Chapter 1
James Lawson, my sugar daddy, went bankrupt.
I grabbed my card and went to find him. "Now it's my turn to take care of you," I said.
He just laughed. "You? What could you possibly do?"
Later, he made a comeback.
I was thrilled. This meant I could go back to relying on him.
But then he gave me those puppy eyes and said, "Babe, can I be your real boyfriend now?"
*****
I'd been looking for James for ten days straight before I finally tracked him down in a VIP booth at some bar.
When I got there, he was getting pinned to the floor by a bunch of guys. They were forcing drinks down his throat, one after another.
I dashed over like I'd lost my mind, trying to help him up, but a couple of men blocked me.
"You shouldn't be here," James said, his voice rough.
"Just go!" he yelled.
Even now, he was still trying to protect me. A little warmth stirred in my chest.
"Come on, James, get up." I urged, ignoring the chaos around us.
"Leave this job," I told him.
"I'll take care of you," I said.
I meant it.
All these years with James, he never let me down. Honestly, he was a pretty solid sugar daddy.
Sixty thousand dollars a month, all my bills paid, total freedom, and he always treated me right. Not like those jerks in TV dramas who trample all over people's dignity.
He only hit me up when he needed me physically. The rest of the time, I was free to live my life.
We each got what we wanted and stayed out of each other's way.
After a few years, I'd saved up a pretty decent nest egg.
"Well, well. Look who it is," one of the guys mocked.
"Your sugar daddy's broke. Why not ditch him and have some fun with me instead?" he teased, his voice oozing sleaze.
The red-haired leader swaggered over and tilted my chin up, smirking.
I recognized him right away.
Richard Lee—a classic trust fund brat.
He used to be James' business rival, but James crushed him so completely that he ended up bankrupt.
"Don't touch her!" James shouted.
He struggled against the men holding him down, trying to get up.
Richard slammed his foot onto James' back, pinning him to the floor even harder.
Richard sneered, "Oh, really?
"Mr. Lawson, you want to play the hero and save your girl? Fine. I'll play along.
"If you can down every bottle on this table, I'll be generous and let her walk free. Just this once."
There were dozens of bottles lined up on the table, all loaded with hard liquor. Drinking all that would be suicide.
"Don't listen to him. My friends will be here any second," I said, trying to sound calm.
Before I even walked in, I'd already called my friend, Sylvia Carlson. She was on her way with help.
Richard, fuming, snatched up a bottle and upended it right over James' head.
The liquor streamed down James' neck, drenching him from head to toe.
"Hey, everyone, get over here and watch this!" Richard called out, his voice dripping with mockery.
He sneered, "Here's the great Mr. Lawson, the man who thought he owned this town.
"Now look at him. Pinned under my foot."
Everyone around burst into mocking laughter.
James had started from nothing and clawed his way up, building his own business empire from the ground up.
To everyone else, he was always cool, collected, and totally in control. Never shaken, never weak. But seeing him like this? No one would've believed it.
Sylvia arrived with her crew, and two cops followed right behind.
As soon as they saw the chaos, the cops barked out for everyone to cut it out.
Richard tried to play it off, claiming it was just friends messing around, and the cops turned to us for the truth.
James didn't deny it. He just kept quiet.
Richard's family had some serious pull. Even if he got hauled in, he'd be out by the next morning.
Once things settled, I told Sylvia to head home and spun around, chasing after James as he rushed out.
The air was getting chilly, and he was out there in nothing but a drenched shirt. Just seeing him like that made me feel cold to the bone.
"Don't follow me," he said coldly.
"I don't have any money for you anymore," he added.
"I've got money," I said, not missing a beat.
"If you'll let me, I can take care of you now." I offered, my tone unwavering.
James stepped closer, his eyes as cold and deep as a frozen lake.
"What did you say?" he said, his voice low and dangerous.
He went on, "Are you here to humiliate me too?
"Do you really think you're in any position to help?"
Honestly, I wasn't trying to humiliate him. If anything, my intentions were completely genuine.
I just figured he needed help, and I actually had the ability to give it. That was all.
It was strange to think about—in just a few years, our situations had completely reversed.
Back when my mom got sick and I was desperate for cash, I went to a bar looking for a part-time gig. Some men there tried to force me to drink.
James just happened to be there. He stepped in, just like that, and got me out of trouble. Then he asked if I wanted to be with him.
He was handsome, in great shape, and the arrangement he offered suited me perfectly, so I said yes.
Over the years, I used the money he gave me to pay for my mom's medical bills, open my own café, and build up some decent savings.
I owed all of that to him.
Even right before he went bankrupt, he transferred the house I lived in to my name. He called it my "fresh start fund," so I'd be taken care of no matter what happened.
Right now, I just wanted to help him. That was it.
But he wouldn't believe me.