Chapter 2

"And here I thought she was innocent. She's absolute trash on the inside!"

"God, that voice is doing things to me."

"How much? I'll start at ten grand!"

I felt like I had been plunged into a freezing lake. I could barely stand.

The sound of my own intimate whispers blasted through the speakers, piercing my eardrums. Every word felt like a knife carving into my heart.

"Ethan... why?"

I choked out, my voice cracking and raspy.

He didn't even look at me. He just turned to Scarlett, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with pure tenderness.

Scarlett wrapped her arm tightly around his, a cruel smirk playing on her red lips. "Ethan, I have a fantastic idea."

She looked at me, her eyes dripping with triumph and disgust. "Make her apologize to me in her sweetest, most submissive voice. Make her admit she was the one who threw herself at you."

My heart squeezed painfully. I could barely breathe.

"Otherwise, we’ll just send these audio files to her parents and her college professors," Scarlett added, her wicked smile widening.

"You promised me..." Tears streamed down my face, my throat tight as if someone was choking me. "You promised no one else would ever hear these..."

Ethan finally looked at me. His gaze was colder than death. "Did I? I don't recall promising anything."

"You said you loved me!" I screamed, completely losing my mind.

The room erupted into even louder laughter.

"Love you?" Ethan’s best friend slammed his glass on the table, laughing hysterically. "Babe, you were just a bet between him and Scarlett!"

"A bet?" A wave of dizziness washed over me.

"Yeah. We bet on whether a girl with a voice like yours would be a total screamer in bed," another guy chimed in, sneering.

The guy acting as the auctioneer stood up on the central table, holding a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's special auction is officially open!"

"Starting bid is five thousand! Increments of one thousand!"

"Is her cheap voice really worth that much?"

"Trust me, guys, you won't be disappointed!"

Vile, disgusting comments flooded my ears.

My fingers trembled violently as I unlocked my phone. I opened Snapchat and clicked on a contact I hadn't messaged in years.

*Marcus, please save me...*

The message sent, but I had no idea if he would even see it.

Ethan noticed my movement and let out a cold laugh. "Trying to call for backup?"

He strode over and snatched the phone out of my hands.

"Too bad. No one is coming to save you."

He leaned down, his breath freezing against my ear. "Apologize now. Or I’ll personally make sure your family and your dean get to 'enjoy' your little performances."

I raised my head through a blur of tears, seeing nothing but sheer cruelty in his eyes.

In that exact moment, I finally realized that the man I had loved for three years was nothing but a monster.