Chapter 3

“Oh, your belly’s flat! Leo, you’re a real man, you honored the bet and actually got rid of your own child!”

Eve excitedly touched my stomach, dramatically giving Leo a thumbs-up.

Leo glanced at Eve triumphantly:

“A bet’s a bet. When have I ever cheated you?”

To ease the awkward atmosphere, one of Leo’s friends pulled me down to sit, trying to smooth things over:

“Rachel, you’re such a good sport!”

“Rachel, it’s rare for us to get together with you. Why don’t you join us today?”

Leo frowned, instinctively moving to decline the invitation for me, but I cut him off coldly:

“Sure, I’ll play.”

I really wanted to see what kind of thrilling game would make Leo abandon his own flesh and blood.

My luck was terrible; Eve and I played rock-paper-scissors multiple times, and I lost every round.

Leo, fearing Eve would propose an overly extreme dare, volunteered to drink three penalty shots in my place.

He gulped down shot after shot, stiffening his neck as he swallowed:

“Rachel just had a miscarriage, I’ll drink for her.”

Amidst chants of ‘Leo really cares for Rachel,’ Eve’s face grew increasingly sour.

Finally, after I lost another round of rock-paper-scissors, Eve impatiently cursed:

“What’s the damn point if you keep drinking for her? Women are just so slow. How many times have I said no women at our guys’ gatherings!”

Leo, tipsy, tried to appease Eve with a smile, but I spoke first:

“I choose truth.”

Eve’s eyes lit up, her complaints vanishing instantly, replaced by a glint of excitement.

She sneered, raising an eyebrow at me, both contemptuous and playfully venomous:

“Alright, then I’ll start asking.”

“Rachel’s had three abortions, so she must have been examined by plenty of male doctors. Why don’t you tell us guys which male doctor had the ‘best bedside manner’ and made you ‘most comfortable’? Hahahaha!”

I clutched the wine glass tightly, my heart seizing up.

Those two previous children were a lifelong pain, a secret between Leo and me.

How did Eve know?

“Tsk, no wonder Leo doesn’t want to sleep with you. You’ve been ‘inspected down there’ by a bunch of men. What normal man wouldn’t find that dirty? Even I, a woman, find it disgusting.”

Eve’s grating laughter was like a sharp knife, stabbing my heart over and over.

I could no longer suppress my anger and grief. I picked up the wine glass and splashed it on Eve’s face.

It wasn’t enough to vent my fury, so I added a slap:

“It definitely feels best when I’m slapping you.”

Eve, mortified and furious, covered her face, her eyes wide as she glared at me.

The sudden outburst stunned everyone in the room.

Realizing what had happened, Leo furiously grabbed the back of my neck.

*Smack! Smack! Smack!* He slapped me repeatedly, left and right.

“Rachel, are you f**king crazy? It’s just a game, what right do you have to lay a hand on Eve!”

“If you can’t take a joke, then don’t play! Besides, Eve was just telling the truth…”