Chapter 3

At that point, I was horribly beaten and barely clothed. Seeing this, Jacob rushed over and hastily draped his jacket around me.

Queenie’s expression softened. “Did you abandon me for someone new, Jacob?” she asked, walking over and clinging to his arm. Her large chest pressed against him. Jacob didn’t seem to have strong boundaries; he looked solemn but didn't push her away.

“Did you forget your promises? How could you be so heartless, replacing me with someone new? Is she a better pool player than me?”

Did she think I was his assistant?

I watched Jacob, observing his reaction. Once he noticed me, he slowly pulled away.

“She’s not an assistant. She’s my girlfriend,” he said awkwardly.

The room fell silent, and Queenie’s expression soured.

“Oh, I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding,” she said. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

I wrapped the jacket tighter. Tasting blood, I spat out a mouthful and tugged on Jacob’s arm. “I want to call the police, Jacob. They need to be arrested!”

Jacob tensed briefly, then turned to me, attempting to calm me. “I don’t think we need to go that far, Sarah. Queenie just misunderstood; I’ll get her to apologize.”