Auction.

Auction.
Opening the box, my jaw dropped.

Inside were several red outfits, each one more revealing than the last, there were dresses with tiny straps, low necklines, short hems, and cuts that showed far more skin than I was comfortable with, some of them barely looked like they had enough fabric to qualify as proper dresses. I picked up the first one and stared at it in disbelief, turning it around in my hands as if I was expecting to find some hidden part that would make it look more decent.

"Who the hell am I supposed to wear this for?" I muttered, blinking at the dress, "Am I going to an auction for men?"

The thought alone made my face heat up.

I dropped the dress back into the box and rubbed my forehead, already feeling a headache coming on. Sweat had formed along my forehead as I stared at the clothes again, and suddenly I understood why Ellie had warned me not to wear anything else to the party.

She had planned this.

There was no way she had picked these outfits randomly.

I reached into the box again and found a pair of black strappy stiletto heels beneath the dresses, the thin straps and tall heels making my stomach sink even further.

"Seriously?"

I lifted one of the shoes and stared at it for a moment before putting it back.

There was no way I was supposed to walk around in those all night, especially while wearing one of those dresses. Ellie clearly wanted me to stand out, but I couldn't understand why she wanted me to look like this in front of everyone.

Then again, maybe I already knew the answer.

She wanted to humiliate me.

She had told me exactly what the party was about, and now everything was beginning to make sense. She wanted everyone to look at me, whisper about me, and eventually learn about what had happened between Diego and me.

My stomach twisted at the thought.

I didn't want to be there.

I didn't want to stand in front of a room full of people while Ellie watched me fall apart.

But refusing to attend wasn't an option anymore.

I sighed and dropped the shoe back into the box before falling onto the bed, my body sinking into the mattress as I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a party, but I couldn't think of anything worth celebrating.

All I could think about was Madam Silina.

Two million dollars.

One month! Where was I supposed to get that kind of money?

I had barely spent a month working with Diego, so I couldn't exactly walk into his office and ask him to give me my salary in advance, and even if I did ask, what reason would I give him for needing such an absurd amount of money?

I couldn't tell him the truth, I couldn't tell anyone.

I covered my face with both hands and let out a tired sigh.

Everything was happening at once.

Ellie was threatening me, Madam Silina was threatening me, and now I was expected to attend a party where I knew I was going to be humiliated.

For a moment, I wondered if my life would ever become normal.

I lowered my hands and stared at the ceiling again, trying to think of a solution, but the harder I tried, the more exhausted I became.

Eventually, my thoughts became blurred, and without realizing it, I drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I blinked several times when the bright sunlight poured through my window and landed directly across my face.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head before remembering what day it was.

Then I sat up abruptly.

"Shoot."

I looked toward the window. "I forgot to lock it last night."

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and glanced around my room.

Then I remembered the party.

Today was the day. The so-called party where Ellie intended to embarrass me in front of everyone.

I couldn't spend the entire morning sitting around worrying about it.

I needed to find a way out of this mess.

I had barely gotten out of bed when the door suddenly opened and two women walked into my room, followed closely by Ellie.

I paused and frowned. I didn't recognize either of them.

Both women had blonde hair styled perfectly, expensive-looking clothes, and the kind of accessories that immediately told me they weren't concerned about prices. One carried a diamond-covered purse, while the other wore several pieces of jewelry that caught the morning light whenever she moved.

Their appearance reminded me of Ellie, not just because of their expensive clothes, but because of the way they looked at me.

There was judgment in their eyes.

The woman holding the diamond purse looked me up and down slowly, taking in everything from my hair to my clothes before exchanging a glance with her friend.

An amused smile appeared on her lips.

I immediately became uncomfortable.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked, looking from them to Ellie.

Ellie didn't answer. Instead, she stood behind them with a satisfied expression, almost as though she was waiting for something entertaining to happen.

The first woman took a few steps closer.

"Well, well, well," she said, her voice dripping with mock sympathy, "Ellie, it's such a shame to have a sister like this."

Her friend covered her mouth, pretending to be shocked.

I stared at them. A sister like what?

I folded my arms across my chest, still trying to understand what was happening.

The woman with the diamond purse tilted her head and looked at me again.

"I honestly don't know how you managed to keep her hidden for so long."

Ellie finally smiled. "Don't worry," she said calmly, "everyone is going to know about her soon enough."

My stomach dropped.

I looked at Ellie, then back at the two women standing in front of me.

So this was how the party was going to begin.

They hadn't even waited until the guests arrived before starting their little game.

I tightened my arms across my chest and forced myself to remain calm.

Whatever Ellie had planned, I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of wa
tching me break down in front of these women.

If they wanted to humiliate me, they were going to have to work harder than that.