Chapter 8 He Sold Me to a Stranger

"Oh, these clothes were all bought on Mr. Smith's orders. He specifically told me to get you a new outfit every morning before you head out, so you always look fresh and clean for him. If you don't need anything else, Ms. Laura, I'll leave you to enjoy your meal. Hope every meal is as pleasant as your mood."

With a slight bow and a graceful turn, Anna quietly left the room.

Laura looked at the exquisite breakfast on her plate, worth a small fortune, and a wry smile tugged at her lips. She shook her head, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn't quite name.

"A luxurious suite, a lavish breakfast, and a new set of clothes every day. Am I here to repay a debt, or am I being kept like a mistress?"

The man who always wore a mask was like a cloud of mystery, becoming more and more unfathomable.

She had only intended to help William pay off his crushing $200,000 debt, but she found herself entangled in a life of opulence and complexity.

He was willing to spend so much money to give her a princess-like life. Did he really have so much money that he didn't know what to do with it?

After finishing breakfast, Laura changed into the pure white outfit Anna had brought her and decided to take a walk around town to kill some time.

Maybe the masked man had a cleanliness obsession, as all the clothes he provided for Laura were pure white, without a hint of color.

The streets were bustling with people, but Laura's mood was terrible, completely out of sync with the lively surroundings.

She wandered from morning until night without stopping to rest or eat anything. Despite her physical exhaustion, the pain in her heart didn't lessen at all.

How could she forget that night when she transformed from an innocent girl into a woman overnight?

What broke her heart even more was that she didn't even know what the man looked like.

"Laura? What are you doing here? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

As Laura aimlessly walked the streets, lost in her thoughts, a familiar yet unexpected voice broke the silence around her. A handsome young man appeared before her, his eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

The man looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with large eyes, deep gaze, high nose, and well-defined lips. His features combined to give him a refined and handsome appearance. His tall and upright stature made him look particularly dashing.

This man was Alexander Baker, Laura's first love and the man she truly loved.

At that moment, Laura looked up and saw Alexander standing in front of her, and a wave of indescribable sorrow surged in her heart. She had so much to say to him, but choked with words, she couldn't utter a single word. She could only look at Alexander with a distant gaze, trying hard to hold back her tears.

"Laura, what's wrong?" Seeing Laura's state, Alexander was very worried. Forgetting the boundaries between men and women, he stepped forward and tightly held her cold hand, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Why do you look so pale? You look so much more worn out than a few days ago. What happened?"

His warm and strong hand enveloped Laura's cold one, giving her an unprecedented sense of security.

That long-lost warmth made her instinctively want to lean on him, and the thought of pulling her hand away vanished.

Finally, the tears she had been holding back fell like broken pearls under Alexander's gentle gaze.

Laura cried so hard that it was heartbreaking to watch.

Alexander didn't say much. He gently walked to her side, wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders, and softly said, "Come with me."

Laura nodded obediently, leaning on his shoulder, letting him lead her forward.

In this chaotic world, she knew that Alexander was the only person who would never hurt her.

They chose a quiet café. Alexander carefully seated Laura and then sat across from her, ordering two steaming cups of coffee. He gently said, "Here, drink something warm. It'll make you feel better."

"Okay." Laura nodded, obediently taking a few sips of the coffee.

After a few sips of the hot coffee, she indeed felt a bit better, and her emotions gradually stabilized. She then asked, still sniffling, "Alexander, isn't your new company just starting up? Shouldn't you be very busy as the general manager? How do you have time to come back?"

"I mainly came back for you, and to handle some business matters," Alexander sighed, his eyes filled with love and concern.

"Laura, why is your phone always unreachable? William wouldn't say anything, and I couldn't find you anywhere. I was worried sick!"

Indeed, Alexander didn't look too well. Although he wasn't as haggard as Laura, his usually rosy lips were now dry, clearly showing the toll of his longing.

Looking at the man she had once deeply loved, Laura's heart was torn apart again.

What was she now? Just a tool to repay debts, a pitiful person who had to sell herself to a stranger.

With such a status, how could she be with Alexander?

In despair, Laura gritted her teeth and said with difficulty, "Alexander, I... I'm not the same Laura anymore. You don't need to look for me anymore. From now on, let's live our own lives."

"Laura, what are you talking about?" Hearing what sounded like a farewell, Alexander raised his eyebrows in surprise, interrupting Laura.

"What do you mean by 'not the same' and 'from now on'? Are you trying to cut ties with me? Why? What did I do wrong? We love each other, but you said you had to repay a debt, and I endured it, watching you prepare to become someone else’s wife! Isn't that enough? Now I just want to care for you as a friend. I can’t even be your friend?"

"No! You are a friend! It's me who doesn't deserve to be your friend!" The tears Laura had managed to control flowed again because of Alexander's words.

Laura felt an unbearable pain in her heart, so intense that she wished she could rip it out to stop the torment.

"Alexander, you don't understand, I already, already..."

God, how could she say it? How could she tell the man who loved her that she had lost her virginity to another man, a stranger whose face she hadn’t even see?

Seeing her struggle to speak, Alexander sensed that something serious had happened. He asked gravely, "Laura, what happened? Weren't you supposed to be preparing for the wedding? Why aren't you at the Smith’s or at work, but wandering around here looking so lost?"

"You... went to the Smith’s?" Thinking of the Smith’s coldness and William's shamelessness, Laura's eyes turned cold and sharp, her earlier vulnerability fading, "What did they say?"

"They wouldn't say anything." Alexander sneered, deeply disappointed with the Smith’s attitude, "I went to see them personally, but both Mr. and Mrs. Smith and William insisted you were fine, just busy, and didn't want to be disturbed. I don’t buy it, so I went to your school, only to find out you had resigned. Laura, what is going on?"

"I..." Hearing Alexander's deep concern, Laura trembled all over but couldn't say a complete sentence, only crying continuously, "Alexander, I..."

"Laura?" Seeing her in such pain, Alexander was anxious and scared. He quickly moved to sit beside her, taking a tissue to gently wipe her tears.

"What happened? Tell me! You can't just cry like this; it's killing me. I don't know how to help you! I feel so useless! Laura, did William bully you or do something to hurt you? Tell me, and I'll make sure he pays!"

Yes, William bullied her, using the most despicable means.

He was shameless enough to sell her to a stranger to pay off his gambling debt!

Wouldn't you call that bullying?