I really wish I could turn back time. If I could go back three years, I swear I wouldn't have gone to that class reunion. I wouldn't have gotten involved with him. My heart felt like it was bleeding; the pain made it hard to breathe. Worried about affecting the baby, I tried to compose myself and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

I took a contraceptive pill and was daydreaming on the sofa when my phone rang. I looked down and saw a transfer message. Reynaldo had transferred one hundred thousand to me. He’d said last night that if I behaved well and obediently, he would give me additional rewards. This one hundred thousand was his payment for me sleeping with him.

I self-mockingly tugged at my lips. He transferred the money now, just to humiliate me. Because I’d just said I was disgusted by his touch, he deliberately sent the money to show me I was just a prostitute. I leaned against the sofa and laughed at myself, but tears streamed down uncontrollably. Oh, Reynaldo. You wait until I save enough money and find a way to escape. I will escape far away and never let you humiliate me again.

The next day, I got up early and went to work. The weather had cooled considerably; I wore a thin coat. I’d lost a lot of weight; my old clothes were too big. I found a small cushion and stuffed it into my clothes—it worked perfectly. Even if my belly grew bigger later, it wouldn’t be noticeable. However, Reynaldo would still be able to tell, even without the clothes concealing it. My good mood vanished. I irritably threw the cushion onto the sofa and left.

Gossip is rampant, as expected. I’d just arrived at the secretaries’ office when I heard them gossiping about me. Someone said I hadn’t come to work yesterday because Reynaldo had kicked me out. Others said I was putting on airs and deliberately stayed away. Some even said I’d fallen so low that I was sleeping on the streets, abducted and mistreated. The rumors grew increasingly outrageous, ending only when I walked into the office. The discussions stopped abruptly as soon as I entered. However, the silence lasted only a few seconds before the mocking voices began.

“Oh, isn’t that Ms. Duffy? She even knows how to come to work.”

“Yeah, I thought she hadn’t realized the reality yet, and still thought she was a high and mighty young lady.”

“You don’t say, she only dared to play truant so recklessly because she was Mr. Humphrey’s ex-wife, didn’t she?”

“Haha, Mr. Humphrey was just pitying her, so he gave her a menial job. Did she really think she was something special?”

Since my family went bankrupt, I’ve grown numb to such mockery. I walked into the office with my back straight. At that moment, they all stood up and respectfully shouted, “Mr. Humphrey, hello!” I froze, my feet stopping involuntarily. Soon, Reynaldo walked past me, an icy chill in the air. I looked at his cold back and felt a fresh wave of pain. I don’t know how long this pain will last.

“Hey, hey, what happened to Mr. Humphrey? His face looks so scary.”

“Yeah. I wonder who got on Mr. Humphrey’s bad side. I’ve never seen him with such a terrifying expression before.”

“I don’t know. Anyway, Mr. Humphrey’s mood was definitely bad today. What should I do? I still have to deliver the documents later.”

“Oh, then you must be very careful, in case Mr. Humphrey makes you pack up and leave.”

I sat at my desk and glanced toward the president’s office. He’s probably still angry about yesterday. I clenched my hands, silently warning myself not to provoke that lunatic again today. Yes, you madman! He was a lunatic, that Reynaldo. At that moment, someone threw a stack of documents at me, saying, “Make a table according to the requirements on it and send it to me!”