Chapter 2
Under the envious gazes of my classmates, Edward took me to the café across from school for coffee and snacks.
Before I met him, my monthly allowance was just 100 bucks.
I wouldn't have even dreamed of setting foot in a place like this.
When Edward looked at me and said, "You look skinny. You should eat more." Then he got me a membership card and told me I could order whatever I wanted from now on.
At that time, I honestly felt like no one in the world would treat me better than he did.
All my mom ever did was say stuff like, "Why are you eating so much? If you get fat, no guy will want you.
"Stop eating so much. Don't stretch your stomach. If you keep it small, it's good for you."
But then she'd turn to my younger brother, William, and say, "William, did you eat enough at school today? Is 20 bucks a day enough for you? If it's not, tell me, okay?"
Nancy stared out the window, lost in thought as she stared at the leaves.
Her eyes were stunning, a light shade of amber that seemed almost translucent.
"Do you know how I first realized you existed?" Nancy asked.
I shook my head.
She said, "One day, Edward came home and sighed at the dinner table, 'Kids who haven't entered the real world yet are so easy to please. Just give them a little money for food, and they're grateful.
"'Not like those sharks at work—no matter how much you give them, it's never enough.'
"I read your chat logs with him and couldn't sleep a wink that night.
"I kept wondering, 'Why didn't he delete the messages? What if I accidentally found them?' But then I realized that he just didn't care if I ever saw them.
"My family owes Edward a lot. My parents would never let me divorce him, and he's got so much power in Avonia. Even if I tried to fight him in court, it'd be pointless."
She gave a nonchalant smile, like she was talking about someone else's business.
She added, "Oh, and I noticed he wanted to send you some money at first, but you refused every time.
"I'm really curious. Why didn't you ever use his money?"
My eyes quivered and my mouth went dry. I couldn't say a single word.
To be honest, I had this totally naïve idea.
I always thought I'd only be okay letting someone spend money on me if I was sure I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life.
Nancy nodded, looking like she was deep in thought.
After I explained, she said, "But that's exactly why he had you wrapped around his finger. He knew you were naïve and easy to trick, so he figured he could just toy with you whenever he felt like it.
"All it took was a little cash spent on you, and you'd do anything to pay him back. No matter how crazy his requests got, you'd never turn him down.
"Anna, do you know how much he spent to marry me?"
I bit my lip and ventured a guess. "100 grand?"
She said, "One million. Compared to that, doesn't it make what he did for you look like nothing?"
Her smile was laced with self-mockery.
She went on, "He once spent a fortune to marry me, but now I'm tossed aside like yesterday's trash.
"I'm not trying to upset you. I just want you to see he's not the guy you imagine.
"You're still young. Don't let your whole life turn out like mine."
"Oh, and one more thing," Nancy said, pulling out her phone and showing me a photo.
I glanced at it, and my stomach dropped.
She'd secretly snapped a picture of Edward's photo gallery.
It was crammed with hundreds of explicit photos. Some showed the face, some didn't.
And every single one of those photos was of me.
Nancy asked, "Did you send these to him yourself, or did he secretly take screenshots without you knowing?"
My face turned white with shock.
In my panic, I spilled my matcha latte all over the table.
Not long after Edward gave me that Cartier diamond ring, he went away on a business trip.
He was gone for a whole month.
One night, after we hadn't seen each other for more than ten days, he video-called me.
On the call, the usually stoic Edward softened for the first time, acting unexpectedly sweet toward me.
"Anna, turn on your camera and let me see you, okay?" he said, his voice unusually gentle and coaxing.
I knew I should've said no.
But he kept coaxing and begging, and I just couldn't turn him down.
I did as he asked and turned on my camera.
I sat there, doing all those bold and embarrassing poses for him on camera.
I even grabbed my lipstick and wrote his name across my collarbone just like he told me to.
His breathing got heavier, and his voice turned low and rough. "Honey, you're gorgeous.
"Good girl. When I get back, I've got a present for you."