Chapter 6

After leaving the hospital, Alexia flagged down a taxi and gave the driver an address. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley. The alley was dark and damp, filled with a foul smell. She walked up to a door and knocked softly. "Who is it? Coming." The door opened, revealing Christine, who was thin and frail, standing in the doorway. When she saw Alexia, her eyes widened in surprise. "Lexi… Why are you here? Come in, come in." The room was small—about 200 square feet—crammed with belongings but kept meticulously tidy. Even during the day, the light had to be on because there were no windows. On a small table sat a plate of freshly cooked pasta, plain and white, without a single vegetable. Alexia's eyes filled with tears, and they began streaming down her face as she choked out, "Mom, didn't you tell me Mr. Reed Senior had already paid your medical bills? Why did you lie to me?" Christina's heart ached as she wiped Alexia's tears. "Lexi, we can't be greedy. Mr. Reed Senior didn't look down on the Jordan family's poverty and kept his promise of the arranged marriage—that's already more than we could ask for." "I'm going to find Bobby Vega!" Alexia said. "Don't you dare!" Christine scolded sharply. "What would you go to Bobby for? So, he'll pay for my treatment, but keep treating you like dirt and force you to marry some old man twice your age?" Alexia stayed quiet, wiping her tears roughly. "I'd rather die than ruin my daughter's future," Christine said with a bitter smile. "Using the enemy's money for my treatment… Lexi, do you think I'd even want to get better that way?" "Could you bear to leave me? Watch your daughter be mistreated, with no one to love her or care her for?" Alexia asked. Christine's heart twisted painfully, but she forced a gentle smile. "I never said I wouldn't get treatment. I'm waiting for my Lexi to make money and take care of me." Alexia tried to smile, but it wouldn't come. She didn't have a penny to her name, and Christine's treatment would cost hundreds of thousands. Even if she earned ten thousand a month and saved every cent, it would take her two or three years to gather that much. But could Christine really wait that long? "Mom, how about I stay here with you tonight?" Alexia asked softly. Christine chuckled. "No way. You just got married, and you're already not going home at night? Listen to me, go back." It wasn't until 8:00 pm., after Christine's repeated urging, that Alexia finally left, albeit reluctantly. By the time Alexia returned to the Reed residence, it was already ten at night. The house was completely dark—Calvin hadn't come back. He was probably still at the Vega residence, keeping Hailey company. But Alexia didn't care, it didn't bother her in the slightest. Even though they were married, it was nothing more than a transaction. Lying on the couch, she found herself unable to sleep. Christine's illness weighed on her heart like a stone, making it hard to breathe. Her mind drifted to the black card Calvin had given Hailey. She never thought there'd come a day when she'd feel envy—maybe even jealousy—toward Hailey. Alexia let out a bitter, self-deprecating smile. Shaking herself out of it, she picked up her phone and called her best friend, Elaine Horton. "Do you know of any job openings? I'll take anything, as long as I can start soon. Part-time is fine too." Elaine yawned. "I just saw a job posting on social media. The Opal Lounge in Airedale is hiring a cleaner. The shift is from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. Are you interested?" A bar? Alexia frowned. But thinking of her current situation, she decided to go for it. "Send me the address." Two days in, Alexia had already gotten used to the job. That evening, just as she finished scrubbing a toilet and sat down to rest, the manager, Joe Cannon, came over. "Get changed and take this order to room 408." Alexia resisted. "I'm just a cleaner. It's not my job to deliver drinks." Joe looked annoyed. "We're short-staffed right now." Alexia stayed where she was, unmoved. "Do it or get out," Joe snapped, his patience gone. Alexia hesitated for a few seconds but eventually gave in. She needed the money. After changing into the uniform, Alexia carried the drinks to room 408. The room was thick with cigarette smoke. A wave of nausea hit her, but she forced herself to hold it back. "Here's the order you requested." At the sound of her voice, the man sitting in the corner suddenly looked up. Alexia gasped in shock and took several steps back. It was Carter. "You left me at the altar in front of everyone, and I haven't even had a chance to settle the score. And here you are, delivering yourself right to me!" Panicking, Alexia turned to leave. But Carter was faster. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her out of the room. Alexia's face went pale, and she struggled desperately, but her strength was no match to his. He dragged her out into the hallway. Just around the corner, two figures happened to be passing by. "Hey, isn't that our little sister-in—" Daniel started, before correcting himself with a smirk. "I mean, your brand-new wife? She's already two-timing you?" Calvin frowned, following Daniel's gaze. There he saw Alexia, dressed in a tight black camisole dress. The hem barely covered her hips, showing off her slender, pale legs. A look of cold disdain flashed in Calvin's eyes. Daniel, always one to enjoy drama, leaned casually against the wall, pulling a handful of pistachios from his pocket and eating them with obvious amusement. Meanwhile, further down the hall, Alexia tried to quicken her pace, hoping to break free from Carter. But Carter was quick to catch on. He shoved her back against the wall, pinning her in place. He groped her as he barked orders to his men. "Come on, all of you, surround us." A group of men in suits closed in, forming a tight circle around them. Alexia's chest heaved, and her whole body tense. "Stay away from me! Get off!" Carter sneered. "Get off? Hell no! I think it's about time I make up for the wedding night I missed." As he spoke, he hungrily reached for the hem of Alexia's dress, fingers moving to pull it up. Alexia kept telling herself over and over: don't panic, stay calm. Right now, she had no choice but to save herself. Meanwhile, in the corner nearby… "He's actually starting to take off his pants…" Daniel's hand trembled as he pointed ahead. "She's having one's cake and eating it too… Uh…" He didn't finish his sentence because he suddenly felt an icy wave of murderous intent directed at him. A shiver ran down Daniel's spine. He cleared his throat, trying to dispel Calvin's anger. "You know, the wise ones always said that being cuckolded doesn't take away from a man's greatness." Calvin pressed his lips into a tight line, glaring at him darkly. Daniel laughed nervously. "Actually, now that I think about it, she might be forced into this! I mean, if she wanted to seduce a guy, she'd definitely go for you—you're rich, handsome, and you've got an eight-pack. "But look at that guy—he's got a beer belly bigger than a melon! She's not blind, and she's not stupid, right? Why don't we go check it out?" "Fine." Calvin struggled to keep the surge of anger in check. It might be a marriage of convenience, but he still had his pride as a man. With his long strides, he moved forward. Daniel eagerly followed close behind. Heroic rescues were exactly the kind of drama he loved! But they hadn't gone far when Alexia's coy voice rang out, "Doing this in the hallway is embarrassing… Let's go to a room, okay?" "Yes, yes, whatever you want, baby," Carter responded, completely disarmed. He pulled Alexia close, his head turned away as he led her toward a room. The temperature in the hallway dropped to freezing. Calvin stopped dead in his tracks, his foot resting on the last step. Behind him, Daniel didn't stop in time and bumped straight into Calvin's broad back. Rubbing his sore nose, Daniel asked, "Why'd you stop?" A look of cold disgust flashed in Calvin's eyes. "I'd better not interfere with someone else's good time." With that, he turned and walked away without a backward glance. His figure grew smaller and smaller until he disappeared entirely.