Chapter 2

The stinging pain from the blood blister on my ankle brought me back to reality.

Without time to think further, I returned to the changing room to put away the costume and continued with my part-time job.

As the seventh shot of tequila slid down my throat, the house singer's husky voice suddenly tore through the noise.

"All these years of youth I've given you—"

I knocked over the bar stool as I rushed to the bathroom, my knees hitting the marble steps hard.

Vomit mixed with blood splattered on my newly opened phone screen.

Ryan's livestream was exceptionally clear amidst the filth.

His fingers were pinching a cherry stem, using the magic trick I taught him to charm the VIP fan into flooding the screen with Porsche gifts.

As my stomach cramped, I seemed to see the Ryan from years ago in a haze.

"Babe, you need to eat well even when you have a fever. Come on, the porridge is still hot, hurry and eat it."

Twenty-year-old Ryan braved the rainy night, warming the porridge container with his body heat, the plastic spoon broken in two inside the thermal bag.

I slowly turned off the screen, a salty taste now surging up from my stomach.

Forcing myself back to the bar, I kept repeating to myself:

"I need this job. Once the debts are cleared, Ryan and I will have a bright future!"

The fur-clad woman in the booth, cigarette dangling from her lips, saw me return and dug her sharp, long nails deep into my shoulder.

"Finish this bottle, and I'll give you a grand in cash."

Her nail jewels scraped against my collarbone, where Ryan's bite marks from yesterday still left a bruise.

People around started to egg me on, and the manager came over repeatedly urging me to drink.

Fighting the discomfort in my stomach, I slowly poured the cold alcohol mixed with my freely falling tears down my throat.

My stomach suddenly began to spasm, and I couldn't hold onto the expensive liquor, dropping it onto the table.

Glass shards scattered across the glass table, and the manager's palm came flying towards me with a whoosh.

I fell to the ground powerlessly, seeing countless pathetic reflections of myself in the glass shards.

I didn't even notice my knees being cut by the broken glass.