She Chose Me too Late

The Bet She Made With My Pain

Inside the bar, bodies swayed beneath flashing lights, swallowed by the music.

Afraid Sienna might get into trouble alone, I pushed through the crowd and searched for the private room she had mentioned.

When I pushed the door open, Sienna was about to link arms with a man and drink from his glass.

The man was Callum Hayes.

He was the one who had taken Sienna rock climbing. Ever since he showed up, her obsession with climbing had spiraled out of control.

A crowd surrounded them, clapping and chanting.

"Drink! Drink!"

"Drink from his glass, then leave with him tonight."

Sienna's face was flushed with shy excitement. She looked as if she might melt into Callum's arms at any moment.

And I, her actual boyfriend, stood outside the crowd like a stranger. No one noticed me.

Someone nearby spoke as if I did not exist.

"I heard Sienna has a boyfriend. Won't he get jealous if she does this?"

"What boyfriend? He's just her little lapdog. Sienna has seen every kind of man. You really think she'd fall for some broke orphan?"

"True. Maybe he's just good at something, so she keeps him around for fun."

Their words stabbed into me.

For a second, I wanted to throw every single one of them out. However, I did not want to embarrass Sienna.

As long as she knew I was sincere, that was enough.

I pushed through the crowd and took her hand. "Sienna, don't drink too much. Your stomach is sensitive."

The moment Sienna saw me, surprise flashed across her face.

Then she turned to the crowd, excited. "See? I told you I could make my boyfriend come over right away."

She smiled proudly and added, "And he's generous. Even if I drink with another man like this, he won't get mad."

So that was it. Sienna had made a bet with them.

She had lost, so she wanted me to stand there and watch her drink intimately with another man.

Callum looked me up and down, then raised his glass toward her. "Sienna, you lost the bet. You can't leave me without an answer, can you?"

Sienna had always been careless and proud.

Afraid she would be taken advantage of, I stepped in front of her first. "Callum, Sienna can't handle much alcohol. I'll drink for her."

Callum did not take me seriously at all. He reached out and tapped a finger against my chest. "You want to drink with me like that?"

Then, he smirked. "Should I take you to a hotel tonight, too?"

The room erupted with laughter and applause.

"Callum, that's wild. You don't even spare men."

"A bet is a bet, Sienna. You can't ruin your own reputation."

"Exactly! Running away now isn't your style."

Egged on by everyone around her, Sienna shoved me aside and took the glass from Callum's hand. Then she linked arms with him and drank it all.

Suddenly, someone pushed her from behind.

She fell straight into Callum's arms and almost kissed him.

She never once cared about how humiliated I was or how much it hurt.

I wanted to take Sienna away, but Callum blocked me. "Come on, man. It was just a joke. Since you're already here, sit down and play with us."

Sienna had no intention of leaving either. So I stayed reluctantly, just to keep an eye on her.

The games those rich kids played were disgusting. Whoever lost had to kiss someone of the opposite sex in the room.

Sure enough, Callum lost on purpose, and the person he chose was Sienna.

I held Sienna's hand and lowered my voice. "Sienna, Callum isn't a good guy. Let's go."

I did not expect her to shake me off so hard.

She pointed at me angrily as she lashed out. "Asher, don't be so clueless. I brought you here to show you the world. If you embarrass me, you'll regret it."

I was afraid she would get angry and refuse to come home with me, so I stopped talking.

Yet when I saw Callum pull Sienna into his arms, I could not stand it anymore. I rushed forward and pulled her back.

Then I faced Callum and announced, "Callum, I'll drink for Sienna this round."

Sienna broke free from my grip and slapped me across the face. "Don't think being my boyfriend gives you the right to disrespect my friends."

Her voice was cold as she ordered, "Apologize to Callum. Now."