Chapter 2
"I won't go back on my word to you again," Vivian said, her eyes locking with Samuel's, determination shining in her gaze.
Samuel suddenly tightened his grip on my hand, his fingers digging in so hard it felt like my bones might snap.
"Samuel," I called out, my voice barely above a whisper.
Samuel seemed to snap out of it and jerked his hand away, but he didn't even look at me.
As I stared at the red marks quickly forming on the back of my hand, it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart.
Everyone was cracking jokes, but they kept stealing glances at Samuel to see how he'd react.
Seeing that he didn't object, they started cheering and urging Vivian to keep undressing.
Vivian didn't hold back anymore.
With desperate determination, almost tragically heroic, she slowly pulled down the zipper of her dress.
Her skin slowly came into view as she moved.
The curves of her body, just barely hidden, teased the crowd, making hearts race.
Everyone turned aside, acting all proper, but their eyes couldn't help drifting back to her.
Vivian really was the star of the show.
Her body was jaw-dropping: an hourglass figure that turned every head in the room.
Seeing Samuel remain completely unfazed, Vivian felt a lump in her throat, and her voice trembled as she asked, "Is this still not enough for you?"
With that, she pulled her dress down to her waist in one swift, determined motion.
Everyone in the room froze, their breaths caught, and they all quickly averted their eyes.
I couldn't take it anymore.
I grabbed my jacket, ready to cover her up.
But before I could even reach her, she shoved me hard.
Caught off guard, my lower back slammed into the edge of the table.
A sharp pain shot through me, and I doubled over, unable to straighten up for what felt like ages.
"Vivian, are you done making a scene?" Samuel snapped, his voice icy.
He held me up, shooting Vivian a chilling glare.
Vivian looked at him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
She choked out, "Don't you really want me anymore?"
Samuel froze, his hand still on me, silent.
"Then why do you even care what I do?" Vivian scoffed, her voice bitter.
Her smile was heartbreakingly sad.
The next second, Vivian yanked her dress off with reckless abandon.
I just couldn't understand why Vivian would go to such lengths to humiliate herself, completely ignoring the kindness I tried to show her.
But then, it all clicked.
Samuel let go of me and rushed over, hurriedly wrapping his jacket around Vivian's shoulders.
Her almost bare skin pressed right up against him.
Her cheeks were wet with tears, yet she managed a smile.
"See? I knew you couldn't let me go," Vivian said, her voice trembling with a mix of tears and relief.
Samuel stood there, letting her cling to him, making no move to pull away.
Vivian stared at Samuel, letting him fuss with her dress, her eyes never leaving his face.
Every time Samuel's hand brushed against her bare skin, she'd tremble just a bit, her breath catching in her throat.
A comment popped up, saying: [Damn, that was intense. I was holding my breath the whole time. I just knew Samuel would soften up!]
Another comment read: [Oh my god, this is so heartbreaking. Vivian sacrificed so much for him.]
One read: [Heartbreaking? Please, Vivian's a total wolf in sheep's clothing. She's got everything under control. Just watch her take back Samuel, one move at a time.]
A comment read: [Seriously, Samuel didn't even look at Sylvia. In his world, it's all about Vivian's tears.]
My heart went cold. I mumbled something about needing the bathroom and ducked out.
Samuel and I were childhood friends, our families a perfect fit.
But when it came to the epic love story of his youth, I was never the leading lady.
Unlike my loving parents, Samuel's dad was infamous for chasing women.
His mom tried everything: fighting, yelling, begging, but nothing worked. In the end, she just couldn't take it anymore and jumped to her death.
His dad then rushed to marry his mistress and brought home a son who was barely a few months younger than Samuel.
I knew Samuel had a fire simmering inside him, all that frustration bottled up.
He threw himself into hard work, always pushing to get ahead.
After graduation, he plunged into the business world and quickly started making real progress.
With how amazing he was, it was no surprise that girls were always confessing to him, either straight up or dropping hints.
But he'd just brush them off, saying, "I don't have time for that."
But then, he went head over heels for Vivian.
He didn't just confess loudly and proudly; he even put her right by his side as his personal assistant.
They were inseparable, always together like they were glued at the hip.
All I could do was hide in the shadows, swallowing down the storm raging in my heart.
Samuel and Vivian had barely been together a year when Samuel's dad died suddenly from an illness. The company's biggest secrets got out, and they were nearly wiped out.
Samuel's stepmom swooped in, grabbed all the best assets, and launched a rival company.
Samuel soon discovered Vivian was a plant, sent by his stepmom.
Turns out, she got close to him to steal his secrets.
His stepmom dropped a bombshell. She sent Samuel a video of Vivian getting married abroad.
It hit Samuel like a truck, and he totally fell apart.
When I finally tracked him down, Samuel was getting the crap beaten out of him by a bunch of debt collectors, bruises already blooming all over his body.
I rushed in, tears streaming down my face, and threw myself between them. I emptied my pockets, handing over every last cent I had, swearing I'd make it right for him.
That night, the stairwell lights flickered weakly, barely lighting up the hallway.
Samuel sat on the floor for a long time, lost in thought, before finally dragging himself to his feet.
I tried to help him up, but he shoved me away.
"I don't need your pity," Samuel said, his voice icy.
But I stubbornly held on, staring right into his deep eyes, refusing to back down.
I said, "Samuel, let me help you."
Back then, I just couldn't stand seeing the golden boy everyone admired hit rock bottom. I wasn't thinking about anything else.
But Samuel snapped, "What, do you want me to sell myself?"
I just stood there, speechless.
Before I could say anything, Samuel walked away without even looking back.