Chapter 35

Raquelle led and nodded smugly. “Of course I brought him! I thought you’d all enjoy playing with him.” Then, she gestured to me. “You, come here!”

The group gasped as I obediently stood beside her. One of them exclaimed, “Racquelle, after all this time, your dog is still so well-trained! None at your beck and call like that.”

“It must be nice having someone at your beck and call!” another woman said enviously. “I wish I had such an obedient dog who’d do anything!”

“Well, good luck finding one,” Racquelle retorted. “This ‘dog’ here is a rare breed. He’s the Smiths’ help, after all.”

The women laughed mockingly, deliberately raising their voices. Racquelle’s smirk widened, and she crossed her arms, clearly pleased with the attention. “When someone’s only here for money, they’d better be prepared to act like a dog. Joshua was born for this role, and he doesn’t dare disobey a single command!”

Calm and silent, I knew any resistance would only lead to worse treatment. After all these years, I had seen all of Racquelle’s tactics and had grown numb to her insults.

The women stared at me in amazement, some even clapping their hands.

“Someone who’s a barnacle loser really does make the perfect dog!” one of them jeered.

“Racquelle, ask if he has any friends who’d like to be my dog—I want to experience this power!” another woman exclaimed.

Racquelle took a sip of her cocktail and looked at me with assessment. “Oh really? Since you’re so curious, let me give you that chance!”

She held out her glass to the woman who had spoken. “Go ahead—throw it in his face!”

“Are you serious? Is that okay?” the woman asked, barely concealing her excitement.

Racquelle shrugged. “Why not? He’s my dog. What is he going to do about it? If he dares to retaliate, I make him pay for it.”

Encouraged by Racquelle, the woman threw the drink in my face. The cold liquid dripped from my hair, and the strong alcohol smell hit my nose. The excitement only grew.

“He really is well-trained! What a good boy!” one woman exclaimed.

Racquelle smirked. “Of course! Shanice, he’s just a dog. Do whatever you want with him!”

Shanice suddenly grabbed my tie and pulled me closer. Her perfume surrounded me, and I instinctively stepped back, but she just smiled, unbothered by my reaction.

“Shanice, what are you doing?” Racquelle asked in surprise.

Shanice grabbed my wrist and turned to Racquelle. “I want this man.”

“What?” Racquelle gasped. “He’s just the Smiths’ dog! Have you lost your mind?”

The other women chimed in, “Shanice, you’re the Klint family’s heiress. You could have any man you want! Why choose someone so beneath you?”

Despite their mockery, Shanice’s eyes remained fixed on me. She chuckled and replied, “I’m tired of men who only try to please me. This one is different.”