Chapter 3
The Botanist snatched it up right away.
The Botanist said: [Smart move.]
I said: [I heard you've got a legendary Orchid. I'd love to see her.]
The Botanist said: [Good taste, but Orchid's a rare beauty. Not just anyone gets to meet her.]
I said: [I get it. Money's no object.]
The Botanist said: [Heh, people who say that usually can't afford it.]
He added: [But for Pine's sake, I'll give you a shot.]
He sent over a document.
It read, "Orchid's Profile Guide."
I clicked it open.
It listed everything about Orchid: her height, weight, vital stats, even medical info.
The introduction read: "All natural, no touch-ups, no surgery.
"Gentle personality, very cooperative.
"Here are the rules for the tasting.
"Tasting method: Face-to-face.
"Location: Chosen by The Botanist.
"Deposit: 70 thousand dollars.
"Final payment: Highest bidder wins, starting at 150 thousand dollars."
My hands started to shake.
This wasn't about selling flowers at all.
This was straight-up human trafficking, no sugarcoating.
I forced down my disgust and kept typing.
I said: [The deposit's fine. But does Orchid actually know what's going on? Is she fully aware and is she doing this of her own free will?]
The Botanist sent a mocking emoji.
The Botanist said: [Bro, is this your first rodeo?]
[We're a high-end tasting club, not some human trafficking ring.]
[This is all about both sides being willing.]
With that, he sent over a video.
In the video, Nahla was wearing the same spaghetti strap nightgown as in the photos, smiling at the camera.
She said, "Hey guys, I'm Orchid. I'm totally down for this. Can't wait for you to come and pick me."
"See that?" Dwayne was practically foaming at the mouth, jabbing his finger at my phone.
"She's totally into it! She's just a gold-digger! She'd do anything for cash!
"I just... I just wanted to set her up so she could make more money! We agreed to split it fifty-fifty!" he added.
He finally spilled everything.
Every word was like a knife, twisting in my heart again and again.
I looked at his face, all twisted up with excitement, and suddenly it just seemed ridiculous.
This was the man I'd loved for three years.
For money, he threw my sister straight into the pit.
And when it all fell apart, he didn't feel a shred of guilt. He just dumped all the blame on her.
He continued, "Angeline, don't put this on me! She came to me for help!
"She said she had her eye on a bag worth 50 thousand dollars, but your folks wouldn't get it for her, so she had no choice but to make the money herself!
"I was only looking out for her!"
'For her own good?' I scoffed to myself.
'Yeah, right. For her own good.' The words tasted bitter in my mouth.
I turned off my phone and walked right up to him.
"Get out," I barked.
Dwayne froze.
"What did you just say?"
"Get out of my house. Now. Right this second." I pointed at the door, my voice icy cold.
Dwayne said, "Angeline! Are you out of your mind? You're really dumping me over a sister who doesn't even value herself?"
"She doesn't even see herself as a person. Why do you even care what happens to her?"
I slapped him across the face with everything I had.
The sharp sound echoed through the living room.
Dwayne was stunned, clutching his face and staring at me in disbelief.
"You hit me?" he said.
I said, "Hitting you just makes my hand feel filthy.
"Get your stuff and get out."
I opened the door, looking at him with icy indifference.
Dwayne's eyes shifted from shock to rage, then finally burned with pure hatred.
He shot me a vicious glare and spat right at my feet.
Dwayne said, "Fine, Angeline. You're ruthless.
"You'll regret this! Who do you think you are, some kind of hero?
"That sister of yours is rotten to the bone! Just wait. She's gonna destroy herself sooner or later!"
He kept cursing me out as he packed up his stuff, then slammed the door and stomped off.
Finally, peace returned to my world.
I collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of grief and rage.
I hated Dwayne for being such a shameless traitor.
Worse yet, I hated Nahla for being so blind and throwing her life away.
I thought she was deceived and coerced into all this.
But that video, which showed her relaxed, seductive smile, destroyed all my illusions.
She wasn't a victim.
She was a commodity, embracing her own downfall.
What was I supposed to do now?
Should I call the police?