Chapter 1
Evander Hale cheated on Samara for the ninety-eighth time, but she still smiled and acted like the ever-devoted girlfriend.
Until the ninety-ninth time, he blew thousands on that girl, but when Samara Thorne asked to borrow 10 thousand dollars, he suddenly got stingy.
That was when Samara finally took the scissors to her wedding dress and never looked back.
People in their circle started betting on how long it would take for Samara to come back and apologize.
Evander nonchalantly blew out a smoke ring.
He said, "Three days, tops. She'll come back, asking me to forgive her."
But three days passed, then another three...
Evander searched every corner of the city, but still couldn't find Samara.
*****
Evander cheated on Samara for the ninety-eighth time, but she just kept smiling and playing the role of the perfect girlfriend.
Until the ninety-ninth time, he blew thousands on that girl, but when Samara asked to borrow 10 thousand dollars, he suddenly got stingy.
That was when Samara finally took the scissors to her wedding dress and never looked back.
Everyone in their social circle started placing bets on how long it would be before Samara came crawling back to apologize.
Evander just lazily blew out a smoke ring.
He said, "Three days, tops. She'll come crawling back, begging me to take her back."
But three days went by, and then another three...
Evander scoured the whole city, but Samara was nowhere to be found.
*****
Samara stood outside the VIP room, listening to the voices inside. She just couldn't find the courage to push open the door.
Someone said, "See? I knew Samara would end up coming to Evander for money. Honestly, it's impressive she managed to hold out this long."
Another chimed in, "If she hadn't used saving Evander as leverage back then, there's no way she would've wormed her way into our group."
Everyone kept gossiping until they noticed Evander's expression growing colder and colder, and the room finally went quiet.
Evander lazily spun his glass in his hand and gestured for the waiter to come over.
"Open the door," he ordered.
Samara, who'd been ready to bolt, suddenly felt like her feet were glued to the floor.
'So he knew I was out here all along,' Samara thought.
Evander said, "What, you waiting for me to come out and fetch you myself?"
Samara bit down hard on her lip, her nails leaving a mark in her palm before she finally forced herself to step inside.
All eyes turned to her, each person watching with their own curiosity and speculation.
Everyone fell silent, waiting for Evander to speak.
Evander said, "You want money?"
Evander didn't wait for her answer, just pointed at the drinks on the table.
"3 thousand dollars a bottle. However much you drink, that's how much you get," Evander said.
The whole room burst out laughing, hyping her up.
"This stuff's worth way more than 3 grand a bottle! Samara, come on, start drinking. The more you drink, the more you make!" someone shouted.
Staring at the liquid in the bottle, all Samara could hear was the doctor's voice echoing in her mind.
The doctor had said, "You need at least 100 thousand dollars for the first surgery, and the money for after the surgery..."
He sighed, "We'll worry about the rest later. Right now, you just need to get the 100 thousand for the surgery. If you wait any longer, there won't be any chance left."
Samara had already emptied out every last cent she had, but she was still short 70 thousand dollars.
She bit her lip so hard it broke the skin, the metallic taste of blood flooding her mouth.
Samara didn't hesitate. She grabbed the bottle from the table and tipped it back, drinking straight from it without a care.
Just one mouthful and she choked, tears spilling down her cheeks as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Samara, acting all high and mighty? You want money but won't lift a finger for it?" Evander sneered.
He stood up, grabbed a bottle from the table, and dumped the liquor over Samara's head, drenching her.
"Can't even do this yourself? Fine, I'll help you out," he said.
Once the bottle was empty, Evander hurled it to the floor.
Next thing she knew, a stack of bills smacked her right in the face.
"That's your payment for those two bottles," Evander sneered.
The cash hit the floor, soaking into the booze.
"Man, Evander's really generous! One swig and Samara's already pocketed 10 grand. What a sweet deal!" someone laughed.
"If you don't want the money, Samara, just give it to the waiter! At least he's been working for it all night!" another teased.
Someone bent down, making a show of reaching for the bills on the floor.
Samara didn't care how much of a mess she looked right now. She quickly scooped up every bill from the floor.
Evander kept his eyes fixed on her, his expression growing even darker.
He sat back down on the couch, wrapped his arm around the woman next to him.
"Didn't you say you liked that bag today? I'll have it sent over right now," he said.
Samara knew this was the one he'd been showering with attention lately.
He'd already gifted her two cars, and when it came to bags or jewelry, he'd snap them up without blinking.
To Evander, all this was just pocket change.
Samara kept her head down, scooping up the bills from the floor. She'd barely finished when someone walked in, holding the bag Evander had just ordered.