Chapter 2The Third-Year Surprise

Just then, my mother-in-law limped out, clutching her back, her face a mask of fury.

“You let her go this instant!” she yelled at Jimmy. “Just wait until my son gets home. You’ll regret this!”

“Chloe, don’t be afraid. Mom will protect you.”

Her words only enraged Jimmy further. He sneered and gave my arm another vicious tug, dragging me a few feet across the rough pavement. “You’re threatening me, you old crow? I don’t care who your son is! You’re squatting in my house! Pack your things and get the hell out!”

The sharp gravel scraped my legs raw, leaving bloody trails on the asphalt.

“Jimmy, this house is mine!” I cried out. “Go home and ask your parents what really happened after you left!” I tried to warn him. “Let me go, right now, or I swear you’ll be sorry! She’s not my housekeeper! You have no idea who you’re messing with!”

Before he could respond, Sienna pushed her way through the crowd. She shot me a venomous look and kicked me squarely in the chest.

“You little slut, stop your pathetic crying!” she shrieked. “Are you trying to seduce the rich men around here? Cheating on Jimmy with one man isn’t enough for you? You have to flaunt yourself in public?”

A wave of pain radiated from my chest, and it felt like a ball of cotton was lodged in my throat.

Seeing Sienna attack me, my mother-in-law threw herself over my body to shield me. “Chloe, are you okay? Just hold on, Mom will find a way to help you!”

Sienna, furious that someone dared to interfere, grabbed my mother-in-law by the hair and slapped her hard across the face, again and again.

“You old bitch! You really think this is your house now, don’t you?” she spat. “Forget this slut, even if that pretty-boy son of yours showed up, I’d beat him down too!”

My mother-in-law stumbled back from the blows and fell to the ground, motionless.

Covered in dust, her face already swelling, she looked so fragile. “Mom!” I screamed, a primal, gut-wrenching sound.

I turned my head, my voice raw with fury. “Come after me! Leave my mother alone! She’s over sixty years old! Are you even human?”

My words only seemed to provoke Jimmy. He grabbed me by the hair, ripped the belt from his pants, and began whipping me with it.

I collapsed to the ground, the world blurring into a kaleidoscope of pain and moving shadows. I was going to die here. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the darkness.

Suddenly, a man’s voice cut through the chaos. “Hey! Stop that!” A burly-looking man from the crowd had stepped forward.

Jimmy glanced at him, a scornful laugh escaping his lips. “What, are you one of her clients too? You seem awfully concerned. She must be great in bed, huh? You’re all lining up for her!”

He turned to the watching socialites. “You ladies better watch out! This woman will sleep with anyone. She’ll steal your husbands right out from under you!”

His words hit their mark. The few sympathetic glances I’d received turned icy cold, replaced with looks of disgust.

The man stood between me and Jimmy. “Sir, you need to watch your mouth. No matter what, you can’t just beat a woman in the street!”

Jimmy’s eyes darted between me and the man. Then, with a roar, he punched the man in the face, knocking him down and climbing on top of him, raining down blow after blow. “You think you can scare me? I’m going to kill both of you today, you cheating whore and your pathetic lover!”