Chapter 2
After a long pause, Ashton let out a cold laugh.
"Bridget, your body doesn't cost much, does it?" he sneered.
I closed my eyes, refusing to let him see the vulnerability in my gaze.
"Mr. Colbert, you paid 1.5 million dollars, so of course, it's worth something," I retorted.
My words caught him off guard, and his anger flared. He stormed over and grabbed my chin hard.
He growled, "You still dare to talk back?"
His grip was so strong, it felt like he was about to break my jaw.
He continued, "I paid for you, so you belong to me now.
"I'll do whatever I please with you."
He yanked a wad of cash from his wallet and flung it right in my face.
He ordered, "Go and scrub the bathroom.
"Do it with your bare hands. No tools.
"Don't stop until I'm satisfied."
I stared at the bills scattered across the floor. What he wanted wasn't my body.
He wanted to see me desperate, degraded, groveling for his approval.
Without a word, I picked up the money and walked into the bathroom.
I dropped to my knees and scrubbed the already spotless tiles again and again, as if trying to erase myself along with the dirt that wasn't even there.
I kept going until my nails broke and blood smeared the white ceramic tiles.
Ashton leaned against the doorframe, watching me with icy indifference.
He lit a cigarette, his face half-hidden behind a haze of smoke, making it impossible to read his expression.
But I could feel his gaze. It was sharp and unrelenting, as he wanted to see me laid completely bare.
I lost track of time before he finally spoke.
"That's enough," Ashton said.
I pushed myself up from the floor, my legs numb and shaky. I stumbled, almost collapsing.
He instinctively reached out to help me, but froze mid-motion and withdrew his hand.
He walked over and shoved the black card into my hand.
"The PIN's your birthday," Ashton said.
He paused, letting out a bitter laugh.
He added, "Pretty pathetic, huh?
"Seven years, and I still haven't forgotten."
With that, Ashton walked out without a backward glance.
The door slammed shut, separating us as we lived in two different worlds.
I sank to the floor, staring at the card in my hand as the tears finally broke free.
Ashton, you hadn't forgotten.
I hadn't forgotten either.
The next day, I used the card to pay for Mom's surgery.
The doctor said the operation was a success, and she'd be fine as long as she rested well.
I finally let out a sigh of relief. The weight that had been crushing me for seven years was only half gone.
The other half was Ashton.
I thought that after that humiliating night, everything between us was over.
But I had no clue. That was just the beginning.
"Bridget, you're fired," the restaurant manager barked.
He flung a wad of cash right in my face, his eyes full of pure disdain.
He said, "We don't want shameless women like you here.
"Word's out about last night. You've embarrassed the whole restaurant."
I silently picked up the money, without saying a thing.
I knew this was Ashton's handiwork.
He was burning all my bridges, leaving me with nowhere else to turn. He wanted to force me to rely on him for everything.
Sure enough, as soon as I stepped out of the restaurant, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up right in front of me.
The window rolled down, and it was Ashton's chauffeur.
"Miss Dutton, Mr.Colbert wants you to get in," he said.
I had no other choice.
The car drove me straight to the president's office on the top floor of Colbert Group.
Ashton sat behind his massive desk, expressionless, just staring at me.
He said, "You're my personal assistant from today on.
"Day or night, whenever I need you, you better be ready."
He slid a contract across the desk toward me.
"Fifteen thousand dollars a month. Is that enough for you to sell yourself with a smile?" he sneered.
I glanced at the contract, and the terms were so harsh that it was basically a slave contract.
"Mr. Colbert, what exactly do you want from me?" I finally snapped.
He stood up and walked toward me, his presence so overwhelming that it felt like I could barely breathe.
"What do I want?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.
He grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
He said, "I want to drag you through the mud, bit by bit.
"I want you to taste a sliver of the pain I've endured these past seven years."
His voice was thick with resentment, but underneath it all was a cold, bottomless sorrow.
Just then, the office door swung open.
Bella strutted in, her high heels clicking on the floor, radiating sultry allure with every step.
She paused when she saw me, then a smug smile curled on her lips, as if everything had suddenly clicked into place.
"Ashton, am I interrupting something?" she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
She sidled up to Ashton, slipping her arm through his in a possessive gesture, shooting me a look that screamed, 'He's mine.'
"Oh, right, I forgot. You're Ashton's assistant now," Bella said, her tone laced with mockery.