With all the people coming and going, I didn't want to embarrass myself, so I dragged Jessica over to a random barbecue joint. By the time I'd ordered and the food arrived, she was still sniffling across from me, tears streaming down her face.

All that crying was beginning to get on my nerves. I cracked open a bottle of beer and handed it to her. "Alright, if you're just going to keep crying, I'm leaving you here on your own," I said.

Jessica immediately fell silent upon hearing my words. I gave the bottle another shake before she hurriedly accepted it.

"What are you doing out so late, Cassandra?" she asked.

I glanced at my phone. It was 9:30 pm.

I propped my chin up on one hand while holding a chicken wing with the other. Looking bored, I stared at Jessica, who sat across from me. "Just wandering around. What about you?"

Jessica's eyes instantly dimmed. "My boyfriend lives around here. He broke up with me out of nowhere today and blocked my number."

"So you're planning on staking out his place?"

Jessica nodded.

I didn't quite understand. "Why were you sitting on the sidewalk then? Go wait for him outside his door."

Jessica poured herself another drink while replying, "He never actually told me where he lives. Every time I drove him home, he'd just tell me to drop him off there, by the sidewalk. That's why I was waiting there."

I was baffled.

The meat at this barbecue joint was insanely delicious. I started tearing up from the spice.

I accepted a glass of water from Jessica before she began rambling non-stop, telling me various stories about her ex-boyfriend.

By the time I'd eaten my fill, I'd managed to catch up on most of what had happened. While I'd never been in a serious relationship myself, I'd spent years by Sean's side, which had given me enough glimpses into men's darker tendencies.

In the end, it all boiled down to the tired plot of a classic playboy seducing an innocent woman, then casually dumping her when he got bored.

When Jessica mentioned that her ex had a female roommate, I was perplexed. "Jess, could you really not tell he was trash?"

To my surprise, she shook her head. "I know he's not a good person," she said before retrieving a can of pepper spray from her bag and placing it on the table. She looked at me, her eyes clear.

"That's why I'm waiting for him here. I want to teach him a lesson," she continued.

There were so many things I wanted to comment on that I was rendered momentarily speechless. I licked my dry lips and opened another beer bottle for her.

"Way to go. I'm rooting for you," I said.

Alas, Jessica was still a young woman just stepping into the adult world. Two beers later, she was already drowsy. She nodded off in her chair.

The late autumn breeze caressed my flushed body. I squinted slightly, thoroughly enjoying this moment. Jessica peered at me, smiling mindlessly.

"You look like you've lost some weight, Cassandra," she said.

I chuckled. "It's only been a few days since I last saw you. How could you tell?"

"Of course I can! I've always paid a lot of attention to you. Last time, when the cufflinks on your shirt fell off, I was the one who picked them up and slipped them back onto your desk!"

I couldn't recall when exactly that happened, but since I was in a rather good mood, I played along anyway. "Thank you for that," I said.

Unfortunately, every time I found myself in a good mood, there would always be an idiot around to ruin it.

Initially, I'd simply found the nasally voice of the man behind me grating and oddly familiar. He was spouting some disgusting, misogynistic nonsense as I wondered what kind of vermin he was to spew such things in public.

Then, seconds later, I heard my own name.

I finally remembered who he was. It was Eric Sanders, one of Sean's friends who disliked me.

"I won't say anything else, but if she had any conscience at all, she would've left earlier. Honestly, even calling her a slut is giving her too much credit," Eric said.

His loud voice came from behind me. Someone at his table said something I didn't catch, but I didn't turn.

"Untouchable? You were far too young a few years ago to know how dirty that woman truly is."

Upon hearing that, I grabbed the half-empty bottle of beer and stood. Under Jessica's panicked gaze, I nodded at her. "Watch and learn."

Then, I walked toward the group. Three men sat at the table. Apart from Eric, whose back was to me, I saw another unfamiliar man.

