Chapter 2 A Victim of Blackmail

Lisa's betrayal of Max didn't end with infidelity; she aimed to crush him completely, stripping him of his dignity. She conspired with Michael to orchestrate his downfall. Perhaps it was easier to let go of her-she no longer belonged to him.

What shocked Max wasn't just her treachery but her choice of Michael-the one person in this world who delighted in turning his life into a living hell.

Max couldn't understand why Michael continued to torment him, but he was certain of one thing: Michael wouldn't stop until he had reduced Max to nothing, forcing him to beg. No matter the situation, Michael was always prepared to strike.

With confident strides, Michael approached Lisa. His gaze was a mix of challenge and desire. He gripped her face firmly, pulling her towards him, and pressed his lips against hers in a deep, sudden kiss, an overt display of dominance and control before the crowd. "Darling, is it true? Did you really choose this loser over a man like me?" he sneered, though his tone carried an undercurrent of seething anger.

Max, sensing danger from the very start, stood frozen in place. His eyes remained fixed on Lisa, silently begging for a response that might pull him from the abyss he anticipated. But he wasn't prepared for the words that escaped her lips.

In a soft voice, filled with false regret, Lisa tilted her head slightly before the onlookers and confessed, "Yes, I was in a relationship with Max. But what none of you know is that I was a victim of blackmail. Max forced me into this relationship, threatening to ruin me."

She paused momentarily, tears streaming down her flawless face as she masterfully portrayed the role of the victim. "He stalked me, followed me everywhere. One day, I confronted him, asking him to leave me alone. But instead, he threatened to release private photos of me if I didn't agree to stay with him."

Max was stunned by the accusations. He couldn't believe that Lisa, who had once promised him love and loyalty, could turn on him so viciously. "Lisa, what are you saying?" Max shouted, clinging to a shred of hope. But before he could finish his sentence, a sudden, brutal punch from Michael sent him crashing to the ground, his already injured arm slamming hard against the floor.

"Shut up, you pathetic worm!" Michael roared, his voice thick with rage as he planted his foot firmly on Max's head, pressing down as if trying to crush him under his shoe.

Lisa's face lit up with satisfaction as she watched Max writhe in pain under Michael's dominance. For her, this scene was a personal victory, the perfect way to rid herself of Max for good. "Last year, he followed me everywhere I went. He even knew every detail about my private life and threatened to expose everything." Lisa continued her fabricated story, wiping away her crocodile tears as she tried to win over the crowd's sympathy. "I didn't want this to happen, but Max left me with no other choice."

The crowd erupted in anger, shouting insults and curses at Max, who lay trapped beneath Michael's foot. "You scumbag!" "You deserve to rot in jail!"

Max's face was a mixture of agony and disbelief. Lisa's words pierced his heart far deeper than any of Michael's blows. How could she betray him so effortlessly? Why had she flipped the narrative so cruelly?

Raising his hands to silence the crowd, Michael commanded immediate attention. "You're all witnesses to the truth. Now you know that Max is nothing but a liar and a predator. People like him have no place among us," he declared with smug pride. He then turned to Lisa, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into another heated kiss, as if celebrating their victory.

Max, sprawled on the ground, felt a wave of nausea as he watched the sickening display of betrayal and scorn. He tried to get up, but his body was battered and weak from the beating.

Lisa approached Max, kneeling beside him, and whispered venomously in his ear, her voice dripping with contempt: "Did you really believe I ever loved you? You were nothing more than a stepping stone to boost my academic success. You mean nothing to me-a piece of trash unworthy of even a glance." She let out a sinister laugh and added, "And just so you know, while you thought I was pure and innocent, I was with Michael the entire time. We laughed at you behind your back."

Max trembled at her words, his tears threatening to spill, but the emotional pain overwhelmed him. "Why, Lisa? Why would you do this?" His voice was broken, filled with despair.

But Lisa didn't answer. She returned to Michael's side, laughing maliciously, while he pulled her closer, as if they had emerged victorious from a long-fought battle.

At that moment, Michael and his friends began to surround Max. Without a word, they launched a brutal assault, punching and kicking him mercilessly, their humanity seemingly lost in their unrelenting cruelty. Each blow drove Max closer to the edge of physical and emotional collapse.

Despite his pain and weakness, Max realized he couldn't stay on the ground. If the beating continued, he wouldn't survive. In a final act of desperation, he grabbed one of the attackers' legs and pulled hard, causing the man to stumble and fall. Seizing this brief opportunity, Max mustered his remaining strength, kicking furiously to break free from the circle of assailants.

He bolted, running as fast as his battered body would allow, leaving the enraged crowd behind. His heart was heavy with betrayal, pain, and despair. He knew that this night had changed everything, and that he would never be the same again.