When Love Turned To Ash

Synopsis

After being gone for four years, I ran into my ex-boyfriend, Andrew Lawson, at an underground casino. He was a high-roller, tossing cash around like it was nothing, with a new girl in his arms who could almost pass for me. And I was the attraction on display, locked inside a glass case. All night, he sat in the crowd, cold and distant, watching as I struck poses and flirted to entertain the wealthy men. During the intermission, his new girlfriend pointed at me sweetly and said, "Andrew, have her come and wipe my shoes. I'll give her 300 bucks. She's so cheap, and she even dares to have the same face as me—what a curse!" I didn't hesitate. I climbed out of the glass case, knelt by her feet, and used my sleeve to wipe her limited-edition heels, which were already gleaming. Whistles and laughter rose from the crowd. Someone took advantage of the chaos and poured red wine over my head. When I finished, I held out my hand for the money. Instead, Andrew kicked me to the ground. "Emily, are you really that obsessed with money?" he snapped. "You dumped me for cash back then, and now you're willing to be a dog for 300 bucks? Have you no shame at all?" I endured the pain ripping through my body and picked up the bills from the floor, stained with red wine. "If it's too dirty for you, don't look," I said calmly. "A deal's a deal." That 300 dollars was just enough to buy two shots of Demerol. At least tonight, it wouldn't hurt so much.