Luke, who was directly facing me, interrupted Eric impatiently, "Alright, that's enough. This is pointless."

He then saw me coming and froze, staring blankly as I approached their table.

"Don't tell Sean, though. I still have some of those photos saved on my computer."

I raised the bottle and smashed it against Eric's head. The glass shattered instantly.

Eric clutched his head as he fell off his chair. His companions rose to intervene, only to freeze when they saw me. I kicked over a table to block their path.

Then I delivered a kick to Eric's groin as he lay sprawled on the ground. He let out a wail, his hands moving down to shield himself. He cursed violently.

I kicked him once more in the face. This time, he reacted quickly and grabbed my calf. It didn't matter though. I crouched down, using the momentum to jab my knee hard into his jaw.

Someone pulled me off him. I was furious. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke's face.

I swung a plastic chair at him, smashing it against his body until he stumbled back. I then straddled Eric again, slapping him hard across the face.

Eric glared at me viciously. I slapped him again, holding nothing back. My palm went numb from the force.

"How does it feel to get beaten up by a slut?" I taunted.

More people came forward to pull me off Eric. The second I was lifted off him, Eric pounced, throwing me back onto the ground.

His fingers closed around my neck, his eyes bloodshot. His grip tightened. Breathing became difficult, and my vision began to blur. I smiled at him mockingly.

"Go ahead. Kill me if you dare."

Of course he didn't dare to. Amid the surrounding screams, he let go of my neck.

Eventually, accompanied by a chorus of sirens, I found myself in the local jail for the second time in my life.

I only had a few bruises on my legs and a small scratch across my face. Eric, however, looked much worse.

His forehead was bandaged up and his face was peppered with bruises. He glared at me from across the room.

It seemed like I didn't hit him hard enough.

My phone rang at that moment. I answered, only to hear Jason's voice come through.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the local jail," I replied. "Can you come bail me out?"

Jason fell silent for a few seconds.

I stomped my feet, which were numb from the cold at this point. "Hurry, Jason! Hurry!"

As I hung up, I saw Luke staring at me through the glass door, phone in hand. I met his gaze indifferently. He seemed to be avoiding my eyes deliberately, so I simply pulled the hood of my sweater over my head and closed my eyes.

It would take more than half an hour for Jason to get there from the airport. While I felt a little bad for asking him to do this, he was the only one who could bail me out at this point.

I wasn't worried about being stuck in jail. Eric, that bastard, valued his reputation more than his life. If the embarrassing story of him getting beaten up and disfigured by a woman were to get out, he would never be able to live it down.

When Sean entered the holding cell, I was hardly surprised. Luke's face had said it all.

I sat slumped in my chair with my hands in my pockets and watched Sean coldly as he approached.

"Sean…"

Eric started toward us, only to be stopped by Sean's assistant.

Sean crouched down in front of me. I was caught off guard by his actions, and our gazes met accidentally.

Sean was usually calm and razor-sharp, but the man before me bore a certain weariness in his eyes. His entire demeanor was worn down somehow.

What rotten luck.

Unable to bear his scrutinizing gaze over my body any longer, I raised my leg and kicked at him. "Get lost."

Instead of budging, Sean caught my ankle with one hand. Instinctively, I swung my other foot up. All that managed to do was leave a wet footprint on his trench coat.

"Who do you think spoiled you so much that you developed this kind of temper?" Sean said.

He ignored the filthy footprint, stood up, and looked down at me condescendingly. "Want to spend the night here?" he asked.

There was no way. Was he waiting for me to bow down in submission?

I lifted my chin, making no attempt to hide my arrogance. "One night in here is nothing. If you're truly so capable, go on then. Lock me up. Send me to prison."

Sean's hands clenched into fists. His knuckles turned white from the sheer force.

Jessica watched our standoff from the side, fear written all over her face. Still, she stepped in to defend me.

"Please don't do this, Mr. Thompson," she said. "We can talk this out calmly."

