Chapter 2
692words
When I showed up, she was shocked and quickly pulled me to a corner. "What are you doing here? You're not jealous and come to take Mr. Walmsley away from me, are you?"
If I could, I would've slapped her across the face, but I held back, knowing I couldn't afford to burn bridges yet. "How could you think of me like that? I'm so worried about you that I ignored my mom's objections just to be here with you."
Honestly, I almost convinced myself.
Knowing she had gone slightly overboard, Sydney softened her tone. "Fine, but I don't have all the time in the world to look after you. Don't bother me unless necessary."
I nodded eagerly. After checking in with the supervisor, Sydney took me to the production line.
Frankly, I had never seen so many lively young men in my life, definitely not in the past 20 years. They kept staring at us the whole way, and some crazier ones even catcalled us.
Sydney didn't mind at all. If anything, she seemed to enjoy the attention.
After chatting with those men for a bit, she took me to the dorm. That was when I experienced a whiplash. A tiny dorm, no bigger than 108 square feet, was packed with about 20 people of both genders.
"You guys live here together?" I asked Sydney.
She lay sprawled across the bed and replied, "Of course. Besides…" She lowered her voice, her tone turning mysterious. "…it gets really fun at night."
I quickly stepped away from Sydney, as if I would catch something from her. She simply guffawed at my reaction. "You really think you're some pampered rich girl? Find somewhere else to stay if you hate it so much.
"And here's a little advice from your best friend. Win the heart of any man in the factory, and you'll win yourself a life of luxury."
A life of luxury? With the help of those lecherous men?
At this point, she might as well admit she had rocks for brains. Those men couldn't be clearer about what they were after.
I ignored her and found myself a relatively safe bunk. If it weren't for witnessing every step of her downfall, I wouldn't be staying here for another second.
After settling in, Sydney disregarded my protests and pulled me outside. She wore a sinister smile, saying, "Come on. They want to meet you."
They? Who were they?
It wasn't until we arrived that I realized they were the very same young men I had seen on the production floor earlier in the afternoon.
"What's up, pretty thing? Why don't I buy you a meal so we can all get to know each other?"
I subtly dodged his hand and forced a smile. "Sure. Thanks."
At the table, Sydney deliberately encouraged me to drink. Looking at those several pairs of ill-intentioned eyes, I instantly knew what was going on.
Seeing the table full of booze but the pitifully small amount of food, I immediately thought of an idea. I slapped my thigh and said, "Hey, I thought we were drinking tonight."
The others looked at me, bewildered.
I continued, "We can't drink on an empty stomach, can we?"
In the next heartbeat, Sydney understood what I meant.
She started urging those men to bring the menu over so we could order more dishes. The moment they heard we wanted extra food, their faces fell, though nobody wanted to be the first to speak up.
Seeing this, Sydney beckoned them to the side. After whispering to the for a few minutes, the men who had looked so sullen earlier suddenly broke into big grins.
Oh, Sydney. In both lives, you would do anything just to put me in harm's way, wouldn't you?
"Done talking? Can I order more food now?" I asked, pretending to look naive as I looked at them.
They were so smug that they grinned devilishly. "Of course! Order whatever you want!"
In that case, I wouldn't hold back.
