Chapter 3

A flash of irritation crossed Ethan's face. "They're just speaking the truth, Summer. Why are you being so sensitive? Just go home. Having you here really is an embarrassment."

I glanced at the system's progress bar in my mind. I still needed one more hour to fully gather the required energy. I couldn't leave yet.

I smirked slightly and said firmly, "I’m not going home. And I don't need your permission to stay."

Seeing how stubborn I was, they grew frustrated.

I watched Carter lean close to Ethan, whispering, "Ethan, Chloe is about to arrive. We need to get rid of her."

Ethan’s face instantly darkened, and he snapped at me. "Summer! Go home! I won't tell you again."

"No."

Ethan stared at me like a venomous snake. Suddenly, he let out a cold, cruel laugh.

"Fine. Since you want to stay so badly, make sure you don't run away..."

He gave a quick nod to a few of his rich friends standing nearby.

The group of guys immediately surrounded me, blocking my path. I had nowhere to run.

Fear started to creep in, but I forced myself to stand my ground. I had to finish the quest.

Suddenly, with a sharp *rip*, someone grabbed the collar of my coat and tore it down, exposing the thick, red burn scars covering my neck and shoulders.

Another hand pushed me hard from behind. I stumbled and fell onto a nearby lounge sofa. The next second, several guys grabbed the sofa and lifted it up, carrying me toward the center stage.

The club's bright strobe lights suddenly focused entirely on me. I tried desperately to hide my face, but it was useless.

They dumped me onto the center of the stage.

Without my coat and scarf, my raw, scarred body was completely exposed under the blinding white spotlights.

The DJ, catching on to the cruel joke, changed the track to a distorted, mocking song with the word "Monster" repeating on loop over a heavy bassline.

The crowd erupted into whispers and loud jeers. Words like "ugly," "freak," and "alien" pelted me from all directions.

I screamed in terror, trying to crawl off the stage, but the surrounding crowd blocked me, mocking my every move.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw Ethan standing in the VIP lounge. He was smiling warmly, even clapping along with the crowd.

My heart turned to ash.

I tried to stand up and run, but someone deliberately tripped me. I fell face-first onto the hard floor.

Carter walked up to the edge of the stage, looking down at me with a malicious smirk. "Aw, look at our big beauty, Summer! Why are you looking so pathetic tonight? Guys, aren't we being a little too mean to her?"

The crowd burst into another wave of laughter. Carter sneered, "Are you having fun yet?"

I gritted my teeth, glare piercing through my tears. "You're all monsters."

The sheer panic and stress had caused my body to break into a cold sweat. The moment the sweat touched my raw, unhealed skin, a wave of agony washed over me.

I curled into a ball on the stage, completely paralyzed by the pain. Under the intense heat of the club lights, my fragile skin began to ooze yellowish fluid.

The music suddenly cut off. Ethan slowly walked onto the stage. Bathed in the bright spotlight, he looked like a savior, making me lose my grip on reality for a split second.

It felt just like the day we first met.

Years ago, when I had tripped and fallen in the street, he had run through the crowd to pick me up, the warm sunlight framing his handsome face just like these lights did now.

I instinctively reached my hand out to him.

But Ethan took several steps back, pinching his nose, his face twisted in absolute disgust.

He suddenly burst into a loud, mocking laugh. "Summer, did you seriously just wet yourself on stage? Or are you literally rotting? The bathroom is right over there, you know."

His voice echoed through the club's sound system. Every single eye in the room locked onto me, filled with mockery and disgust.

Carter roared with laughter. "Damn, Summer! You're not just ugly, you have zero manners! Pooping yourself in public? That's low!"

"Ugh! That is so gross!"

Ethan looked down at me, his voice dripping with icy contempt. "This is your own fault, Summer! If you’re a freak, you should have stayed locked up at home. Why did you have to come out and ruin everyone's night? You disgust me!"

I struggled to my feet, shaking violently from the physical pain, but I forced myself to stand straight.

I stared into his eyes and let out a soft laugh. "Ethan Vance... Three years. You really should have been an actor."

Ethan laughed maniacally, completely shedding his gentle-husband persona.

"Summer, do you have any idea how miserable I’ve been?! Every single second I spent looking at you made me want to die! It was pure torture!"

"Why didn't you just die in that fire? It would have been better for both of us!"

His eyes turned cold, devoid of any past affection.

"I’ve paid back everything I owe you. Let's get a divorce."

Just then, a beautiful young girl in a tight designer dress walked onto the stage. She wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan’s arm, looking down at me with supreme arrogance.

"So ugly," she sneered. "I get that you're bitter, but you can't blame Ethan. Anyone would be disgusted looking at a face like yours. Why keep dragging him down?"

Looking at her, I immediately realized who she was. This was Chloe Parker.

They stood together, looking like a perfect couple.

But then, I noticed something. I let out a loud laugh. "Wow, Ethan. Your taste really never changes, does it? You couldn't wait to replace me, so you found a cheap knock-off who dresses exactly like I did three years ago."

And it was true. Chloe was styled exactly the way I used to dress before the fire.

Chloe’s face flushed with rage. She grabbed the microphone from the stand next to her and violently threw it at me.

"Shut up, you bitch! You're just a jealous freak! You're going to be ugly and alone for the rest of your life!"

I easily dodged the microphone, keeping the mocking smirk on my face.

Right then, the system's voice echoed in my head.

*“Ding! Quest complete. Energy fully gathered.”*

Finally. I could leave this hellhole.

I didn't try to cover myself up this time. I held my head high and began to walk off the stage.

The crowd quickly parted to make way for me, their faces filled with various expressions of disgust and shock, but I didn't care anymore.

Just as I reached the exit, a sharp voice called out from behind me.

"Summer!"

I didn't stop. My mind was completely exhausted.

But Chloe ran up, blocking my path. She wanted to savor my defeat. She leaned in close, whispering viciously, "I hear Ethan is leaving you with nothing. Consider this my parting gift to you..."

She smiled nastily. "I hope you stay a monster forever, hiding in the dark like the rat you are!"

I clenched my fists. The physical strain caused some of the blisters on my arms to pop, weeping fluid onto the floor.

Behind her, Ethan yelled out to the crowd, "Look! She's leaking again! Disgusting!"

I bit my lip to keep from kicking him right in the face.

*“Host, energy levels are optimal. Do you wish to cancel the skin-exchange contract and reclaim your skin?”*

I turned back, locking eyes with Ethan, and gave him a chilling, serene smile.

**Ethan, peeing yourself in public is so low class!**