Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next day, Aunt Kyla took me to the hotel and dropped me off at the entrance, telling me to go straight up. She mentioned that today's shoot involved scenes of the male and female leads at home, hence the hotel setting.

"Just be obedient when you get there. I've already spoken to them. If you perform well, they'll even give you a cash bonus. Got it?" Aunt Kyla looked at me with a meaningful smile. At the time, I didn't understand the depth of her smile and nodded obediently.

"I'll be good and do my best!"

As soon as I entered the hotel, I felt something was off. The hotel was too small. If it was a filming location, shouldn't there be a lot of people and equipment? How could they manage in such a tiny space?

I suppressed my unease, convincing myself that it was a low-budget short film, different from the large-scale productions I had seen on TV.

A man wearing a badge glanced at his phone and then at me. He approached directly.

"Mabel, right? Your aunt is Kyla?"

Hearing him mention Aunt Kyla's name, I nodded and followed him.

"First, go change your clothes, then wait inside for the shoot. Oh, and give me your phone. The filming content can't be leaked, and you young people always like to take photos and post them on social media."

I hesitated but handed over my phone, thinking he was someone Aunt Kyla knew.

The man pocketed my phone and then pulled out a pair of stockings.

"Hurry up. Your legs have a different shade than the female lead's. Put these on."

Seeing my reluctance, he urged, "We've already shot several scenes today. Don't waste time!"

He then grinned, "Sweetheart, as long as you cooperate, we'll be done in just over three hours. Then you can take the money and leave."

I paused but eventually took the stockings.

A few minutes later, I emerged from the restroom, having put on the stockings. The man wasted no time and pushed me towards the so-called filming room. The hallway felt eerily empty, despite the bright summer sun outside. I couldn't tell if it was the low air conditioning or something else, but I felt a chill.

My whole body tensed, and I fought the urge to run away.

I suddenly thought of my father, who would hit and scold me for no reason. I silently reminded myself that once school started, I could slowly escape from home. For now, earning some living expenses was more important.

So, I followed the man into the room.

Once inside, I immediately sensed something was wrong. Even for a low-budget short film, there should be more than one camera, right? The room was filled with men, not a single woman in sight. I instinctively tried to run for the door, but they were prepared. The man who brought me in blocked the exit.

He tilted his chin towards the large bed in the room. "Get on the bed and act out the choking scene. Then you can go home."

He sneered, "Don't make us use force..."

I never imagined that people who knew Aunt Kyla would dare do such things to me. Were they insane?

Terrified, I shrank to one side, desperately thinking of a way to escape.

"I-I have a friend waiting downstairs. If I don't go down soon, they'll call the police!"

Another man in the room raised an eyebrow at this.

"Sweetheart, stop playing tricks. Kyla said she brought you here herself. There's no one else."

Five men surrounded me instantly.

I grabbed a vase nearby, but it felt too light.

They laughed even harder. "It's just a prop. It can't hurt anyone."

"If you like this kind of forceful scene, we can shoot it together~"

One of the men pulled me close, and the stench from his mouth made me vomit.

"Sweetheart, you're so disobedient. But that's okay, it adds a certain flavor."

I screamed, struggled, and begged for mercy.

The men in the room only got more excited. One of them picked up the camera.

"Yes! Tear her clothes! Change her into that white outfit." I struggled wildly, but one man's hand clamped around my neck while the other yanked my hair. The more I suffocated, the more excited they became.

Gradually, my vision darkened until I was engulfed in complete blackness.

My soul drifted aimlessly.

I saw my father taking the 100,000 yuan bribe money Aunt Kyla gave him. He licked his fingers and started counting the money.

"Raising this ungrateful girl was just to get more wedding gifts when she graduated college. Now, I don't have to pay for her education, and I got tens of thousands. At least her death had some value."

My cousin, knowing the whole story, laughed, "Mabel was so ungrateful. My mom found her such a good job, and she didn't appreciate it. She caused such a big mess. She had it coming."

When school started, my father casually told the school and neighbors that I had eloped with a man after a fight with him. And that was the end of it.