Chapter 5

Ashley suggested, "Hear me out. Why don't we do this? Lance, you go with me to the hospital to handle my dad's situation. Let Sienna stay and cover my shift." "No way," Sienna said icily, her refusal sharp and absolute. Ashley's tears fell even harder. Even her shoulders trembled as she sobbed and begged, "Sienna, please… Just help me this once!" Lance chimed in, "Just help her, Enna. Ashley's dad is in a critical condition. This is a matter of life and death! I'll buy you the latest exclusive handbag to make it up to you, okay?" Sienna yanked her hand back and stared at him in disbelief. "Lance, you…" Her words caught in her throat. Her intense disappointment and fury rendered her unable to speak. "Alright, it's settled," Lance said. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pushed her toward the floor supervisor. Ashley followed closely, bowing repeatedly to both the supervisor and Sienna in thanks. The supervisor was a stern-faced middle-aged woman. She gave Sienna a quick up-and-down glance and snapped at Ashley, "Something always comes up for you. Fine. Hurry and go change." Ashley thanked her profusely and grabbed Lance's arm, hurrying out with him. Dressed in the ill-fitting server uniform that was made out of some kind of rough fabric, Sienna felt itchy and uncomfortable all over. She had never done this kind of work before. Carrying a heavy tray of drinks through the noisy private rooms left her back aching and her waist sore after a while. When she entered the largest VIP room for the third time, a drunken middle-aged man noticed her. Reeking of alcohol, he grinned lewdly. "You're so pretty, young lady. Why are you doing this kind of job? Are you short of money? Tell me. "I pity pretty girls the most. Here's the deal. You drink a bottle of liquor, and I'll give you 100 thousand dollars. How about that?" Sienna forced down her nausea and dodged the hand he reached out. "I'm not short of money. Please respect yourself." With that, she turned to leave. Feeling humiliated, the man grabbed her wrist with a snarl. "You don't seem to know your place. Do you know who I am? How dare you give me an attitude? You'll have to drink, whether you like it or not!" The man clamped his hand around Sienna's chin and forced her mouth open. His drunken friends didn't stop him at all. They even laughed and cheered him on. The cold liquor that was mixed with the disgusting man's saliva and the stench of cigarettes was forced down Sienna's throat. The liquor was so strong that it brought tears to her eyes. She shook her head desperately, but she was no match for his strength. One bottle, two bottles, three… Sienna lost count of how many were forced down her throat. Her stomach churned and burned like it was on fire, and her consciousness began to blur. Finally, due to extreme terror and rage, a sudden surge of strength came to Sienna. She shoved the man away and grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table. Without hesitating, she smashed it hard against his head. The man screamed and clutched his bleeding forehead, staring at her in disbelief. "You… You hit me?" Sienna seized the chance to bolt from the room. She ran blindly until she found a janitor's closet piled with cleaning tools. Swiftly, she darted inside and locked the door. Outside, the sound of chaotic footsteps, furious shouts, and pounding on the door quickly followed. "Get out here! I'll kill you!" "Kick the door down!" Sienna crouched in the corner, trembling all over. This club belonged to Lance's family, so her first thought was to call him for help. With shaking hands, she pulled out her phone and dialed Lance's number again and again. To her dismay, he didn't answer her calls. Just as the door was about to give way, which threw her into utter despair, the call finally connected. Sienna said urgently, "Lance! Help me! I'm at—" Before she could finish, Lance interrupted, "Enna, stop making trouble, okay? I know covering the shift is hard for you, but Ashley's dad is in a critical condition. She's on the verge of breaking down. I have to stay here and deal with this. I'll pick you up when I'm done." "No! Lance, listen to me! Someone is…" Ashley's even more desperate crying could be heard in the background. Lance hurriedly said, "Be good. I'll hang up now. Wait for me." With that, he hung up. As the call cut off, Sienna froze. Her heart sank to the depths of her stomach. In the next second, the door to the janitor's closet was forcefully kicked open. The man with the bleeding forehead stood in the doorway, his face contorted with rage. The savage look in his eyes made it seem as if he were ready to devour her. "How dare you hit my head, you slut? Hold her down and beat her to a pulp!" the man howled. Several burly men rushed in and began punching and kicking the curled-up Sienna. "Ugh…" Agonizing pain shot through every part of her body. She shielded her head weakly. Her cries of pain were drowned beneath the sounds of fists and boots. Her consciousness quickly drifted away once more.