Chapter 5

"You're a troublemaker. Everyone wants to take you down. Don't think playing dumb will let you off easy," someone shouted.

Isaac, surrounded and shamed, could barely catch his breath, let alone get a word out to defend himself. His nose stung, and he was wracked by harsh, choking coughs.

Soon, the furious crowd shoved him, sending him crashing into a pile of filthy scraps.

With his vision blocked, he instinctively reached out to steady himself. But his hand slipped on the greasy floor, and he lost control, slamming straight into the corner of a table.

Blood mixed with the trash, oozing down in a sticky mess.

But the crowd just turned a blind eye, coming up with even more vicious ways to mess with him.

"Quit pretending! Letting a troublemaker like him slide is just hurting Ms. Norris. We need to really make him pay!"

"Why not throw him to Ms. Norris's die-hard fans? I bet they've got plenty of ways to deal with him!"

Isaac felt like every second was pure torture.

It wasn't long before the fans showed up, like they'd been lying in wait for him all along.

"Here's the troublemaker. Take him down to the basement warehouse. Don't let him mess up the upper floors."

"Glad you guys helped nab him. We'll make sure Evelyn's name stays clean."

Isaac, battered and humiliated, was dragged off to the warehouse by the mob.

Everyone was eyeing him like a pack of wolves. One of them sneered. "So, how should we punish you?"

Another suggested, "Why don't we strip him and film something embarrassing? That way, we'll have dirt on him, and he'll never dare cause trouble again."

Isaac, barely conscious, managed to choke out, his voice hoarse, "I... I'm not a hater. I'm just here to deliver food."

The next moment, someone in high heels slammed their foot down on him. "Still trying to talk your way out of this? Let's all get him!"

All these years, Isaac had put up with humiliation and hardship just to survive and take care of Evelyn, but nothing had ever broken him like this.

He couldn't even count how many filthy hands were ripping at his clothes. Some hands even copped a feel while they were at it.

Malicious laughter rang in his ears. "Who would've thought this loser had a decent body? Film him, get it all on tape!"

Isaac was so weak he could barely move, and no matter how much he struggled, he just couldn't break free.

Isaac's voice tore through the air, each scream more raw and desperate than the last. "Get off me! Don't touch me!"

Once they got the video they wanted, the group finally backed off. "If we catch you anywhere near Evelyn again, it'll be even worse for you next time."

After they left, Isaac lay there like a soulless puppet, completely empty inside.

It took him a long time to finally muster enough strength to limp out.

He was barely clothed, filthy from head to toe, and people shrank away from him as if he were some kind of plague.

"Ugh, what a creep! So gross!" someone yelled in disgust.

He finally managed to find a public restroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked so utterly wretched.

Looking at himself now, he knew he wasn't even remotely worthy of Evelyn as she was today.

That was why, even when he was being tortured like that, he never once revealed his connection to Evelyn.

Not only would they never believe him, but he knew that if he did, he'd only end up dragging Evelyn's reputation through the mud.

She was like a star, shining so brightly that she was way out of his reach now.

In the end, Isaac ended up asking a former coworker to bring him some clothes.

When the coworker saw him like that, he looked genuinely worried. "Isaac, what happened to you? Should I take you to the hospital?"

Isaac just shook his head. "Thanks, I'm fine."

The coworker stared at his battered figure and let out a heavy sigh. "Didn't you say your sister was doing really well? How come things keep getting worse for you..."

Isaac made his way back to his rundown apartment, curling up in a corner, desperately trying to find even a shred of comfort.

His finger kept tracing over the phone screen, but he just couldn't bring himself to make that call.

Even though he wanted to see Evelyn more than anything right now, he knew he just couldn't.

It wasn't just how pathetic he looked. More importantly, Evelyn was still mad at him. He couldn't forget how he'd embarrassed her at the last concert.

Then, Isaac drifted off into a dazed sleep, completely worn out.

In his dream, he was back in the old days. His parents were still around, and the four of them were a happy family.

Then the scene changed. One moment, Evelyn was giving him a sweet smile. Next, she pushed him away, her attitude suddenly firm.

"Isaac, maybe we should see each other less from now on. I'm worried my fans might misunderstand. You get it, right?" Evelyn said.

Even though it felt like his heart was being ripped apart in the dream, Isaac still forced himself to accept it. "Alright, Evelyn. I just want you to be happy. I'll never be a burden to you."

Isaac woke up with a start, clutching his chest, trying to calm the suffocating ache that gripped him.

He was about to check the time on his phone when he heard soft noises coming from outside.

He tensed up immediately, grabbing the blanket beside him and wrapping it tightly around himself.

Just as he suspected, it was Evelyn coming back. She said, "Isaac, are you home? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given you such a hard time that day."

As Evelyn's voice drew nearer, Isaac felt his heart race faster.

Isaac quickly called out before Evelyn could open the door. "Evelyn, I'm not upset with you. I'm just really tired today. I think I need some rest."

Evelyn's hand froze on the doorknob. Her eyes fell on a dried patch of blood on the floor.

"Isaac, are you keeping something from me again? Are you hurt?" Evelyn asked, her voice full of worry.

Before Isaac could respond, Evelyn burst into the room.

Seeing Isaac curled up under the blanket, still trembling, Evelyn panicked and rushed over, pulling the blanket off him.

"Isaac, what happened to you?" Evelyn cried.