“You bastard!” A grumpy man with white beard screamed in annoyance as a lady went on her knees to clean the mess.

Because the man was losing in his gambling bet, he mistakenly pushed his glass from the table which spilled on the floor.

And because of agony, he was trying to transfer the aggression to the innocent waitress.

“How dare you!” He yelled at her, forcefully lifting her face from the ground with his finger.

It was Jolina.

“It's you.” He clicked his tongue in disgust.

“Get out of my face!” He gave her a dirty slap which sent her staggering in pain.

She grunted, as her face ached.

“I'm sorry sir.” She admitted defeat, quickly cleaning the mess but the man wasn't satisfied.

He wanted to take out his anger on a weak prey.

Jolina had been working in her stepmother's dangerous casino over an agreement. She wouldn't have accepted the offer but she was at their mercy.

What could she do when she was the only surviving child alongside her weak cousin?

“What's going on here?” The manager's voice could be heard in the crowded casino as he approached their table.

He grabbed her hair angrily and pulled her up.

“What did you do this time, you freak!” The manager screamed in her face, intentionally spitting on her.

“Please… please… let me explain.” She struggled as her hair was aching.

Pain and sorrow clouded her face as tears gradually gathered in her eyelids.

“I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, sir.” The manager bowed, also forcing her to bow.

“She is one of the disorganized waitresses here. I wouldn't have sent her to clean your table.” He lied.

“That's not what I want to hear.” The grumpy man scowled.

“Sir, is there any way we can compensate for the inconvenience?” The manager asked.

He forgot that he was still holding someone's hair and she was continuously groaning in pain.

“Yes, there is…” The grumpy man rubbed his chin and the manager's brows raised.

“I want to have her on my bed tonight.” The grumpy man spilled bluntly with a disgusting grin.

She gave the man a long dirty look, and he was old enough to be her father. As much as the casino was dimly lit, she could see how unkempt and ugly he was. He had lost all his money and the only thing he wanted was free sex with a helpless lady.

“Never!” With the last hope she had in her, she spat in anger.

The manager gave her a dirty slap.

“Who gave you the right to speak!” The manager shunned her.

“I will be waiting for her in my room.” The grumpy man sighed and left.

Voices echoed in the casino hall, both those that were losing and winning. The place was dim and light music filtered in the air.

Jolina followed the manager to the counter and he was not interested in listening to her.

“I can't do that, sir! This is not the reason I work here.” She dolefully explained to him.

“What could you possibly lose in this?” The manager hissed.

“You should be lucky a rich man like him wants you for the night because even a pig will reject you a hundred times.” He informed her curtly.

“I know I'm useless and I'm not going to work towards changing that. But you see tonight, I won't sleep with that man.” She paused, her eyes looking around.

“We have call girls everywhere. Send them to him. My work here is to clean and serve the customers, it has nothing to do with having sex with them in bed.” She reminded him seriously.

“And who are you to dictate what you do here?” He smirked.

“Do you have a voice? Or have you forgotten how you ended up here? You must do what I say without complaining!” The manager yelled at her face angrily.

“Then, I'm done. I'm no longer working here.” She announced.

The manager bursted into a loud laugh, filled with mockery and she looked at him in confusion.

“Can you even make that statement, loser?” The manager said through his laugh.

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

“I will get my resignation letter and…” She stopped halfway when the manager started speaking over the phone.

“Your dear child wants to quit, my lady.” The manager said with sarcasm lingering in his voice.

“Oh really? If she does, she should prepare to send her dear cousin to the morgue.” Her stepmother's voice, Lily, came out from the phone speaker.

“Mrs. Lily!” She called out impatiently.

“If you want to see me cut off CJ’s treatment and send you to where you belong, then resign.” She wasn't able to respond to her stepmother until the phone ran into a beep.

Her lips trembled and the tears she had been reining in, rolled from her eyes down to her cheek.

Unfortunately, her stepmother knew her vulnerability that was why they were using it to pull her down.

“A drink for the night?” One of her colleagues came up from nowhere with a glass and because she really needed a drink to cool off and wake up from her nightmare, she quickly took the drink and gulped it.

Unknown to her, the manager exchanged a knowing stare with her colleague.

“Here is the room card. Have a lovely night.” The manager winked at her.

Jolina felt a sudden change in her body and her eyes began to see double. No matter how she shook her head, it was inevitable.

She wandered the aisle. Was this how she would lose her virginity? To someone she doesn't know or love.

But she had no choice, didn’t she? She was sure that her stepmother would cruelly refuse to continue paying the medical bills.

Suddenly, she stumbled upon a man who had just stepped out of his room.

“Umm…” She crashed on his chest, his cologne intoxicating her so much.

“You are the one.” She muttered drunkenly.

“Which one?” The stranger wondered who she was as his eyes rolled around the hallway and back at her.

“Shush.” She placed a finger on his lips.

The stranger felt so warm and there was a kind of string he had that was unintentionally pulling her.

As much as she tried to leave, something invisible pulled her back and without fighting with it, she grabbed his face and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

She was expecting a push, a kick but it was the opposite - the stranger engaged in a passionate tight kiss with her as he unlocked his hotel room and went in with her.

---

The following morning, Jolina returned home unable to remember what happened to her last night. Her head hurt and she wondered if she wasted herself last night as she felt no pain and saw no blood.

“Right from the beginning, I knew you were a useless stupid girl!” That was the statement her stepmother welcomed her as soon as she stepped into the living room.

Madam Harry, Lily to be precise and her child, Sasha were in the living room, staring at her in disgust.

“Aside from being a worthless piece, you have grown to the point of sleeping with men in my casino, right?” Lily yelled at her face.

“I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't threatened me.” She spoke up.

“Really? And was that the person I told you to sleep with? I lost a well-paying job because of you fool!” Lily looked angered and annoyed.

Immediately, Jolina fell on her knees.

“It's not intentional, Mrs. Lily.” She lowered her head.

“I will never forgive you and you see CJ, his treatment will be cut off instantly!” She threatened, taking out her phone and without hesitation, Jolina stretched forward and grabbed her leg.

“Please, you can do anything with me but keep CJ out of this. Please, don't hurt him.” She said, crying dolefully.

“Look who is playing hero.” Sasha hissed from behind.

Lily gradually bent down, lifting up Jolina’s face with a mocking stare in her eyes.

“There is another way to save your miserable life,” Lily said in a cold whispering tone and her brows raised.

“Get married to the crippled and ugly son of the Stewart family… I might consider forgiving you.” Lily spilled bluntly and her eyes widened in shock.

“What?” She gasped in disbelief.