For Jimmy's financial support, I sold my first time behind his back.

My hands trembled as I handed him the envelope, still damp with sweat. Inside was seven thousand five hundred dollars—everything I had gotten in exchange for the one thing I had left to give.

Jimmy’s eyes reddened as he took the money. “Nessie… how many side jobs would it have taken you to save this much? I swear, I’ll treat you right.”

But when I went to visit him at the hospital, I heard laughter through the door before I even knocked.

“Damn, Jimmy! That idiot girl really did it!” a greasy male voice cackled. “She actually went out and sold herself. Listen to this—she’s bawling her eyes out in the video, moaning your name like some desperate freak.”

Another guy barked out a laugh. “Seven and a half grand? That’s it? Jimmy, even that Tibetan mastiff you used to have cost more than that!”

I stood frozen, trembling, peering through the crack in the door.

Jimmy was lounging on the hospital bed, twirling a glass of red wine in his hand—no trace of illness anywhere on his face.

“Damn, Jimmy, you’re cold. The video’s so clear, you can see every detail of her face…” someone snickered.

“She asked for it,” another chimed in. “She pissed off your girl—she had it coming.”

“By the way, Jimmy,” someone leaned in, “when are you dropping the video?”

Jimmy looked down at his phone and didn’t answer.

One of them nudged him playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft now? If it weren’t for her, Gina wouldn’t have been shipped off to the States.”

Jimmy casually set his wine glass down and said, almost offhandedly, “I’ll wait for Gina’s welcome-back party. That day just happens to be Agnes’s birthday. Perfect timing for a surprise.”

——

I stood outside the hospital room, clutching a thermal food container. Just as I reached for the doorknob, I heard a burst of laughter from inside.

"Jimmy, that move was genius! That idiot Agnes actually fell for it! Listen to her crying in the video—she keeps calling your name like it’s the end of the world!"

My hand gripped the handle so tight my fingernails dug into my palm. One snapped off, but I didn’t even notice.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Jimmy lounging casually against the hospital bed, swirling a glass of liquor in his hand. His cheeks were flushed, looking nothing like a sick man. A few rich, preppy guys surrounded him, their faces twisted in smug, disgusting grins.

I rubbed my eyes hard, convinced I must be seeing things.

"Man, Jimmy should’ve gone into acting," said one guy with bleached blond hair, clapping Jimmy on the shoulder. "She was totally fooled—selling her blood, even selling herself. Unreal!"

"Ha! You pulled it off for just $7,500? Hell, even that Tibetan mastiff you own cost more than that!" the blond guy laughed, slapping his thigh.

"Our boy Jimmy really went all in—pretending to be poor, pretending to be in love, pretending to be dying," another chimed in, laughing even harder.

"So, Jimmy, when are you dropping that video? She’s probably gonna throw herself off a building when it hits the net."

Jimmy glanced down at his phone and said nothing.

"Hey, don’t tell me you actually caught feelings for her?" someone nudged him, half-joking. "Don’t forget—if she hadn’t snatched Gina’s scholarship, Gina wouldn’t have been sent abroad by her family."

At the mention of Gina’s name, Jimmy’s expression suddenly turned cold.

“What’s the rush?” he said flatly. “The welcome dinner for Gina happens to be on her birthday…”

He paused, a cruel smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll give her a surprise she’ll never forget.”

“Oh man, post that little video online,” the blond guy said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “Let’s make sure she can never show her face again!”

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood. Without thinking, I stumbled out of the hospital and into the street. The wind lashed against my face, sharp and stinging.

Back in my cramped apartment, I sank to my knees in front of the wall. There, taped above my mattress, was a photo of Jimmy and me. His smile in that picture was so bright, so warm—like it could melt snow.

Now, all it did was make my blood run cold.

Memories came crashing down on me like a tide.

A year ago, I was cornered in an alley by a group of thugs. They were pushing me around, laughing—until Jimmy showed up out of nowhere and pulled me out.

After we got together, Jimmy told me he had a congenital heart condition. I felt so sorry for him. I started working day and night, barely sleeping, just to save up for his surgery.

Then, just a few days ago, someone came running to me, frantic—said Jimmy had collapsed on the street and needed emergency heart surgery. I panicked. Desperate to get the money that could save his life, I clenched my teeth and sold my virginity to a bloated, disgusting old man who made my skin crawl.

Turns out, Jimmy never loved me. He was just using me—to get back at me for winning a scholarship that, apparently, should’ve gone to Gina. But that scholarship had been my lifeline. For Gina, it wouldn’t have even covered the cost of one of her handbags.

That was it. I couldn’t hold it together anymore. I sank to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably, as the soup in the thermal container spilled across the floor.

Agnes, you absolute fool.

Suddenly, my phone rang, the harsh tone cutting through the silence. The screen lit up: Unknown Number.

I almost declined it, but in a daze, I picked up.

“Is… this Agnes Kennedy?” It was a man's voice—someone I didn’t recognize.

“This is Dr. William from St. Westminster Hospital in Eirchester. I’m very sorry to inform you… your grandpa, Mr. Austin Kennedy passed away early this morning.”

He hesitated before continuing. “His final wish… was for you to attend his funeral.”

I heard the sound of papers being shuffled on the other end. “He also left behind a letter for you. And some personal items. If you’re willing, we can arrange a flight to the UK. Everything will be taken care of.”

I caught sight of myself in the window—hair tangled, clothes stained, eyes red. A wreck.

“I’ll go,” I said.

Long ago, I’d sworn I’d never have anything to do with my grandfather again.

When Mom got sick, he and the rest of the family stood by and did nothing. I promised myself then—I’d cut ties for good.