Sean ignored her. She pointed at Eric and continued, "He started it! He was badmouthing Cassandra. He even tried to choke her!"

As soon as she finished, Eric flushed crimson. He opened his mouth to argue when Sean spoke up coldly.

"Shut up," he ordered, his tone dripping with hostility.

Jason pushed through the crowd and walked in amid the tense atmosphere. It was then that I realized people who usually had a gentle demeanor could have a surprisingly commanding presence when they got serious.

He pulled me up from the chair, putting some distance between me and Sean at the same time. His expression was grim.

A flicker of guilt finally stirred within me. I opened my mouth to speak, but for some reason, Jason's hand suddenly brushed against my neck. I knew the spot beneath his hand must have been red from Eric's iron grip earlier.

Jason's fingertips were ice-cold. When they came into contact with my skin, I flinched instinctively. He withdrew his hand, his gaze deep yet unreadable.

He adjusted my collar before speaking in a low voice. "We'll talk about this when we get back."

A mediator stood between us all, attempting to intervene. He sweated nervously, reluctant to offend either side. "Both of your injuries seem minor enough. How about we not make a mountain out of a molehill and just let this slide?"

No one spoke. Jason shielded me behind him. I could only see his assistant walk over to Eric and hand him a business card.

Jason said calmly, "Mr. Sanders, we will cover all your medical expenses. Should any issues arise, please feel free to call the number on the card.

"Also, going forward, please watch your words and your actions. The cost of your medical bills matters little to us. I just don't think your body will survive another ordeal like this one."

Jason's threat was thinly veiled. If we'd been anywhere else, I would be letting my inner thug loose and making a scene by now.

Eric was equally stunned. He seemed unsure whether he should take the card or leave it. He glanced helplessly at Sean.

The latter remained silent. Jason, having lost his patience, took my hand and steered us past the crowd toward the exit.

As we walked past Sean, I felt someone seize my wrists in a tight grip. I turned around and saw the corners of Sean's eyes redden.

He rarely showed such raw emotion. Now, he looked both unsettled and vicious.

I pulled away with all my strength. I didn't look back again until I got into Jason's car.

The drive back was quiet. Jason didn't ask me any further questions, and my spirits were low enough. I soon dozed off, only awakening when the car came to a stop. I found Jason watching me from the driver's seat as I woke up.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

His gaze was deep. Under the dimly lit backdrop, it seemed unusually gentle.

"Let's get you out of the car first," he said, avoiding my question.

As we got out of the car, a fluffy, plump Malamute came bounding over, wagging its tail furiously.

"Chubs?" I called out.

Chubs was the birthday present I'd gotten myself on my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, days after I brought him home, Dad returned from a business trip, and I discovered he was allergic to dog hair.

After that, Adrian gave Chubs away to Jason, who ended up taking care of him.

Come to think of it, I had indeed named Chubs myself. Back then, I was obsessed with chocolate yogurt. After I brought Chubs home, he would rummage through the trash, looking for my empty yogurt cups. That was how he got his name.

Now, I crouched down and petted the dog on the head. "Why isn't he bigger, though?" I wondered out loud.

Jason fell silent for a moment before speaking. "This is Chubs' pup. His name is Pudgy," he said.

I was speechless. The puppy in my arms perked up upon hearing his name and barked excitedly.

Jason crouched down as well and scratched Pudgy's chin. The puppy closed his eyes contentedly, his tail wagging wildly.

Jason continued, "Chubs' mate just had a new litter the other day. We're running low on dog food at home, so you, as the grandma, should help out."

That was fine by me. There was no one at home now who would stop me from keeping the puppy anyway.

I picked Pudgy up and gave him a kiss. When I looked up, I saw Jason staring thoughtfully at the puppy, lost in his thoughts.

"Pudgy is such a terrible name," I said. "Since he's coming with me, I might as well give him a new name. Fresh start and all."

A faint smile graced Jason's lips. "Whatever you want," he said.