Chapter 1

Any girl sent to Bloom Club, no matter how proud she was, would end up being trained to be the perfect little pet.

Just one word from that fake heiress, and Edward threw me into Bloom Club, the wildest place in town.

I got yelled at and smacked around by those vicious customers.

Trust fund babies forced me to drink.

Some punks beat me until I couldn't hear a thing.

After everything, Edward kept telling me he loved me.

He was desperate for me to say I loved him back, like he'd lost his mind.

I just pointed at my broken hearing aid.

"Sorry, Mr. Hawkins, what did you say? I can't hear you," I said.

*****

When I finally walked out of Bloom Club, I was shaking uncontrollably.

Edward shot me a look of disgust.

"Who are you trying to fool with this helpless act? You just spent two years cleaning up at the club. Why are you acting like you've been through hell?" he sneered.

I didn't dare tell him that it was just the sunlight hurting my eyes.

After 720 days locked away in Bloom Club, this was the first time I'd seen the sun.

All the other time, I was either locked in a pitch-black room getting beaten by the manager, or kneeling in private rooms, serving customers.

"If you hadn't exposed Mabel's real identity, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself. Making you clean for two years was already merciful," Edward said coldly.

If Edward had talked to me like that two years ago, I would've made him suffer.

At the very least, I'd have him buy me a designer bag. If I really wanted to push it, I'd make him give up some of his shares.

After all, I used to be the proudest, brightest moon in Riverside City.

But two years of hell had worn away all my edges, and carved the code for survival deep into my bones.

Charlotte, you didn't have any dignity left. Dignity wouldn't put food on your plate.

Charlotte, just think of yourself as a stray dog.

Charlotte, if you wanted to survive, you had to get to the ground and beg.

I bowed my head even lower, staring at the worn-out tip of my shoe. "You're right, Mr. Hawkins."

It had rained last night, and there was a small puddle by the car door.

Instinctively, I dropped to the ground, spreading my hands out in the water. "Mr. Hawkins, please step on my hands so your shoes don't get dirty."

Edward's eyes flashed with impatience. "Charlotte, drop your damn act!"

I looked at him, honestly confused. This was just standard service for me. Why was he getting so mad?

Sometimes, when the customers got drunk, they'd just puke right into my hands.

Instinctively, I apologized. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hawkins. I was wrong..."

I hit my forehead on the ground with dull thuds.

All I got in response was the cold, merciless slam of the car door.

"Go back to Grant Manor yourself," Edward spat.

The tires splashed muddy water everywhere, soaking me from head to toe.

By the time I finally made it to Grant Manor, it was already night.

Bloom Club was the kind of place that chewed you up and didn't even spit out the bones. Nobody ever left with a single cent, not even a scrap.

I had no money, no phone, just my own two feet to get me through.

Grant Manor was way up in the hills on the edge of town. I walked for six hours straight, and my feet were rubbed raw and bloody.

The housekeeper opened the door, her face lighting up with surprise and joy. "Ms. Grant, you're back!"

I shrank back, not daring to accept that title. I stammered, "D-Don't call me that. Just call me Charlotte, please."

I started to lift my foot, but Edward shot me a look that froze me in my tracks.

Spread out in front of me was a milky velvet carpet, the exact shade Mabel loved most.

Edward looked at me like I was nothing but dirt.

Panic hit me and I jerked my foot back. "I'm sorry..."

Edward snapped, "Go wash yourself."

I was so scared that I burst out the door, ran straight to the fountain in the front yard, and didn't even hesitate. I just dove right in.

Last time, a customer thought I wasn't clean enough and strung me up with his belt, beating me senseless.

I really thought I was a goner, but the manager forced a whole bucket of animal antibiotics down my throat, and somehow I came back to life.

That was just how it went for a wretch like me. I got put through hell, but never died.

It was December, and the pool water was ice-cold, but I couldn't feel a thing.

I just kept dumping water over myself, desperate and frantic, scared that if I slowed down for even a second, that belt buckle would come flying at my head.

"Please, don't hit me. I'm cleaning myself. I promise I'll get clean. Please, don't hit me!" I begged, my voice trembling.

When I finally looked up, I saw everyone gathered around the pool, staring at me in shock.

The housekeeper stood there, clutching a towel, looking completely flustered. She said, "Ms. Grant, your bath has been ready for a while now. It's your favorite, milk with moonflower oil."

I was shivering so hard that my teeth were chattering. I couldn't even form a full sentence. I just kept waving my hands, refusing. "I... I'm not worthy. I'll just wash up here."

Everyone was staring at me like I'd just dropped in from another planet.

Edward just smirked. "Mabel wasn't lying. Bloom Club really knows how to train people. Look at you, all tamed and obedient now."