Chapter 2

The man who had tried to help me fell silent. The onlookers now regarded me with disgust. My phone remained on the edge of the pool table. While the redhead was distracted, I broke free and lunged for it—I had to call the police!

Just as I reached for my phone, a woman standing nearby tripped me. My face hit the table, and I felt something warm on my cheek; I was bleeding. “You’re violating the law! I’m calling the cops!” I yelled.

Queenie marched over in her high heels and tapped my phone. My wallpaper—a picture of Jacob and me—elicited a furious reaction. She threw my phone to the ground. “No!” I cried.

The screen shattered on impact. Queenie then ground her heel into the phone, further cracking the glass. “You little bitch,” she sneered. “You even used a picture of the two of you as your wallpaper? How dare you call the cops on us? Let’s see how you manage that with a broken phone.” She laughed maniacally.

Enraged, the redhead stormed over and jabbed her cigarette into my arm. I screamed in pain. “Go ahead—scream!” she yelled, yanking my hair. “Since you enjoy seducing people, let me give you a hand! Let’s all see what this temptress looks like!”

“Girls—strip her!”

The girls surged forward, tearing at my clothes. The onlookers cheered, some men even recording the assault on their phones. “Strip her! Get on with it!” they shouted. My body grew cold as my clothes were ripped away. I struggled to protect my dignity as they clawed and grabbed at me.

“What on earth is going on?” a voice shouted.