised not to appear in front of you again, so please help me this time..."

What Martha said only made Luna draw her lips in a sneer, she got up from her squatting position, looking down with a disappointed look.

"Promise? I'm sick of that nonsense!"

"Luna, auntie please... You're my only family! So... help me..."

"It's always like that! You beg and apologize, then do it all over again. You never change!"

Luna's screams echoed in the closed room, followed by the sound of Martha's sobs that made Luna clench her hands tightly. The sound of those sobs made her feel pity, again and again...

"Enough! Both of you..."

The heavy voice made Luna instantly turn her body around, Martha's sobs instantly stopped, replaced with a terrified look all over her face.

Luna glared at the man standing in the metal doorway. A large, well-built man in a black suit leaned against the door. The lack of lighting and the round hat covering his face made it impossible for Luna to clearly see his face.

"Who are you... Are you the boss? Tell me how much my aunt owes."

Not answering immediately, the man gave a low, mocking laugh as if Luna's words were a joke to him. Slowly he advanced to the center of the room, the burly men standing around Luna bowed their heads momentarily to the man.

The man stopped quite close to Luna, he raised his head slightly letting the dim light in the room shine on the face under the black hat. A grim smile broke out on his face as his gaze met Luna's. Luna gasped, the sharp, cold gaze of the man before her making her reflexively take a step back.

"Luna?" he said in a low voice full of mockery. "Not bad at all... no wonder why your aunt insisted on offering you to us in exchange for her debt."

Luna's whole body tensed up as the man finished his words, the words that were about to come out of her mouth seemed to stop in her throat. Substitute... debt? Luna squinted in disbelief. In that instant her anger rose to the top of her head.

"What do you mean, say it again!"

The man had no intention of answering Luna, he turned to look at his men one by one before looking back at Luna.

"Take this woman away. It's enough for us to witness her family drama." He ordered casually, his grin widening at Luna.

"Yes, Secretary Jin!" the other men replied simultaneously.

Before Luna could react, two burly men advanced, and in an instant had a firm grip on her arms. Luna was momentarily transfixed, unable to believe what they were doing.

"Let go of me! What are you doing!"

Luna's screams filled the room.

Jin just stood in place, he casually lit his cigarette and took a drag.

"What did we do, Luna? We did what we were supposed to do, bring you before our big boss."

Luna struggled relentlessly. The more she struggled, the tighter the muscular men's grip on her sides became, making her unable to keep from crying out.

"Auntie... what happened? Why did they catch me instead?"

Luna's growls and screams made Martha look down even more and stay where she was. She didn't even make the slightest move to help Luna.

"Say something, auntie!"

Luna's panting from her anger, she didn't understand what was happening. In her head only one sentence of the disturbing one 'auntie sold her in lieu of debt.' Luna bit her lip.

"Auntie, please say something." Luna lowered her voice.

Slowly, Jin took a step forward towards Luna, his eyes narrowed as he took a deep drag on his cigarette then exhaled the smoke right in front of Luna's face, making Luna cough from it.

Jin looked down. "Your poor aunt sold you completely to us in exchange for all her debts." Jin emphasized.

Luna's eyes immediately widened. "What is this nonsense? Don't joke with me, you bastard!"

Luna turned to glare at Martha with her breathing ragged.

"Auntie, say it! Luna shouted in frustration while clenching her fists. What they said was a lie, right... Auntie... didn't really sell me, did she?"

Martha looked down to avoid Luna's gaze, her hands clenched tightly in front of her body. "I... I had to do this, Luna... I have no choice." Martha stammered when she said that.

Luna was transfixed, unable to believe that Martha would say that, Luna's eyes reddened by it. "No choice you say? So your stupid brain thinks this is the only way?"

Martha sobbed but dared not look at Luna. "I've done everything possible, they threatened to kill me here! I'm really desperate."

The man laughed lowly, watching the argument in front of him with a low chuckle, while one of his hands dropped a cigarette to the floor and stomped on it. "let's get this over with, luna, our boss is waiting for you..."

Luna struggled violently from the grip of the two men at her side. Let go of me! Her voice sounded hoarse.

One of the men grabbed Luna's arm harder and taunted her. You think you can fight us, luna?

What an asshole! I won't let you take me!

Stubborn woman, she muttered, she raised one hand, signaling to her men. "Make this woman shut up!"

A moment after, the man who had been gripping Luna's left hand took something out of his pocket. Luna glared as she saw an injection of clear liquid directed at her. The more she struggled the more. "You're crazy!"

Luna's arm was gripped even tighter. She bit her lip when she felt the cold, sharp metal of the injection being rudely plunged into her neck, causing a stinging pain there. "Akh! Damn it..."

Jin chuckled grimly, his eyes not moving from the slowly weakening Luna.

"This is what you get for fighting back."

Even as her whole body felt weak, Luna struggled to maintain consciousness. Her breath caught, disappointment and hatred filling her eyes. Martha wasn't helping her at all. Although her vision began to blur, she could clearly see Martha smiling coldly at her.

Martha was his only family. Everything she did for her, Luna never thought she would be repaid like this. She was even willing to work hard for years to pay off her aunt's mounting debt, and cover up her mistakes that would eventually be repeated.

Luna's tears almost fell, but she held them back. She didn't want to waste her tears on a shameless woman like her aunt who was now just staring at her without any guilt.

"Auntie... I didn't expect you to do this... After what I've done for you all these years..." the weak voice almost choked. Luna's body collapsed to the floor along with the pain in her head that began to attack. There were still so many words and resentments Luna wanted to say to her aunt, but they were stuck in her throat as her vision began to darken until her consciousness disappeared.