But right now, all I wanted was an excuse—a reason to get far away from here, to escape everything.

I didn’t go back to the hospital in the days that followed. I just quietly started packing.

Every time I picked up something Jimmy had given me—the faded scarf, the chipped hair clip, the knockoff shoes already coming apart at the seams. It almost impressed me, how much effort he’d put into finding such cheap junk from street stalls.

When Jimmy walked through the door, that familiar cloud of cologne followed him in. Now that I thought about it, the scent was ridiculously expensive—way beyond what someone supposedly scraping by with odd jobs could afford.

“Nessie…” he said, wrapping his arms around me. My whole body went stiff.

“Why didn’t you come the day of my surgery? Where have you been?” he asked, rubbing his face into my hair like a puppy desperate for comfort.

I forced myself to hold it together. “I was working. Couldn’t get away.”

“Where’s our photo?” He pulled back, scanning the now bare wall.

“I took it down,” I said, looking straight into his eyes. “Landlord doesn’t allow stuff on the walls.”

He let it go and fished something out of his pocket, two cruise tickets. “I planned a surprise for your birthday,” he said. “A coworker gave me these. Let’s go together.”

I bit my lip so hard it hurt. My chest ached like it was being crushed. After a long pause, I managed to squeeze out a quiet “okay.”

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I collapsed onto the couch. My hand brushed against something cold—his phone, forgotten on the cushions.

The screen lit up. My heart dropped.

Pinned at the top of his chats:

[Gina: Make sure the video’s edited well—play it on the big deck screen during the birthday.]

[Ali: Get some close-ups of her losing it. Big, dramatic breakdown shots.]

[Cyrus: Jimmy, why so quiet? Don’t tell me you’re catching feelings?]

No passcode. My hands trembled as I opened the gallery and found the video. I deleted every last copy.

Just then, I heard his footsteps coming back down the hall. I shot up and ran to the kitchen.

“Nessie, I think I left my phone…” he called out.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

“Did you?” I said calmly—so calm, it surprised even me. “Then you’d better find it.”

“I found it!” Jimmy waved his phone as he walked to the kitchen door. All of the sudden, he furrowed his brow. “Why do you look so pale?”

“Probably lack of sleep lately,” I turned away, “You know, you should get going to your job. Don’t be late.”

After I heard the door close, tears began to fall.

***

The next day, I went to resign my job at the bar. My boss asked me to work one last shift. However, the moment I opened the door to a VIP room, my steps froze.

Gina was sitting right in the center of the sofa, wearing the latest Chanel outfit. She was back. A group of people surrounded her, including the blond man I had seen in the hospital room that day.

“My god, isn’t this my scholarship thief?” Gina didn’t expect to see me and her eyes immediately sparkled with excitement. “What's the matter? Did you get so poor you had to come serve drinks now?”

Just then, the door to an inner VIP room opened. Jimmy stepped out. His face changed instantly as soon as he saw me. He quickly lied in his panic, “I’m here to sell credit cards…”

The entire room erupted in stifled laughter. Clearly, they were quite amused. How did I never see through such a poor act before?

I walked forward, holding the tray, when suddenly someone kicked my foot out from under me. The bottle shattered and wine splashed onto Gina’s dress.

“My dress!” Gina screamed, leaping up. Her delicate features twisted in anger. “This is a limited edition!”

The blond man standing nearby looked over at me and grinned with a mischievous smirk. “You’ve ruined Ms. Higgins’s dress. Apologize to her right now.”

I bit down hard on my lip. “I’m sorry, Ms. Higgins.”

“That’s it?” Gina suddenly pulled a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from her Hermès wallet and tossed it into the air. Green bills soon fluttered to the ground like confetti.

“Kneel down and pick them up, one by one,” she sneered. “Bark a few times like a dog while you’re at it and, maybe, I’ll forgive you.”

My nails dug deep into my palm.

Jimmy leaned in, his voice low. “Nessie, maybe just apologize. We can’t afford to go against these people.”

He was still acting… Still pretending… It was all fake. I suddenly looked up at him, as if a knife had been driven straight through my chest.

The blond man lost patience and yanked my hair. “The hell’s wrong with you? Apologize already!”

I snapped, shoving him off like a madwoman. “Get away from me! Don’t you dare touch me!”

“Bitch!” The blond man went on full rage, grabbed the Château bottle from the table and smashed it against my head.

The bottle shattered. Glass sprayed everywhere. Warm liquid streamed down my forehead. I couldn't tell if it was wine or blood.

I staggered backward, my vision swimming. Through the blur, I thought I saw Jimmy standing frozen, unmoving.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard someone sneer, “Acting all high and mighty? We’ve all seen your little video!”

In the pungent smell of disinfectant water, I heard a deliberately lowered conversation.

“Jimmy! Why are you freaking out? She’s just an orphan no one’s even going to claim her body if she dies. What are you so worried about?”

“Didn’t we all agree? We were going to destroy her.”

I suddenly clenched the blanket tightly in my fists.

Bang!

A loud crash rang out—Jimmy had slammed the table hard, making the water glass on my nightstand tremble.

“Damn, Jimmy, don’t tell me you actually caught feelings for her?” one guy scoffed. “She’s just some broke chick. She’s fun to mess with, but catching feelings? That ruins the whole game.”

The room fell deathly silent, so quiet that even the sound of dripping liquid could be heard with startling clarity.

Jimmy’s voice came out cold as ice. “I just don’t want a dead body in our hands.” He paused, then added darkly, “If we’re doing this, we do it big.”

Someone clapped him on the shoulder. “Alright, alright. Everything’s in place. Let’s make sure she learns her lesson.”