Lifelong Companion

Chapter 2 Jill's Plan

Jill Huang roughly grabbed Melissa's delicate chin, casting a close look at her. "In the past two

decades, we've helped you, and now you're going to repay us like this?" she snarled out. "Leave

already! Stop being such a fucking burden."

Her face was flushed red. It almost seemed like she was the devil about to break out anytime soon.

Without another word, Jill Huang dug her sharp claw-like fingers deeper and deeper into the skin of

Melissa's neck, as if she was trying to see how hard she could go before she could puncture her very

skin.

Melissa's breath quickened, the pain bursting through her body. She gasped for air, grappling around

Jill Huang's arms. "Let," she gasped. "Let me go!"

Mond Ji paled at his sister's screaming. He was a young frail boy, the one who was always being

overlooked.

He gathered all his strength to push the door open and walked towards them, face darkening when he

saw what Jill Huang was doing to his sister. "Mom," he said. "Don't do that to my sister! Please!"

Hearing the shrill scream, Jill Huang scowled deeper. She wrangled off Melissa's hand, pointing a

polished finger at her supposed son. "You bastard!" she snarled. "Don't talk that bullshit with me. If it

hadn't for you two burdens, we would've afforded food now. Look at your sister. Look at how beautiful

she is. What use would that be if she's stuck here? She might as well be in the same profession as her

mother was in!"

As soon as the words slipped pass her lips, Bob's face took on a ghastly expression. He stumbled

upwards, waving a finger at all of them. "Shut up all of you!" he roared. "How dare you call my son a

burden?"

Jill stomped over to him like a soldier prepared for war. "What's the matter? Have you forgotten all the

days we've spent together?" She motioned to Mond. "You think this kid could give you a grandson? He

can't even stand up! Listen, Bob, get a divorce. If you marry me, I'll give you a daughter, way better

than that bastard! If..."

As she continued to drone, Melissa closed her eyes. She had enough of this nonsense. Without

another word, she helped Mond back to his room. "I just got the report," she said softly. "The doctor

said that they already have the bone marrow. Now, I'll just get the money and we can get on with it. I

won't let you die, got it?"

Before he could even reply, she stalked out of the room.

'Sell myself?' she thought, chewing her bottom lip. 'As long as he could live...what's my dignity worth?'

Melissa strode out of the house, every step slowly torturing her.

The rain was falling down along the streets. Melissa leaned beside a bus stop to shelter herself from it.

Crowds of people went right and left. Somehow, they all became such a blur to her as if someone had

just pressed fast forward over her life.

She hated it, hated feeling this way.

As Melissa was lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice two men approaching her from behind.

One of them hovered a cloth on Melissa's nose as silently as he could. Before she could register what

was happening to her, she immediately fell unconscious.

The next thing she knew was when she opened her eyes. A chill went down her spine as she heard

loud clanging noise from the backs. With knitted eyebrows, she slowly opened her eyes to see a pair

gazing back at her.

As she struggled to turn away, she saw that her hands were tied around her back and her feet was tied

around the legs of the chair. There was nothing else she could do.

The man with an ugly scar hovered over her, gripping her jaws with force. "Be good," he commanded.

"I'll throw you out if you don't make good money."

'What the hell?'

All she remembered was going to the bus stop to avoid the rain. How the hell did she end up here?

The man shook her off. "What a silly girl! You think she'll be of good use to us, Jill?"

'Jill?'

Melissa's heart rippled with fear at the sound of her stepmother's name. "Don't be like that, Laurent. I

tell you, she'll be good to you. Besides, this isn't the first time we've cooperated with each other. You

can trust me."

Laurent growled. However, his strict expression finally eased up a little as he raised up a finger in

warning. "She better be clean. The host is here today," he said. "You'll be fired if she isn't."

Jill simply smiled in reply, pulling her arms around the man's neck. She glanced at Melissa and snorted

out.

"What... what do you mean... you..." Melissa struggled to stand up, but she found that the ropes had

only dug deeper and deeper into her skin.

Facing her blaming gaze, Jill only scoffed, "Don't you want to save your brother? What's the big deal?

You should be proud of yourself. Finally, you'll be able to earn money to save your brother. Don't worry.

You'll eventually end up here anyway. I just helped you get into it."

Melissa turned beet red in anger, as she struggled to find the right words to express it. She hated Jill,

despised her to the ends of the world.

Leaving her no time to reply, Jill strode forward and stuffed a large rag into her mouth, rendering her

voiceless. She tied a chain around her neck like an animal and walked out.

Melissa blinked blearily, as if trying to register that this wasn't a dream.

"What the hell is going on?"

Melissa choked out. However, this time, no one was able to answer her.