Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Cat got your tongue? You sounded pretty confident on the phone," Landon sneered, tightening his grip on my wrist.

I gasped in pain, and his brow furrowed slightly at my reaction.

"Wait, isn't that Landon Bradley from the news?" someone in the crowd whispered.

"Holy crap, it is! Is that the shameless ex-girlfriend who begged him for money on live TV?"

A crowd quickly gathered, cell phones instantly pointing at us.

I panicked, ducking my head and pulling my hair forward to hide my face as I struggled to break free.

My resistance only seemed to infuriate him further.

During the struggle, my canvas bag slipped from my shoulder, spilling pill bottles and lab reports across the floor.

Landon bent down and picked up a paper. As his eyes scanned the diagnosis, a bitter, sarcastic smirk spread across his lips.

"Renal failure? Seriously, Maya? You left me because of my kidney disease, and now you're pulling the exact same scam on me?"

I bit down hard on my lower lip, praying for this public humiliation to end.

It's fine, Maya. This was your choice. Just endure it a little longer.

Before I could gather my strength, Landon dragged me by my collar into the center of the crowd.

He roughly pulled back my hair, exposing my pale, sunken face to dozens of flashing cameras.

A sharp sting hit my lip as skin split, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

I fought back the tears stinging my eyes, desperate to salvage whatever shred of dignity I had left.

"Landon? What's going on here?" a silky voice cut through the chaos.

I looked up and recognized the woman immediately.

It was Giselle Drake, Hollywood's rising starlet and Landon's rumored girlfriend.

She assessed the scene with a quick, calculating glance.

"You said you were accompanying me to my appointment. Why did you run off?"

"Miss Drake!" a bystander shouted gleefully. "That's the gold digger who ditched him when he was broke and just asked him to sponsor her!"

The crowd erupted into mocking laughter, hurling insults at me.

Someone tossed a half-empty soda can from the back, striking my temple with a sharp thud.

Dizziness washed over me, and my breathing grew shallow and labored.

Landon stood close enough to see the gray cast on my skin, and a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.

"You..."

The agony in my lower back made my vision blur, and I weakly waved my hand, silently begging him to let me go.

"Landon, maybe we should have a doctor look at her," Giselle said with fake sweetness. "Kidney failure isn't easy to fake. Unless she's a professional actress, how could she look so sick?"

"Ha. Nobody knows better than her how painful this disease is," Landon scoffed, his sympathy instantly evaporating.

To prove a point, he pulled out his checkbook and handed Giselle a signed slip.

"Here, Giselle. Take twenty thousand dollars and get yourself whatever you need for your stomach ache."

Then, he flicked my crumpled medical bill right into my face.

"See that, Maya? The money you worship, I can throw around like pocket change. Do you regret walking away now?"

I dug my fingernails into my palms until the sharp pain grounded my trembling body.

"Since you're so loaded, Mr. Bradley... care to spare a few grand for an old friend?"

"You're pathetic," he spat, his jaw clenching in disgust before he grabbed Giselle's hand and walked away.

I watched their retreating figures and let out a dry, silent laugh.

Leaning against the wall, I dragged my feet in the opposite direction amid the jeers of the crowd.