Chapter 2
786 Words
Morris stood frozen in place.
"Last time, it was the bathroom. Before that, the storage room. You were the one behind it all, weren’t you? Your family never really went bankrupt, did they?"
"Did you enjoy it, Morris?"
My voice trembled, but I refused to look away.
His Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn’t answer.
Lena, standing beside him, spoke up.
"What right do you have to accuse Morris? Back in high school, you were a loner, never spoke to anyone. Everyone hated you, but Morris stood by you. When your parents died and you had no money, it was Morris who got his family to help you."
"Morris has been so good to you. You could work your whole life and never repay his kindness!"
I bit my lip, staring at Lena.
She wasn’t even in the same high school as me, not even the same city.
Everything she knew, Morris must have told her.
The pain from biting my lip made me sharper.
I raised my hand to strike Lena.
"What are you doing?"
Morris finally reacted, catching my hand before it could hit.
Just like he used to protect me. But now, he was shielding Lena.
"Apologize, Vera," he said.
"Why should I?"
I wasn’t going to back down.
"Why? Vera, tell me, did Lena say anything that wasn’t true?"
Morris had been kind to me, and I was grateful, but that didn’t mean I should always compromise.
I realized then: the Morris who once told me to fight back, who told me I didn’t have to compromise for anyone, was gone.
He had changed in ways I couldn't see.
"Apologize to Lena," Morris said again, his tone firm.
The burn scars on my hand throbbed painfully.
It felt like I was suffocating, trapped in memories, suffocated by his demands.
"Morris, you're going too far."
A man stepped from the shadows, placing a gentle hand on my waist, offering me support.
Morris frowned, and his arrogance faded when he saw the man.
"Wayne?!"
*****
Wayne Firth, Morris’s brother, suddenly came to mind.
Morris had mentioned him before. Morris was the secret child, raised away from the family.
It wasn’t until high school that he returned to live with the Firth family.
Wayne had agreed to Morris’s return but struck a deal with their father.
Morris could return, but Wayne would control the family business in the future.
Wayne had the power to banish Morris with a single word, and Morris was always careful around him.
"Hey, bro, what brings you here?"
Morris asked, eyes locked on Wayne’s hand resting on my waist.
Wayne replied, "I saw your ad about renting a beauty, and it caught my eye."
I quickly pulled out my phone and found the ad.
"One million for a night with a beauty, super pure and obedient." The photo was a blurry image of my back.
"Super pure and obedient"
So obedient that I let myself be manipulated.
"Morris, I’ll pay back every cent your parents gave me, and soon."
I didn’t give him another glance as I walked past him, heading out.
I overheard someone ask Morris, "Morris, is Vera trying to cut ties with you?"
That was right.
Then, Morris sneered.
"Settle things? That’s a joke. She can’t survive without me."
*****
Back at the dorm, I threw all of Morris’s gifts into a cardboard box, including the confession letter I had planned to give him.
Tara, my roommate, was surprised by my outburst. She came up to me and whispered, "What’s going on? Did Morris upset you?"
I shook my head, then nodded, caught between denial and reality.
I eventually told her everything.
Tara was angrier than I was. She kicked the box.
"What a scumbag! He pretended to be the nice guy, but he’s the one who caused all your misery!"
We tossed all his gifts in the trash.
Tara suggested we hit a bar to forget about it.
I hesitated, but agreed, wondering if alcohol would numb the pain.
But as we stepped outside, there was Morris, standing under a tree, looking like a predator waiting for his next victim.
His gaze was superior, as though surveying his kingdom.
He walked over to me.
Tara snapped, "You’ve got some nerve showing up!"
But Lena’s voice interrupted from behind.
"Morris~ You came for me?"
Morris walked past me, casting a dismissive glance.
"Yeah, someone got the wrong idea about me being here for her."
His tone was mocking.
"But if she grovels and plays nice, I might just let bygones be bygones."
I forced a smile and linked my arm with Tara’s.
"Let’s go."
We ignored Lena’s wail trailing behind us.
"Morris! Easy! You’re crushing my wrist!"
- Writer
