I Died on Valentine's Day

Harry stepped closer to me with a furious look. “Aren’t you supposed to be mute? Why couldn’t you keep quiet? Since you blabbed, I’ll take care of you for Erika!”

I realized that Erika was the reason I was here.

Harry gave me a hard slap, and blood dripped from my mouth.

He started punching and kicking me like a crazy person.

For a moment, I thought that he might actually kill me.

Fortunately, one of the men behind him spoke up. “Harry, why are you hitting a little girl? If people find out, it won’t make us look good. Why don’t we make a bet for five hundred thousand?”

Harry seemed interested. “Sounds fun. What’s the bet?”

The man smiled meaningfully and replied, “It’s Valentine’s Day. Let’s see if she can sell 200 roses at the night market.”

Everyone laughed in response.

“Someone who can’t even talk selling flowers? Are you serious?”

“Come on, man. You’re not planning on letting her go, are you?”

I thought that I would be rescued, but I ended up in a worse situation instead.

When Harry saw how hopeless I looked, he quickly agreed to the bet.

They soon put hidden cameras on me and arranged for a driver to take me to the night market.

My head pounded as I stood in the busy night market.

The weird stares from the people around me made me feel uncomfortable.

In my earpiece, I heard Harry’s annoyed voice. “Hurry up, you little brat! If you don’t, I’ll send out your juicy photos right now and ruin the Clinton family’s name!”

A chill ran down my spine.

I could not believe how low Harry would stoop. He had taken juicy photos of me while I was unconscious.

I avoided the camera and carefully took out my phone to text Nathan. [Nathan, I’m at the Glowing Night Market. Can you come get me? I’ve been kidnapped.]

After I waited for a long time, Nathan finally replied. [Moon, I can’t believe you’d lie about something like this. If you’re brave enough to wander around, you shouldn’t worry about getting home! You know it’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m at home with Erika, so you must be trying to annoy me, right?]

Tears filled my eyes.

It looked like he was not coming to save me.

Harry’s impatient voice rang out again. “Are you going to sell those flowers or not? If I lose money because of you, I’ll leak your photos!”

I was so scared that I almost cried, but I managed to say, “Don’t…”

When they heard my voice, everyone burst out laughing in my earpiece.

“No wonder she doesn’t like to talk. She sounds like a duck!”

I slowly walked forward and saw a kind-looking woman. I showed her the flower basket, but I was too nervous to say anything.

“Shoo. Take your things and leave. What year is it? You’re still out here forcing people to buy from you?!” the woman said impatiently.

She shoved me, and I stumbled. As a result, the flowers dropped to the ground.

I started to cry in silence.

However, the woman got upset. “Hey, what are you doing? Is this some kind of emotional blackmail? My husband’s in the hospital! If you try to scam me, I’ll fight back!”

I shook my head quickly.

People gathered around to watch and pointed at me.

“Whose kid is this? Why is she doing such a horrible thing?”

“Yeah, she looks fancy, but she’s up to no good.”

…

The angry woman stomped on my flowers a few times and quickly walked away.

Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in the crowd.

“Hey, Moon, is that you? What are you doing selling flowers?”

I looked up and started to shake with fear.

It was Nicole Carter, the girl who had been bullying me for a long time at school.

She grabbed my face and mocked me, “Moon, didn’t you say your brother’s the president of Clinton Corporation? If you really are the Clinton family’s heiress, why are you working part-time at a night market?”